We understand that the ongoing closure of salons due to COVID-19 has made things very difficult, to say the least. With so much time on your hands at the moment, it can be hard to know what you should be focusing on.
Whilst your salon doors may be closed, this doesn’t mean you should just be putting your feet up. It’s important to stay in touch with your existing clients and get creative!
After all, attracting brand new clients to your salon is a time-consuming and costly process – the last thing you want to do after being closed for months! So, it’s essential to focus on your salon client retention and ensure your existing clients fill up your bookings when you reopen.
When it comes to your bottom line, increasing salon client retention has a real impact. In fact, research suggests that a 5% increase in customer retention can increase your company revenue by 25%-95%.
This is because returning customers are more likely to spend more on additional services and refer you to a friend – a win-win situation!
But how do you keep your clients engaged during this period and ensure they return? As experts in the salon industry, here are our top tips.
Implement Upfront Payments
Firstly, a great way of getting in some revenue is to implement an Upfront Payments system in your salon. The system ensures your clients have paid for some or all of their service in advance.
Clients know that your appointments will fill up when you reopen so they will want to lock in their future appointment. This system guarantees they can get their treatment and helps you out with your cash flow.
Our Upfront Payments system allows you to choose exactly how and when your guests need to pay upfront to suit you and your salon. Going forward, it will also help you to reduce no-shows and track your future earnings effectively.
Set up a Rewards Club
Next up, it’s important to treat your loyal customers to offers they simply can’t refuse. How can you do this? Our little-known feature, Rewards Club, is a sure-fire way to engage your loyal clients and keep a steady revenue coming in.
Your client will make an up-front payment to join the club which will then give them points to be redeemed later on services in your salon that are worth MORE than they paid. The amount they pay up-front and the reward they receive can be entirely customised to your business.
So, you can generate cash flow and reward your loyal customers with great value for money on services. What’s not to love?
Promote your Online Gift Cards
Another great solution to retain clients is to promote your Online Gift Cards. These can be purchased by clients as a way of supporting your salon or to treat a loved one who deserves some pampering after the lockdown.
Shortcuts Online Gift Cards enable your clients to purchase them directly from your website and require minimal effort from you once they are set up. A busy salon owner’s dream!
Stay in touch
Finally, one of the most important things you can do is keep in touch with your clients. This is essential as it helps to keep your salon at the forefront of their minds.
This means you need to be on it with your social media and post regular and engaging content. Focus on what your salon does best and then share content that will support your clients during this time such as hair and beauty tips, challenges and more.
Don’t forget about the power of email marketing and SMS too which can be used for updates, info on your Rewards Club and Online Gift Cards. If you’re in need of an extra hand with your communications during this time, make sure to check out our COVID-19 Communication Kit.
Improving client retention using Shortcuts Software
Now that you know how to retain your clients during lockdown, you need to ensure you are using the right tools to reach your potential.
Shortcuts are one of the world’s leading software providers for the hair and beauty industry. Our salon software will help you cut your admin workload in half by simplifying your daily tasks, so you have more time to do the things you love. Finally some work/life balance!
Our cutting-edge software also includes many features which will help you attract more clients and treat every guest to a VIP experience to keep them coming back.
If you’re interested in finding out more, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us or book a demo.
