Did you know that 88% of people say they trust online reviews as much as they trust their best friends’ opinions? Online reviews play a critical role in building and maintaining your online reputation for your business, so understanding how to get more clients to leave a review is essential.
Hair salon reviews in particular are especially important as the service offering is very personal and therefore people want to feel a high level of trust before making a booking.
Positive reviews can attract new customers and help you retain existing ones. However, getting customers to leave reviews can be a challenge. In this blog, we’ll discuss some effective strategies to encourage more customers to review your hair salon.
Keep reading to discover how to increase your salon customer reviews.
How to Increase Your Hair Salon Reviews
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Provide a first-class service
It may seem obvious, but it’s such a crucial part of obtaining more online reviews that we do have to highlight the importance of providing an exceptional level of customer service. It all begins in your salon! If you’re not providing a customer experience that’s good enough to make people want to leave positive reviews for your salon business, well, everything else becomes redundant.
Let’s face it, when your customers leave your salon feeling satisfied, they are more likely to leave a glowing Google review.
From the moment they step foot inside your salon, your clients should feel comfortable, and there are many factors that contribute to this. Your salon should be clean and inviting and clients should be greeted and welcomed by friendly staff. Treatments should be carried out by knowledgeable and skilled staff who make an effort to understand the client’s needs and deliver a quality service.
Even things such as recognising if the customer wants to talk or be left in peace to relax can make a world of difference, as can making the effort to remember what’s happening in your client’s personal life i.e. asking how their holiday was or wishing them a happy birthday. What about offering complimentary services, a drink on arrival perhaps, or a head and shoulder massage during a treatment? These are the things that will set you apart from your competitors and increase your chances of boosting online client reviews.
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Ask for reviews
When you know you’re offering a top-notch service you can feel confident asking your clients to leave a review for you. This is one of the simplest ways to generate more salon reviews. You know you’ve done a good job, and your clients smiling from ear to ear, so maximise the opportunity to leverage this into boosting your online reputation with a good review. Plus, the stats speak for themselves, in 2022, 65% of consumers left a review after being asked to by a company.
After a customer has visited your salon, ask them if they would be willing to leave a review online. The key is to make it super easy for them to do this, provide them with a link to your salon’s Google My Business page or Yelp profile.
Why not put up some QR codes around your salon for people to scan with their phone, the easier it is for people to leave a review, the more likely they are to do it.
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Incentive your clients
Offering incentives is another effective way to encourage your clients to review your products and services online. For example, you could offer a discount on their next visit or enter them into a prize draw for a free service.
People are more likely to take the time to leave a review if there’s a little perk involved. It’s also a nice way to say thank you to your clients for showing their support and making them feel valued.
If you’re using a review platform, make sure to comply with the guidelines, as some platforms do not permit incentivised reviews.
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Follow up with clients
Following up with customers after their visit is another tried and tested way to encourage them to leave a review. With Shortcuts Ratings and Reviews feature, you can automatically email them after they visit asking for their feedback, and share positive reviews on your website, social media page, or mylocalsalon profile!
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Showcase other reviews
Think herd mentality, seeing others doing something and being praised for it can influence our behaviour to do the same. So, get the most out of your existing reviews by sharing them on your social media and thanking your clients for their feedback. Not only will you be using social proof to help attract new customers and boost your reputation, but you’ll also encourage others to leave you a review.
Remember to mix it up between spotlighting reviews from new clients and your loyal customers. Being able to show that you’re generating new business is important, but demonstrating that you have clients that have been coming to you for many years adds to your credibility and shows you’re consistent in your service offering.
Increase Your Salons Online Reviews With Shortcuts
If you’re ready to boost your salon’s reviews to attract more clients and boost retention, we’re here to help! Get in touch with our team of experts to learn more about how our salon software can help you.
