The beauty industry is heavily rooted in great customer service. Our guests come to our salons to relax, get pampered, and feel beautiful. Mastering a great customer experience is very important for a successful salon, and that all starts when a guest walks through your salon doors.

So here are three quick tips for improving your guest check-in experience at your salon.

1. Greet guests as soon as possible.

This is a no-brainer but still needs to be said. The first thing your guests should feel is welcomed – and preferably by a real person. Your front desk person should be warm, friendly and helpful. Guests should be greeted with a smile, eye contact and a welcoming offer, such as, “Hello! Can I get you checked in?” or “Welcome! Follow me over here, and we will get your appointment started!”

Guests should never wait more than a few minutes before being acknowledged and welcomed by a real staff member. It’s so important to greet them right away, especially if they are a new customer, because first impressions matter! You want your guests to always feel that that are noticed, they are welcomed, and that they are not a burden, but a blessing to be a part of your salon!

2. Always offer a beverage.

After you get your guest checked in, you want to continue to make them feel at ease. One great way to do this is to offer a beverage – but it’s all in how you offer that beverage. If you say, “Would you like a beverage today?”, most people are going to think of a yes or no answer. At my salon, we have a drink menu for our guests to choose from. We always share our drink menu and ask something along the lines of, “Would you like some fresh coffee? Or maybe a glass of wine to relax during your appointment?”

Providing that little extra touch helps make your clients feel more special and welcomed.

3. Keep up the communication.

Once you’ve checked in your guests and offered them a beverage, make sure to keep the customer service going until the guest is able to be seated for her appointment. If it’s a new guest, offer to give a salon tour. If it’s during the colder months, offer to hang her jacket. If you have any promotions taking place, kindly share what’s going on at the salon. Make sure to provide direction. If their stylist isn’t ready, show them to a place where they can sit and wait, and make sure to communicate that her stylist has been informed she has arrived and will be ready for her shortly.

Collectively, all of the small touches are what make for a great customer check-in experience! This is especially important for the beginning of an appointment because it will set the tone for the rest of your client’s time at your salon. So, what strategy are you going to try first?

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