What makes a customer return?

Hellen Ward, Managing Director of Richard Ward Hair & Metrospa gives some tips on how to create customer loyalty.

In our industry, every therapist needs to develop an intricate understanding of what makes their clients come back, and most critically, what makes their loyalty disappear in a flash.

Convenience could be a key factor, but atmosphere, people, ambience, location are all contributing factors in the selection process. It’s the little things that add up to make us loyal to a brand. For me, customer recognition is key; I do like places to remember me if appropriate.

What else can we take from our own experiences and use in the running of our columns and salons? Perhaps it’s just important to stop and think about our clients and their feedback.

·       Remember small personal details about them (family weddings, occasions, holidays) as well as the big information (health, work, relationships) if that’s what they want to chat to us about.

·       Take time out to let them know we’ve remembered. Critical!

·       Note down their personal preferences: prefers no music during treatment, always has a certain colour polish, wanted to try the peel next time –  these are all little details that are ours to own and maximise.

·       Assess what’s important to them and them alone and remember to deliver it, time and again.

Each of us has our own reasons for staying with a brand or leaving it. The difference comes when people care enough or have bothered to figure out what it is that makes us come back, so they can ensure we keep on getting what we want.

The savvy therapist is intrepid in her pursuit of finding out what those reasons for loyalty and brand selection are and ensuring she keeps those feet voting in the same direction – hers.

Read the full article on page 35 of the June issue of Professional Beauty magazine. If you haven’t subscribed yet, click here to subscribe for only £37 per year or £9.99 for the digital edition.