Customer Experience
Times are tough for everyone right now, but customers are still willing to spend money on great hairdressing. NOW is the time to drill down and do the right things in your business. Get back to basics and focus on working on the business, not just in it. How do you do this? The number one area to focus on is giving customers an unbelievable experience. If you do that, they’ll be back and, most importantly, they will become your biggest free advert by telling people.
Cash is King
Keep cash in the business, but think carefully about the things you can realistically save on without it being detrimental. For example, don’t stop spending money on marketing. When times are tough, marketing is often the first element that people cut back on, but I believe this is the time to keep shouting about your messages. If you stop promoting your business, the only way is down!
Scrutinise the Details
A crisis is a great time to look at every element in the business and weigh up what is a good use of money – including people. Look at everything from your cleaning costs to the price of a tube of colour. There may be ways that you can make significant savings. This is something that ASP is very much aware of, so we have a colour calculator on our website for salons to easily see how much they can save using ASP colour.
Value Your Time
Understanding the time element of your service is crucial. If you are over-servicing your clients, it will be eating into your time, and you need to charge for that. Value your time appropriately; the time that everything takes must be accountable and absorbed into your customer’s bill. Think about other sectors – the moment a lawyer picks up the phone, it is chargeable. Hairdressers shouldn’t make apologies for charging for their expertise; you should know your value and charge accordingly. You won’t lose business as a result of this, but you will lose business if the experience isn’t great.
Reward Loyalty
Loyalty and membership schemes work! There’s a reason why all the corporate retailers now offer reward schemes, and that’s because they help retain customers. Give a little something back and reward loyalty. Remember, it’s more expensive to win new customers, so do the right thing with the ones you have.
Small Steps Add Up
Every single business has issues. It’s up to you to prioritise the issues and carve out time to resolve them, one at a time. Imagine a situation where you resolve one small issue a week… by the end of the year, you will have achieved a considerable amount.
Go Back to Basics and Write It Down
Every time you see an issue that needs resolving or an opportunity that needs exploring, write it down. Making lists and actually writing down things makes them a reality rather than a thought that can disappear. We are living in complex times, so breaking it down into manageable chunks will ensure you are not overwhelmed and, ultimately, more productive.
