The NHF Salon Focus magazine this month featured my 5 Simple Salon Reception Rules for a new team member or receptionist to learn.
And there’s a discount code at the end of this page to book one of the last few slots for the reception course I am running on the 12th June!
1)ALWAYS FOLLOW UP MISSED APPOINTMENTS
I emphasise to receptionists always to contact a client if they have missed an appointment.
You should always confirm the appointment at least 24-hours prior, by text or telephone. If they don’t show on the day, contact them to make sure they are OK and reschedule. Most clients will be extremely apologetic and grateful for the call. But the key is, if you don’t contact them, then they may be too embarrassed to return.
2) NEVER MOVE APPOINTMENTS
I find it incredibly disrespectful when a regular client gets moved from one column to another without being asked or consulted.
When taking a booking, always repeat back to a client their appointment time, treatment and who the appointment is with at the time of booking. This should now be set in stone, unless there are circumstances completely out of your control.
If you do have to change an appointment, the client should always be fully informed and give their approval. Change without acknowledgement at your peril!
It should be no different with new clients. They may have noted who their appointment is with and will feel totally undervalued instantly at their first (and possibly as a result only) ever visit to you.
3) DO LEARN AND USE THE CLIENT’S NAME
Always introduce yourself and preferably wear a name badge. One sure way to make a client feel worthless is to refer to them in a three-way conversation as “he”, “she”, “him” or “her”.
Always ensure you remember a client’s name – and know the preferred name they wish to be addressed by, and then use it frequently during the conversation. If you have inadvertently forgotten, then apologise and ask again.
In correspondence, where possible either always use a person’s name or a simple “hi” but never, ever refer to a client as “Dear client”. This is so impersonal!
4) NEVER LEAVE THIRD-PARTY MESSAGES
If you need to contact a client and cannot get in touch, please only ever leave a message on a personal mobile phone. Never leave a personal message with a family member or friend, or on a landline answerphone.
Remember, it is a client’s own private business to choose to visit you, and you may be breaking their confidence and trust in you by revealing to a third party that they use your services.
If necessary, only ever leave a personal name, along with a contact number asking them to call you back. Never mention the business name unless you are 100% certain that you are not divulging unknown information.
5) NEVER REACT
I always say that there is one thing you don’t ever know about a client – and that is what they don’t want you to know. When a client arrives, you don’t know what kind of day they have had, or what is truly going on within their work, family or life in general.
If a client does arrive in a less than pleasant mood, it is essential to read the situation and never, ever react. There is a saying “attitude breeds attitude” and it takes very little to accelerate a situation.
Always stay 100% professional, as there is a strong possibility that the client is unaware that their behaviour and attitude is noticeable to you. If they are aware, then they will apologise on the next visit and thank you for their tolerance.
But if a client is being abusive or aggressive, that’s not right and not something you should have to tolerate. Call on someone senior and more experienced – ideally the owner – to help and intervene. If nothing else, they need to know what has happened – and perhaps why – and take a firm decision on how to respond.
To Book a place on Let Your Reception Team Boost Your Business on 12th June, make sure you get your £80 discount by calling the NHF on 01234 831965 or email [email protected] using my special code SRTREAM.
That means your Beauty Entrepreneur price is only £170 instead of the full price of £250 🙂
See you there?
Here’s to your great business!
Susan x
The first question I would always ask in return is “Which part of this problem are you responsible for?” Most respondents will put total responsibility on the client and never on the salon. In my view that’s not quite how it works.
However you price your services, and whichever type of client you’re trying to attract, you’ll always have competition. So how do you make sure that your salon is head and shoulders above the others? How can you retain your clients, and even gain more, if your competitors are offering the same services as you, and charging the same prices?
We must wake up to the fact that going the extra mile for our clients may simply not be enough to keep them loyal over the long-term. Business strategy research has shown that you need a 4 pronged approach to help you to achieve this.
