According to John Gattorna, a visiting professor at MGSM (Macquarie Graduate School of Management), there are five reasons why clients don’t return.
-
4% Natural erosion (moved away, no longer use the service, have passed on etc.)
-
5% Referred to a competitor by their friend
-
9% Competitive reasons (price)
-
14% Product/Service dissatisfaction
-
68% Perceived indifference
(John Gattorna a visiting professor at MGSM, SMH business blog, Posted by Kristen Le Mesurier 2.2.09)
Four out of five of those reasons you have no control over. The most common one, “perceived indifference” aka a client, not feeling important, is the only one that you have some form of control over.
Be the best they’ve ever had
If you provide a service that’s the best they’ve ever had (lash-wise), customers will willingly pay your rates and they’ll travel to you see you – even if they live next door to a different lash salon!
However, you have to be exceptional at whatever area you specialise in. Your service must deliver beyond client expectations time and time again. That includes your regulars – especially them. They’re the one’s who’ll notice if you slip up, and will likely be honest about sub-par treatments (be grateful, their feedback ensures you don’t become complacent).
Don’t get too big for your lashes
Have you heard of Richard Koch’s The 80/20 Principle? (I recommend you read or audiobook it.) The principal explains that 20% of your clients make up 80% of your business. So wouldn’t it make sense to do whatever it takes to make your clients feel valued?
The truth is, no matter how much experience you have or how long you’ve been in the lash game, clients always need to feel important. It’s entirely up to you on how you communicate that in your business – everyone is different and has a unique approach.
Where to begin?
Create procedures in your salon for:
-
Greeting clients
-
Appropriate conversation during the service (you don’t want to create a team of robots, but you do want to make sure conversation flows and is professional).
-
Check-out process
-
Protocols for follow up after their appointment
-
How to deal with complaints. Read How to Handle Unhappy Clients Like a True Lash Boss.
The thing to remember is that making clients feel valued is more than just providing excellent customer service, and the best treatment in town (even when you’re sleep deprived or feeling crappy); it’s about human connection.
They come to you for you. For the conversation, the quality of care you provide and how you make them feel.
I think William James, American psychologist and philosopher, said it well: “The greatest needs of human nature are to feel important, to be recognised and be appreciated”.
Do that, and you’ll have happy customers who’ll return, and shout your name all over town.
