29 minute read

LOYALTY

Next Article
VITAL SIGNS

VITAL SIGNS

THE BUSINESS LOYALTY YOURS FAITHFULLY

Advertisement

WORDS NATASHA RIGLER

Client loyalty has been has been put to the test this year. this year.

But what is it that really that really keeps people coming back comingback to your salon or shop? or shop?

If 2020 has taught salon and shop alon and shop owners anything, it is that client loyalty is that client loyalty is a business bedrock. After months of ck. After months of closure, a faithful client base has never lient base has never been more vital.

But loyalty isn’t built overnight, and if uilt overnight, and if you think your technical know-how is hnical know-how is what keeps people returning, you’re returning, you’re wrong, says Philip Hesketh, a professional h, a professional speaker on psychology in business. ‘We all business. ‘We all have a deep-seated need to feel important,’ o feel important,’ he says. ‘Going to a salon is an enjoyable event. s an enjoyable event. You get a coff ee, you chat to people you know to people you know p and you feel important.

‘You know you are only important for the mportant for thert time you are there, but when you’re greeted en you’re greeted properly and they remember that you like a er that you like ayou

latte and not tea, it creates this latte and not tea, it creates this lovely warm feeling of being part lovely warm feeling of being part of something.’ of something.’

Th e former advertising CEO adds: Th e former advertising CEO add ‘People are loyal when they like ‘People are loyal when theylike someone, so the real key is being nice someone, so the realkey is being n to people and remembering them.’ to people and remembering them.

The extra mileThe extra mile Beauty business expert, coach and Beautybusiness expert, coach and trainer Liz McKeon echoes Philip’s trainer Liz McKeon echoes Philip’s words. ‘If you want your clients to be words. ‘If you want your clients to loyal to your business then yes, of loyal to your business then yes, of course, how you cut their hair or do course, how you cut their hair or d their nails is important. their nails is important.

‘But how they feel before they come ‘But how they feel before they co in, while they are in the building and in, while they are in the building an how they feel when they leave is how they feel when they leave is probably more important. Th at is probably more important. Th at i really what makes them come back.’ really what makes them come Liz often uses the phrase: ‘Th e Liz often uses the phrase: ‘Th only mile that matters in business only mile that matters in busi is the extra mile.’ is the extramile.’ ‘When people are struggling to ‘When people are struggling build up a returning client base, it’s build up a returning client base often because they don’t understand the often because they don’t understa importance of this,’ she says. ‘It’s about importance of this,’ she says. ‘It’s a building a rapport, trust and giving the building a rapport, trust and givin client 100% attention. If it’s not there, client 100% attention. If it’s not th there is no great reason to return.’ there is no great reason to return.’

PEOPLE ARE LOYAL " PEOPLE ARE LOYAL WHEN THEY LIKE WHEN THEY LIKE SOMEONE, SO THE SOMEONE, SO THE REAL KEY IS BEING REAL KEY IS BEING NICE TO PEOPLE AND NICE TO PEOPLE AND REMEMBERING THEM REMEMBERING THEM

IMAGES: GETTY

JESSICA WARE ‘LOYALTY WORKS BOTH WAYS’

NHBF Member Jessica Ware has around 100 beauty therapy clients and believes her client rapport keeps people returning.

‘It’s because of me as a person,’ says Jessica, from Minehead in Somerset. ‘I’m down to earth and just “normal”.

‘Many of my clients have followed me around since my trainee days. I treat my salon as a safe place where they can talk to me while receiving a treatment and people like that.

‘When I was training, I was taught to write fi ve key points about a person on our client record cards. It could be their children’s names, what pet they have or a holiday they are going on. It means a lot to people to remember things about them, even down to what they like to drink.

‘If you keep these fi ve key points in your head to talk about, you’ll fi nd the conversation with the client runs smoothly. You just have to get to know people.’

Jessica runs a loyalty card scheme where she off ers discounts on treatments when a set number of stamps are collected.

She says: ‘People absolutely love it. I also feel it’s important to give back to people for their loyalty to you. It works both ways.’ Take note Th e sixth visit to a salon is a turning point, says Liz. If rapport is lacking, clients will go elsewhere. Both she and Philip recommend keeping notes about clients’ interests, families and work lives to keep return rates high.

Philip explains: ‘You can remember their best friend’s birthday, that they broke their leg skiing fi ve years ago and what they like to drink. Th is is why they are loyal to you.

‘You obviously can’t remember everything about every client, but writing down these little tips is a big opportunity to increase loyalty. I’m talking about a 20-second scribble.’

Points win prizes Salons often run loyalty schemes in a bid to keep the return rate high. But Philip and Liz warn that complicated ones have little eff ect.

Philip says: ‘People are loyal for emotional and psychological reasons, not for loyalty schemes where you rack up endless points. People like building these up but they don’t cash them in.

‘Schemes that work are the simple ones where you collect stamps on a card and get a reward on the 10th stamp, say.

Th is is because it has a specifi c beginning, middle and end.

‘It works even better if you have 12 empty circles on the card then stamp the fi rst two before you hand it over.

Nobody quite knows the psychology behind this, other than that you feel as though you’re nearly there with two or three stamps.’

EVERY CLIENT COUNTS…

Women now spend on an average annual basket of treatments £994 Men spend £779 Exceptional experiences Are all your staff providing a superb client experience? Asking members of staff to come up with ideas to make your clientele feel special will improve their own loyalty to your business too.

Liz regularly visits salons who need help boosting client loyalty. She often discovers that the salon owner is fully booked, while many employees have empty columns.

‘Th e level of customer service needed to retain loyalty comes to salon owners instinctively, but it is often missing in employees and needs to be taught.

‘It is often a case of taking apart every detail of how the owner speaks to clients, down to how they wrap the towel around their shoulders. I analyse everything they do so they can make sure their staff do the same. It is important and sounds simple, but isn’t always easy.

‘Salons and shops have a huge number of loyal clients that keep them open and alive, but they could defi nitely have a lot more loyalty.

‘If people did extra training on this, they could see clients spending more money and increasing word-of-mouth opportunities.’

THE NHBF’S LOYALTY CHECKLIST MAKE YOUR CLIENTS FEEL SPECIAL

Take steps to fi nd out what your clients really think, including surveys.

Get feedback and deal with issues quickly. Don’t rush clients out of the door. Aim to book them in again before they leave.

Keep loyalty schemes simple. Use GDPRcompliant salon software to make client retention easier.

Make client experience sparkle. Download the NHBF’s Client experience guide (free to Members) at

nhbf.co.uk/clientexperience-guide

for more top tips on making sure clients keep coming back time and time again.

IS IT INSTA GRAM MABLE?

Masks and visors are the new norm as businesses adapt to industry guidelines post-Covid. We take a look at how you are doing it right.

Have you created a style that's a bit different? Something you're particularly

proud of and want to shout about? Then post a picture to Instagram with the hashtag #salonfocus and your shot could end up on these pages.

@blazehairsalon Leamington Spa

@barbertownworcs

Worcester

@sophieameliahair

Gainsborough

©agirlsbestfriend.x Bury St Edmunds

@alandhair

London

@architect_hair

Leeds

@craigsbarbershopbl2

Bolton

@emmaadamsonjones

Conwy

@staceynouu

Crawley

@francescarob

Loughborough

@redbarnhair

Buckingham

@naturalhairdesign58

Ashford

@outshinehairdressing

Brighton

@hebebeautysalon

Waterlooville

@relaxation_rooms

Guildford

@sallymontaguehairgroup

Derby

@emmatell01 Tewkesbury

@todarossalon Haverfordwest

FASHIONABLE OR A FAUX PAS? Whether you embrace them or buck them, we take a look at the latest trends.

BRAVE AND BOLD BRA As most of you will know As m fi rst-hand, clients sorely fi rstmissed their hair salon time misse during lockdown. The result? An emerging trend for clients being braver and bolder in their colour and cut choices, predict hair experts. Think creative colour, short blunt cuts or styles with lots of texture. The celebrity crowd are leading the way of course. Cue Lady Gaga with her mermaid-inspired ‘Ocean Blonde’ hair and her army durin result and b hair e or sty leadi merm of followers on social going gaga over it. of fo

MIXING IT UP While nudes and seasonal shades – mulled wine, caramel, cinnamon and the like – are predicted to be popular this autumn/winter, there’s a general feeling out there that spring/ summer nails didn’t get their time to shine. And clients weren’t permitted their usual time to express themselves care of their favourite salon. So neon tips and borders, tie-dye ombre, animal print and arty creations look set to be in demand as the weather cools. People are also excited about matching their masks to their manicures! EXPERTISE EXPE SELLS SELL Mintel has Minte compiled a comp thought analysis thoug on how the beauty on ho industry can indus survive and thrive surviv whatever lies whate ahead fi nancially. ahead Reassuringly, it Reass states that people states escape fi nancial woes with indulgence. s with Looking to Spain and Italy for intel, it d Italy highlights the value you can add with your professional expertise (in-salon and via additional How the beauty industry survives a recession How indu s a re c video consultations Europe looks to Spain and Italy for indicators of a post-COVID-19 future, but talk of a recession on Europe lo o for indic ato future, b ut t or on social) to fi ght against the horizon makes it crucial for beauty businesses to act now and they should start by looking back. the horiz on beauty bu s they shou ld discount and DIY culture. Showcasing this value is key.

SOCIAL MEDIA SURVEY BEAUTY SEARCH TERMS – WHAT PEOPLE WANT

The biggest search terms in beauty on Pinterest over the past year? Personalisation and searches based on skin tone...

+62% It’s all about the natural look: searches for ‘natural make-up videos’ were up by 62%, and ‘natural curly hair cuts’ were up 6x.

+59% Freckles are back! Searches for ‘Asian freckles’ increased by 59%, while searches for ‘black girls with freckles’ were up 2x, and ‘red hair freckles’ up 5.4x.

LONG LIVE THE 90sLON The nostalgic rewind to The n all things 90s – hair, make-up and fashion all th – seems to be standing the test of time. – see Along with the resurgence of blue Alon eyeshadow, various celebrities have been eyes embracing hairdos with a 90s vibe. A prime emb example is Jennifer Lopez – who has been sporting full-on volume blow-dries and even exam sport space buns this summer. Others embracing 90s hair include Demi Levato, Ariana Grande, Margot Robbie and the Kardashians. Popular spac 90s h Marg looks also include scraped back hair, mini looks plaits and accessories such as plaits the butterfl y clip. the b

GENDER-NEUTRAL BEAUTY FOR ALL Rihanna says she wants to end the stigma around men using skincare, ensuring her skincare range, launched in July, is as gender-neutral as possible. Skincare brands with a science slant, and some in the clean beauty space with more gender-neutral packaging, have been reported as proving popular with men of late. Which is perhaps why some experts are theorising on the possibility of a big move towards more gender-neutral skincare and make-up products.

+42% It’s all peachy – searches for ‘peach lip gloss’ went up by 42% and those looking for a ‘soft glam aesthetic’ were up 5x.

HAD ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT WHAT YOU’VE READ? TELL US WHAT YOU THINK ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS

JUST RELEASED NEW PRODUCTS

GOING FOR GOLD

If you’d like to bring the golden touch to your salon, say hello to the Alchemy Collection – the exclusive gift set that comes with everything your clients need to get their look.

Finished with rose gold embellishments, the Alchemy Collection can only be purchased in salons.

The gilt giftbox will catch your clients’ eye and the Kinder Styling Technology is sure to keep their hair healthier, stronger and shinier right up to their next visit.

Join us on Cloud Nine – the best products, for you and your clients.

cloudninehair.com/ pages/professional

SOFTWARE UPDATE

A brand new Premier Mobile Arrivals page has been added to Salon by Premier Software’s web-suite – Online by Premier Software.

In line with government guidance on social distancing, staff can now view all clients due to visit that day, review their medical questionnaire details and arrive them all from one screen.

Free as part of Salon’s support contract and accessible on a mobile or tablet, staff can also log on using their own device, avoiding cross-contamination from sharing screens.

For more information or to book a free webinar or presentation of Salon, visit premiersalon.co.uk

ONE-STOP SHOP

YourBeautyReview.com is the only service review website dedicated to the hair and beauty industry.

Did you know by listing your business on our website you can build your online reputation and gain trusted reviews, as well as boosting your Google rankings?

With specifi c focus on the hair and beauty industry, YourBeautyReview.com is the one place to go to fi nd the best salon or beautician in an area, while also helping salons get more business.

Who better to inform potential new clients of the excellent service received, than existing clients?

With free listings until January 2021, and no obligations thereafter, there is no better time to get involved in this exciting opportunity and grow your client base.

Follow us on social media and look at our new website – we are so proud of it!

Reopening during a pandemic and under new restrictions could take its toll on your

health. Séverine Convenant and Antonio Caponigro from L’Oréal off er advice and top tips 1 TALK IT OUT With stress at its peak for the industry, which can manifest in physical ailments such as musculoskeletal disorders, on keeping yourself it’s vital to try and manage it, says – and your staff – in Séverine. ‘Th ere are many elements to this stress – fi nancial, health and good physical shape. client relationships. But when you’re under stress, it always ends up on the muscles.’ ‘We know musculoskeletal troubles make up 80% of occupational diseases for hairdressers,’ Antonio adds. ‘So the more we talk to each other, the more we release the pressure.’

2WARM UP AND STRETCH ‘Th e feedback we’ve had from professionals is that they’ve had back issues as they have to clean everything after each client,’ says Antonio. ‘Constantly cleaning chairs and other equipment can be bad for your posture. So warming up and stretching is very important so you can be ready for the job and recover. It takes two minutes, and you can adapt stretches for the most impacted joints.’ MAINTAIN YOUR PHYSICAL HEALTH

3LOOK AFTER YOU Taking regular breaks has never been so important for salon and shop staff , says Antonio – especially when they’re performing more tasks than usual to minimise client contact. ‘It’s

OUR EXPERTS Séverine Convenant and Antonio Caponigro are health and safety corporate managers at L’Oréal, based in Paris.

SAFETY AND COMFORT OPTIMISE YOUR PPE

Test out diff erent types of visors to fi nd one that feels most comfortable for long periods. If you wear glasses, wash them with washing-up liquid then dry them with a microfi bre cloth to stop them steaming up while you wear a type II mask – or apply a thin layer of shaving foam to the inside of the lenses then gently wipe it off . Avoid chafi ng from ear loops by sewing two buttons on to a headband and looping the mask around the buttons. Clean your visor regularly to get rid of residual build-up from spraying products. Take your mask and visor off during breaks (while keeping your distance) to give yourself short, regular rests from wearing them. When removed, a type II mask will need to be disposed of and a new one put on.

also important to drink lots of water,’ he adds. ‘Take time when you need to, take off your mask or visor for a few minutes and rest in a safe area.’

4GET THE ENVIRONMENT RIGHT It’s understandable for hair and beauty professionals to be anxious about catching Covid-19 in the salon and shop, which is why it’s so important to get the protective measures right. ‘Maintaining distance with welldefi ned areas, keeping doors open and putting information on the walls to remind staff and clients will help the whole team,’ says Séverine. And distance isn’t just important on the salon or shop fl oor: contact should be reduced in staff areas so that team members can keep a safe distance when they take breaks.

5STAY COMFORTABLE ‘It’s not easy to wear a mask and visor on your face all day,’ says Séverine, adding that it’s important for staff to make their PPE as comfortable – and effi cient – as possible (see Optimise your PPE, left, for tips). ‘I hope that this level of PPE won’t be necessary in a year, but globally we have to be

used to it, and to have a “normal” day with PPE and with the extra cleaning measures.’

6FIND A HAPPY MEDIUM Salon and shop owners may fi nd ultimately that they need to strike a balance between their bottom line and their own health and that of their teams, Séverine suggests. ‘Th ey have to fi nd the right compromise. If they can reduce their opening hours, yes – they will bring in less money – but they will be healthier. It’s an adjustment.’

RESOURCESRESOURCES

Download L’Oréal Professional’s free 15’ Coach Professional’s free 15’ Coach Pro app for fi ghting Pro app for fi ghting musculoskeletal disorders musculoskeletal disorders from the Apple App Store from the Apple App Store at at bit.ly/LOreal-Coach-Pro bit.ly/LOreal-Coach-Pro

To fi nd out more about coping with a downturn in coping with a downturn in business, look out for the business, look out for the NHBF’s new guide coming NHBF’s new guide coming soon at soon at nhbf.co.uk nhbf.co.uk

Meet new vice president Amanda

We get the lowdown from newly appointed NHBF vice president Amanda Lodge-Stewart on her background, communication skills and adapting to the new normal.

for our sector and I have been a Member since I started my own salon. I am passionate about our industry and its sustainability. I want to share my experiences with Members and support them in adapting and evolving, especially during Covid-19. COMMUNICATION Our communication, empathy and counselling skills are massively undervalued. Most employees are not trained and often draw from their own experiences to support clients. I would like to see these skills added to the apprenticeship curriculum and off ered to staff as training. My team are young, and I can see they have little life experience to date and sometimes struggle with information they are hearing. Th ey need to know how to deal with situations and who to turn to for advice. need advice and training on how to run virtual consultations eff ectively without feeling distanced from the client. Clients, especially those who are older, need support with the new rules and additional PPE measures in place. his time on the Board as vice president and Board Member (North East). Th anks also to Agnes Leonard, immediate past president, and Eileen Clough (North West) who stepped down from the Board in September.

We’re grateful to all our Board Members for their support and the valuable contribution they make to the future direction of the NHBF. Lisa Cathcart (North West) and Susan Hall (North East) from Reds Hair &

BACKGROUND Th e NHBF is a beacon

VIRTUAL APPOINTMENTS We

MORE? Th anks to Steven Scarr for Beauty are new to the NHBF Board.

WHAT’S HAPPENING? Here’s a quick look at what the NHBF has been up to and who they’ve been networking with.

SPREADING THE WORD

NHBF IG Live – as part of the #DoItRight launch, the NHBF hosted an Instagram Live to talk about the campaign, the latest changes to guidelines and the importance of following them. To watch it back, go to

bit.ly/IG-live-do-it-right

Kao Goldwell webinar – with lots of confusion over the guidelines, CEO Hilary Hall continued to talk about the latest changes.

Scratch magazine IG Live

– Hilary joined the nail magazine to promote the guidelines and the NHBF’s #DoItRight campaign.

HJ’s British Hairdressing

Awards – Hilary helped judge the Hairdressers Journal British Hairdressing Business Awards 2020. The fi nalists have been announced and it was great to see so many NHBF Members on the list. Winners will be announced at the ceremony on 25 January 2021. Salon Smart Live – Hilary joined Creative HEAD magazine for their virtual Salon Smart. The day was packed with discovering, brainstorming and planning new ideas for the team, the business and the future. Hilary joined the great debate on moving on, staffi ng crises, HR issues and what businesses are facing now.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

We hope next year we can get back to running a host of events for Members. Further details will follow, but we’re looking forward to:

SALONFOCUS2021 After unfortunately having to postpone our fi rst salonfocus live event this year, we can confi rm it will have three focus areas:

Business

Client

Team.

NHBF BUSINESS AWARDS 2021 will return next November and will launch in the spring. Keep an eye out for the categories coming soon.

PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE OF THE YEAR 2021 will also be back, and the winners will be revealed at the Business Awards.

We also plan to host more webinars and Instagram Lives, so a jam-packed programme of events and knowledge is coming your way in 2021.

Will you #DoItRight??

The government has warned the NHBF it will close the hair and beauty sector if safety guidelines aren’t followed.

The NHBF launched its #DoItRight Campaign to ensure hair and beauty professionals across the UK understand exactly what is required of them to keep working and reduce the risk of further restrictions or local lockdowns.

It is important for everyone in the hair, beauty and barbering industries to follow the guidelines and operate in a Covid-secure d-s way to protect against pro another lockdown. ockd

All businesses risk esses receiving formal action al action from local authorities if s if they are not following their risk assessments. Failure to comply with an enforcement notice from a local authority offi cer could lead to prosecution in the criminal courts and penalties including fi nes or up to two years’ imprisonment.

Follow @nhbfsocial to keep up to date with the latest developments.

IMAGE: ISTOCK

What’s new? Th e NHBF has produced a series of new blogs to help you and your business during How to prepare for local lockdowns Marketing your ar wn ur 5 this challenging period. salon or barbershop shop Th ese include: Work smarter not harder harder

Provide a great Mental health and wellbeing client experience Annual leave despite restrictions – temporary changes. Test and trace FAQs

Cashless payments All available at

and tips nhbf.co.uk/blog

SHARMADEAN REID Th e entrepreneur and founder of Beautystack and WAH Nails shares her success story

and pandemic experience.

The profile of beauty is far higher now… Eleven years ago – when I started WAH Nails – the industry was completely diff erent. Beauty wasn’t really given attention in the mainstream. I worked in high fashion, and beauty wasn’t really cared about. Brands and designers saw it as just an add-on.

I started WAH Nails… because I really wanted to have creative nails done in a cool space. Th ere wasn’t anything like it at the time – nail salons varied in artistic style and standards. And likewise with Beautystack [Sharmadean’s app for booking beauty services through images]: there are no other beauty service communities that are transactional. Th at’s what I’m excited about.

I owe a lot to social media… Th e reason why WAH Nails got so famous so quickly is because I was really early on Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram to build up my business. Other salons may have been doing similar things but they didn’t distribute their images in the same way. In hindsight it was a really strategic move, but at the time it was just something I was doing because I could.

But it’s not all about follower numbers… Beautystack came about because there was a point at which Instagram didn’t serve me as a salon owner anymore. It was good to get initial awareness but you can only fi t eight clients per person in a day and that’s maximum. So what does it matter if I have 400,000 followers? I just want my book full in a really strategic way.

Too many platforms can be overwhelming… I hate emails – I get too many. I have way too many communication channels and I fi nd it hard to keep up. And people in

our industry do business on all of them. Th ere are some industries outside of beauty where you wouldn’t WhatsApp people 24/7.

I’ve been supporting the industry through Covid… During lockdown, Beautystack hosted a weekly briefi ng for beauty pros. What started out as a communication channel to discuss the government’s daily briefi ngs has turned into a safe space for the thousands of (mainly) women, out of work and in debt, to share their issues.

The reopening of salons has been bittersweet… Th ere were so many people who still couldn’t operate as they were deemed too high-risk, which meant those who could almost felt guilty. Th e rules were made without full understanding of what the beauty industry does.

I’m motivated by… my own potential. I think ‘If I don’t do this, I won’t be reaching my full potential,’ and that makes me sad. I wouldn’t do anything unless I thought it was going to be good.

Digital Signage for Salons from New Era Group

Ultra-High Brightness Window Displays at Dangerfi eld and Keane- Harrogate

Styling Unit Screens at House of Hair Hostess – Solihull

Internal Touch screen at Charles Worthington – London

“ “ As with any new idea there is always that thought in the back of your mind that it may not work, but I can honestly say that the styling unit screens have been my best marketing investment ever. I’m over the moon I took the decision to get them installed and since we re-opened on July 14 th I’ve generated over £2,000 in revenue from the internal screens already. Fay Smith, Owner at House of Hair Hostess, Solihull Special Offer with this advert only £35 a week + vat 1 x Ultra High Brightness Window Display 3 x Styling Unit screens Package Includes: z Survey z Supply z Software z Installation z No Upfront Fees z 5 years of unlimited marketing support, design and content creation worth over £30,000. z Full Warranty z Offer is available on lease purchase only and weekly costs are subject to credit status 60 month lease term z Additional once a year £250 + vat annual payment for each year of the lease

Outright purchase also available and content service if you already have a screen but are not getting the results you were hoping for

Contact matt@neweragroup.co.ukfor a free initial phone consultation and artist’s impression video of how your screens could look and work in your salon before you commit to spending any money.

This article is from: