Following up with clients can be tricky, here’s how:
We were taught in school how to perform services and sell products, but we weren’t taught etiquette for following up with clients. We’ve all experienced one time or another when we’ve let a client slip away. In the salon and spa industry, it’s almost impossible not to let that happen. But what do you do when it gets to be more than that? If you’ve found yourself in the awkward “follow-up” stage with a client, here are some tips you can use without coming across as pushy.
Reflect
Before you reach out to that client, think back on their service and what might have gone wrong. Did you say something offensive? Did they ask for a different service than what you performed? Perhaps they had a Groupon and were simply coming in for a cheap service? These are all critical questions in determining what the situation was and what your next step should be.
Remedy
Once you have reflected on their experience and have concluded the problem, then you must plan the solution. Can you do anything to fix their it? Put yourself in their shoes and think of an incentive that would get you to come back to your salon. If you may have said something offensive, reach out and apologize. If they used a Groupon, send them a card thanking them for their visit, a menu of your services, and a number they can call to rebook.
Solution
Sometimes being “old-fashioned” can be the way to go. There is something meaningful about a handwritten note. If it was a first-time client who merely decided not to rebook with you, try asking nicely what their reason might have been for not wanting to seek additional services at your salon. If you think you might have done something to offend them, you need to apologize sincerely.
Your customers have the right to choose where they seek services. If you’re losing a few clients here and there, think about these tips and how they might help the next time you find yourself in a similar situation. However, If you’re having a significant problem with client retention, you should take a look at a more substantial problem that could be occurring in your salon. Need additional tips? Check out our previous blog on Client Retention Essentials.
