Have you ever walked into a place and immediately felt like you belonged? That's the power of an exceptional salon experience, and this week, Jen and I unpack the secrets to creating that magnetic charm without breaking the bank. We're spilling the beans on the KISS principle—Keep It Simple, Superstar—and why a little personalization, from welcome signs to love boxes, goes a long way. Dive in as we reveal how the simplest gestures can leave your clients feeling like superstars and why something as small as the right welcoming scent can make all the difference.
Strap in for a conversation that's as much about the senses as it is about strategy. From the art of the perfect playlist to the power of a prompt, warm greeting, we cover the A to Z of crafting a space that not only looks good but feels great. We're also tapping into the digital age, discussing how modern software can automate personalized follow-ups, deepen relationships, and keep that salon chair spinning. Whether you're a salon owner or just love a good pampering, join us for insights that promise to transform any salon visit into an unforgettable journey.
Do you have a question for Blondes in Business: Luxury Beauty Business Podcast? Send a text or leave a voicemail at 855.650.3445 or send us an email to hello@thephdprogram.com. We would love to hear from you. Start growing in business and leadership with powerful tools, advice and resources in your inbox every week: Learn more about The PHD Program Events:
Have you ever walked into a place and immediately felt like you belonged? That's the power of an exceptional salon experience, and this week, Jen and I unpack the secrets to creating that magnetic charm without breaking the bank. We're spilling the beans on the KISS principle—Keep It Simple, Superstar—and why a little personalization, from welcome signs to love boxes, goes a long way. Dive in as we reveal how the simplest gestures can leave your clients feeling like superstars and why something as small as the right welcoming scent can make all the difference.
Strap in for a conversation that's as much about the senses as it is about strategy. From the art of the perfect playlist to the power of a prompt, warm greeting, we cover the A to Z of crafting a space that not only looks good but feels great. We're also tapping into the digital age, discussing how modern software can automate personalized follow-ups, deepen relationships, and keep that salon chair spinning. Whether you're a salon owner or just love a good pampering, join us for insights that promise to transform any salon visit into an unforgettable journey.
Do you have a question for Blondes in Business: Luxury Beauty Business Podcast? Send a text or leave a voicemail at 855.650.3445 or send us an email to hello@thephdprogram.com. We would love to hear from you. Start growing in business and leadership with powerful tools, advice and resources in your inbox every week: Learn more about The PHD Program Events:
welcome. We're excited to dive into a fun topic that is so near and dear to both jen and i's heart, and that is creating that exceptional experience for each guest that comes into your salon yeah, because if you really stop and think about it for a second, guests have so many options to choose from.
Speaker 2:
so, like, what are your points of difference? What really makes you stand out? So we're going to explore some new qualities of how to create a markable experience without breaking the bank.
Speaker 1:
Yes, and so today we're going to dive in deep to customer experience magic. And so we all know we've been to places before where you have just walked in and had more of that magical experience, and you've probably also been to the opposite, where you have walked away feeling, you know, like unheard, uncared for, just like it wasn't a great experience. And you know, I think sometimes we think creating that, you know, experience that is magical for someone involves a lot of really hard, expensive things. But we're going to break it down and give you some easy, actionable things that you can start doing right away that will start to make your customers say, wow, it's totally different when I walk into this salon.
Speaker 2:
Yeah. So one of the qualities for designing that remarkable experience is, I like to say kiss, keep it simple, superstar. Because when you think about creating the simplicity and memorable experience for guests or for clients, you know it doesn't have to be like overcomplicated, it doesn't have to be like oh gosh, this is going to take two years to train no, I'm just kidding but like just little touch points, like something as simple as reserved for and the guest's name on the mirror, a welcome sign for new guests when they come in. You know, maybe it's a love box for guests of if they're having a bad day and they just need to pick a, or if it's their birthday and it's their birthday week and you can celebrate them. So I think sometimes we have to get out of our way of. You know, making things more complicated than they have to be is, you know, sometimes those simple things make a really big, huge impact for others.
Speaker 1:
Yes, I love that. And you know a second quality. So Jen just talked about simple being one quality. Another quality would be practical. So you know something that's a practical tip, something that you can implement right away without it having to be overcomplicated. You know simple and practical kind of go hand in hand in my opinion.
Speaker 1:
I feel like you know there's so many ways that people think that you do have to kind of go over the top and have to think outside of the box. And you know some of the things that Jen just mentioned. If you don't have a love box like that's a really easy, practical thing to have inside of your company, that you know if somebody needs some medication or needs deodorant or you know something like that, you know it's stuff that you all of a sudden you get into your salon and you start. You know, just like everybody does, when they get in the salon they'll tell their hairstylist or esthetician, massage therapist, whoever that might be, anything and everything. And so when you have some practical things like that on hand, you know you don't have to have like an elaborate beverage or menu to offer people, but when you have some of those practical items that can really make people feel seen, heard, loved and know that, wow, this place is different than anywhere else I go and it's something that can really help make that experience exceptional for our guests.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, and so we've looked at simple, we looked at practical. One of the other qualities is inexpensive, so like highlighting cost-effective ways to truly enhance that guest experience without, you know, breaking the bank, like I said earlier, and I think there's so many really incredible things that you can do that are inexpensive. You know, one thing that we do is providing value through blogs or emails monthly. You know, actually we just sent out a blog about creating the perfect colors for you, or finding the colors that really make your skin glow, and a guest replied back. She hadn't been here in like four years and she was just talking about how she was upset at her experience. She never shared it, but anyway that we were able to actually save that guest four years later by just replying back to that email and saying, hey, thanks for sharing.
Speaker 2:
You know, you know that was not our intention. We're here to make you feel beautiful inside and out and so, you know, just really providing those value pieces to the guests. You just never know what can come out of that. And when I replied with that comment she's like hey, thanks for thanks for replying back. You know, um, I think I'll give it another try. So, four years later, I just think that's the power of something inexpensive. It didn't cost me anything to reply back to her, and so it's a little things like that. Something else is like in the consultation. You know, one thing we really teach is using like a style strategy. So looking at warm and cool swatches whether it's for skin, whether it's for hair like you can really help someone's skin naturally glow, make someone feel much more naturally beautiful, just by helping them understand what colors really suit them best.
Speaker 1:
Yes, and you know I love both of those tips because they are super inexpensive. One of them didn't even cost you a thing and you know, if you think about that like, communication is one of the keys to building that relationship with the guest, and we are in the relationship building business. You know we're selling in the relationship building business. You know we're selling time and the relationship building business. So when you look for ways to create that experience inexpensively, there are tons of ways that are free, you know.
Speaker 1:
So, beyond that, that providing value that you talked about, jen, it is, you know, maintaining those relationships and and talking back and forth with customers. So even on your social media, responding when people say stuff or when you get a review, making sure that you respond. And when you respond, put some things in there, like if they said I love my highlight, say, we're so glad you loved your highlight. Here's a link to make it easy to book next time, so that that way, when people are going through, they can see, wow, it's really important for this. You know, salon company, spa company, whatever, to build relationships with people and I love it so much.
Speaker 1:
They provided a booking link. I'm going to click here and do that right away, and so you know retaining our customers is going to be one of the most important parts when it comes to building this exceptional customer experience. That's just a magical experience for them. You know so many people worry about getting new people in the door, which is obviously an important part of our business, but you know, I would say and I know, jen, you would agree you know keeping those guests is going to be even more important than getting them through the door, and so you know it's. There's just a wealth of knowledge when it comes to retaining consumers inside of our industry and what it can do for your bottom line and for everybody involved in your company.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, and they say our industry stats, I think it says you know, client retention right now in our industry is like 26% on new guests, and that means in three months a new guest is going to come back and visit your salon. I feel like after three months you've kind of lost that guest or they're not going to be your ideal avatar. And so, like, once upon a time we dug into this in our salon company too and our new guest retention was setting at like 30%. And ouch, yes, that was a big out, you know, because if you think about that, that's only three out of 10 people are coming back. So you're spending these.
Speaker 2:
You know some of your budgeting on marketing, but the experience is not there to capture those clients. And so to really be able to set goals for your salon company and spa company of like, what is your new guest retention right now and like what is a goal that you can get it to? And if, like, if you are at 30%, like you know, try to get to 38% or 35%, is those little small increment changes that can really make a big impact. So you know we will. We definitely want to see more than three out of 10 people coming back in three months.
Speaker 1:
Absolutely. You know, and I think you know, in addition to that, who who stays after their first initial visit is. You know, I think the the statistic inside of our industry is that you're going to lose about 15% of guests to attrition each year. So you know, attrition could mean that they moved to another city, they moved to another salon. You know they could. There's a ton of different reasons why they don't return back to you. So, even just beyond the guests that are brand new inside of your company, think about the guests that you've had for a long time.
Speaker 1:
Of course, you know you, you can't maybe convince everyone to stay if they're going to move out of town. But you know if you're losing, you know even if 5% of those you know 10 to 15% of people you're losing from attrition are because they're going somewhere else, like really digging in to see. You know what are some ways that we can make them feel valued, because you know, having, you know that critical we love to talk about the wow check-in and the love check-out and making sure that we are really creating consistency for the guests that enter into our space, you know, makes them feel safe while they're with you because they see. Hey, you know everybody here is getting the same experience. I don't feel like Susie Q is getting a better experience than I am. And you know they're offering me the treatments, they're offering me drinks, they're offering me whatever it is that your offerings are inside of your company.
Speaker 1:
Make sure that everybody is consistent in making those offerings Because just like if you were to go to a restaurant and you know you sat up at the bar and you heard the bartender offer both patrons next to you, you know, a beverage and they just gave you a water, or they offered them dessert at the end of the meal and they just gave you your ticket, you would feel like the value of your service wasn't the same as those that were around you. And so making sure our team knows like, hey, when we're making additional offerings to people, it's because we love them and we know that they would enjoy this service. And so, even if someone has told you no before, don't let that define you forever, because maybe today was the day that they were going to say yes. And so sometimes we forget the power and making those offerings and how much value, whether the guest takes it or not, it can create in that experience.
Speaker 2:
I love that. And you know thinking about, like, looking at creating that welcoming and comfortable environment for guests as well. Like what is your? What does it look like when a guest enters your door? Is there a script?
Speaker 2:
You know, is everyone having the same or using the same language so that it feels branded? You know, when they go to the station or the table, like what does that look like? You know it's every little the station or the table, like what does that look like? You know it's every little touch point, like Lindsay was saying, really makes a big impact. And if you're doing it for one, you've got to do it for all or else you lose some of that trust for the guest that it's not being done for. And also, I also think too, you know, look at just the cleanliness of your salon. You know, when you're thinking about elevating client experience and you think about a high-end experience, it doesn't have to be brand new stuff, but just making sure like the little details, like the baseboards, the stations, all of those things add up to create that really warm welcome environment as well.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, and I think you know I wish I could remember the statistic right now, but people will remember scents more than anything, and so if you pause and think about it for just a second, you know, probably one of the first things that will come to mind for you is maybe a hotel that you've stayed at. I feel like hotels are always good about having some sort of like scent air or aroma 360 or whatever it is that the hotels use inside of to. You know, pipe in some scent into the space, but really be mindful of what your salon smells like. You know, because if you're doing a lot of chemical services that produce a lot of odors, you know looking for ways to kind of mitigate that and then even considering, you know, when your budget allows for it, adding in something like Aroma 360 or Scent Air so that you can start to create that signature scent. You know doesn't have to be overpowering, it can just be something really simple and subtle, because all hair products are going to have scents and so when you can find something that can complement your space, well, people remember, they will talk about that scent forever.
Speaker 1:
You know I can think of hotels that I've stayed at that had a scent that was really exceptional and just the ambience that can be created by that. So you know, think of all of your senses when you're thinking about the ambience. You know what music is playing is that. You know what you want to create for that guest experience. Like Jen mentioned, the cleanliness, you know, because that's kind of like if it looks like there's something sticky around, people automatically feel like ick, you know, and if the station wasn't clean before they sat in it, that feels gross as well. So really paying attention to all of the different scents, like what are people hearing, what are they seeing, you know, giving them something to taste, whether it's just a spa water or something that can really help to elevate that experience, is key.
Speaker 2:
Yeah. And so what are some ways to go above and beyond, you know, to provide that exceptional customer experience to would be to think about like I think you have like four seconds, they say, to make a first impression. So like I've visited a salon before and it literally took them four minutes for anyone to even come up front. So like making sure that you always have that coverage up there. It's so amazing how not having someone up front like that can really lessen the guest experience, because you get a little confused. You're like, ok, what am I supposed to be doing? And I'm just standing here. It feels a little awkward. So at that moment the guest is just like, ok, what's going on here? We really need to look at this.
Speaker 2:
Another thing you can think about too is with new guests. You know we talked about that. New guest retention is doing some new guest callbacks to just call them back and just check in and say, hey, you know, lindsay, we loved having you at Salon ABC. We just want to make sure that your experience was extraordinary. Is there anything that you like to share? And so I think just little things like that can really make you stand out in a world where there's lots of salons.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, that would definitely be going above and beyond. In a world where there's lots of salons, yeah, that would definitely be going above and beyond. I think a lot of softwares have some really cool automations these days too, where you know, in addition to doing a callback, cause that's going to be exceptional. You know, if you're thinking, hey, I'm small, I don't have the time to do that, you can even send them, you know, a quick little survey that just says like, how was your experience with us today? And then, if it says, then give them two options like exceptional or not so great, or I'd love just to talk to somebody about my experience, whatever that might be. Give them two different options and then, when they click on excellent, it can send them over to write a review for you. Or they could click on the not so great or less than wonderful. It can send them to give you some feedback so that you can call them back right away just to see what you can do to make sure that they did have that exceptional experience, you know, and if they need an adjustment, welcoming them back in to get that made.
Speaker 1:
You know, I think that that stands out in the customer's mind of like, wow, these people really care. They wanted to know right away so you could send it as an email. You could send it as a text, you could even a lot of software companies will allow you. If someone purchases a certain item, you could send them an email. You know five days later and say you know, are you loving XYZ? You could even add a little video in there or something of like how to use the product. You know. Just thinking of some ways to just go above and beyond for your guests so that it's a different experience than just shopping anywhere down the street.
Speaker 2:
I love that. So when you think about you know guest experience and the importance of elevating the guest experience, remember to keep it simple, practical and inexpensive, and this is going to be something that takes some time, so you could use your next 12 salon celebrations to always be talking about hey, how can we improve our experience? How can we go from good to great in our experience? And another hot tip, too would be like, once you start setting these things in place, is to get you a secret shopper, just so that you know that the experience is being consistent and that, like, what you're committing to as a team is actually being followed out.
Speaker 1:
All right, we know you're going to get out there and create some magic, and we'd love to hear about it, so shoot us an email. Hello at the phdprogramcom, tell us about the success you're experiencing. Hop on over to one of our social media channels. We've got lots of free resources to help support you in this. You know, like Jen mentioned, with the different salon celebrations, we've even got some planned out for a year for you too, so check us out there. We love to hear your feedback and we can't wait to see you again soon.
