Guest blog: Keeping customers happy

Picture credit: Gene O +

Sally Glover is sales and marketing manager at Salon Genius, in charge of business development opportunities, planning and developing marketing opportunities. Salon Genius' automated marketing system allows the user to promote the above marketing initiatives to clients using specified criteria to send out marketing messages via text messaging or email.

With competition between salons and spas growing and clients wanting more and more, this is the time to ensure you are focusing on keeping your customers happy and your business profitable!

It goes without saying that your clients come first and if they are happy, they will continue visiting your salon, in turn making more money for your business.

One very effective way of expanding client loyalty is with schemes such as gift vouchers, loyalty points and ‘recommend a friend’. Regular and effective marketing can have a real impact on client retention, improving client spend and attracting new customers, helping you to enjoy better return rates.

Gift vouchers are a very effective way of marketing. Encourage your existing clients to buy these for a friend or loved one as a way of introducing new business to your salon or spa. When doing this you could also include your list of services and prices to encourage them to get their appointment booked. Rewarding your existing customers for doing so means you are more likely to retain them.

‘Recommend a friend’ marketing campaigns are also very effective; if a friend has recommended a particular product or service, you are more likely to trust in what they say and try it out. Giving your existing clients loyalty points or cash incentives and rewards for recommending a friend means you are more likely to also keep your existing clients.

Loyalty points are really beneficial to your business as these can be rewarded for the activities mentioned above and it is a win-win situation. The existing clients can build up points to gain rewards and the salon may gain potential new clients in the process!