According to Harvard Business Review, consumer loyalty isn’t earned strictly through excellent customer service. Clients are more likely to return to a salon if answers to their questions are easily accessible. If a customer has to navigate through six pages to secure a booking with you, chances are they're not going to want to repeat that process in the future. People are more likely to frequent a business that makes booking services as easy as possible. How can you make booking a service with your salon simple for your clients?
When determining what makes booking easy for a client, think about what they need to make an informed decision. After all, you want clients to select the correct service to avoid disappointment. Utilize these four key pieces of information you need to include on your website so clients can book with you.
All About the Service
As professionals, it can sometimes be hard to remember that not everyone understands industry lingo. Most people know what highlights are, but they may not know the difference between balayage and Pintura highlights.
When listing services, break them down as much as you possibly can. Include images here! While you should do your best to describe the service in words, a photo is useful in helping a client see what they’re signing up for. It’s also a great way to show off your portfolio.
Where Are You?
Your clients can’t come to see you if they don’t know where your salon is located! Aside from listing your business’s address, share photos of your storefront. This will help make your salon more recognizable to new clients so they don’t get lost or confused while finding you. Along with your location, you must share your business hours. This way, clients know when they can book with you and if your operating hours work for them.
If you want to expand the time you're available for services, you may consider offering virtual consultations or check-ins between visits. To boost your sales and automate your income, you may consider offering tutorials or consultations digitally.
Can They Cancel?
Be upfront about your cancellation policy. Do you require a 72-hour cancellation notice? Make that crystal clear to clients. Is there a cancellation fee associated with appointments? Communicate this to potential clients, so they aren’t surprised if they get charged after canceling. If you’re not upfront, you risk surprising someone with a fee, which will upset them and deter them from returning to your salon. Learn more about setting cancellation or no-show fees, and perhaps consider requiring a deposit for services to reduce these.
How Can They Book?
Do you have online booking on your salon’s website? If not, you risk complicating the booking process for clients. When customers can book an appointment at any time of day, you get the chance to fill your calendar even while you're off the clock. Then, customers will be more likely to return because your booking process is so simple and straightforward.
Include Forms to Get to Know Your Clients
Knowing it costs more to acquire a new client than to keep an existing one should encourage you to prioritize client retention. One way to do this is through personalized services, which start with Forms. Forms help gather info before and after an appointment to help you better tailor your services to clients.
Before an appointment, send a consultation form to learn about your client and what they're looking for before they even walk through your door. After the appointment, send a form for them to review the service and provide feedback while thanking them for their business and providing any post-appointment hair care instructions.
Vagaro Makes Booking Easy
Clients want simplicity. They don't want to jump through hoops just to book a service. Incorporate these ideas into your daily operations to help improve the customer booking experience. You don't need to spend tons of time designing a website or coding a booking app. Vagaro has you covered.
As an all-in-one salon software solution, everything from scheduling appointments to managing payroll is taken care of with Vagaro. The best part? Vagaro lets you choose add-on features to help customize the software to fit your salon's unique needs. No matter the size of your salon, there is a perfect digital assistant combination for you. You choose which features you want and only pay for what you use.
With Vagaro, improving client booking is simple. Quickly send forms to customers before or after an appointment. Take advantage of your Vagaro landing page to display all the info clients need to book with you. This page is also customizable, so you can integrate your aesthetic and truly make it a reflection of your brand.
It's time to work smarter, not harder. Start your FREE 30-day trial to discover how business is that much better with Vagaro!