Salon WOW’s That Get Clients Talking

“I love your hair!” I said to a friend. She got really excited and said; “That’s not even the best part … when I arrived for my appointment they had a small bag of fresh grapes with some crackers on a plate waiting just for me. I was famished after a long day at work. All I could say was … “WOW” – what a lovely surprise!”

HOW TO CREATE ‘WOW’s’ THAT IMPRESS CLIENTS

#1 Impressing clients means ‘It is all about you – not me’
The Golden WOW rule: Your client is the most important person in the room. No matter how tough your day has been, or how rushed you feel, be ‘CLIENT’ focused, not ‘ME’ focused.

Ask yourself this ‘KEY’ Branding Question: “What can we/I do to make our clients think, feel and say the following…”
“What a lovely surprise.”
“You remembered I love….”
“That was above and beyond, thank you so much.”
“I know I can always trust you to look after me.”
“No other salon has made me feel so very special.”

#2 Create ‘WOW’ moments for your clients
They say a little goes a long way. You can create ‘WOW’ moments economically, here are a few examples:

  • Look after their parking meter and offer to feed the meter for them.
  • Keep some umbrellas at the front desk to offer clients when it’s pouring and they left theirs behind.
  • Recognize and greet clients within seconds of entering the salon. Even if busy a simple gesture of recognition with a smile will go a long way.
  • Keep the washroom spotless and stocked with clean towels and hand cream.
  • Keep a salon snack bar stocked with inexpensive individually wrapped food items for clients that might be on the go.

#3 Develop excellent listening and remembering skills with your team
Listening makes it easy to deliver those ‘WOW’ extras that count. The onces your client values and will bring a smile to their face.

  • Educate your team to ask open ended questions and to listen carefully to their clients reply. Use this information to meet their expectations.
  • Develop ‘Great Consultation Skills for Stylists’: Read Article Here.
  • Copy service tricks from exclusive hotels etc. Remember their favorite drink, their partner’s name, their new job, their preference for the neck rest at the sink… simple, inexpensive and effective.

#4 Create ‘Service WOW Standards’ for your staff to follow with each client.
Each client experience is telling their friends all about your brand. Make it memorable and consistent. Here are some questions to ask that will help determine your salon service standards:

  • What are your current ‘WOW’ practices?
  • Does everyone on your team have a ‘WOW’ attitude?
  • What ‘WOW’s’ could your salon deliver in the future?
  • How does your current ‘WOW’ factor rate in comparision to other salons near you charging similar prices? (*Tip: Have your staff visit competing salons in your area for a shampoo/styling service, that you pay for, to report back their experiences). Let your staff contribute to the service standards decision. They will be more likely to enact what they helped develop.
  • How will you measure whether your ‘WOW’s’ are working?

#5 List of potential ‘WOW’ standards to consider:

  • Client greeting
  • Consultation Questions/Skills
  • Client drapping
  • Stylist timing guarantee (perhaps client given a discount if stylist is more than 10 minutes behind. Stylist is paid on the discounted service in this situation).
  • Clean skin with all colour applications.
  • Updated client records with experience preferences
  • Prescribing home care
  • Client send off

Start with some simple ‘WOW’ moments that will impress your clients to share their experiences, and grow your salon/chair brand and business.

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