The most common things clients do not tell salon owners

It has happened to all of us at least once in our lives - we go about our day as usual, until someone points out a rather large coffee stain on our shirt. The worst part is countless people have seen it, but did not say anything about it. For salon owners, this situation is a part of the day-to-day, but on a much larger scale.

Here are some of the most common things clients will not tell salon owners:

Dissatisfaction with a treatment

Salon owners know this situation all too well - a client books a service, enters the salon and is escorted by an employee to an available chair. The staff member works hard, ensuring each foil is attached under a client’s hair - after which they begin applying the dye. Hours pass, and the stylist reveals the finished product - a stunning head of luscious highlights. The client instantly falls in love with their new look, thanks the staff, pays, and goes about their day.

Then something odd happens - the client writes to you, asking for a refund, or gives the salon a poor rating online, leaving you flabbergasted. One minute the customer loves their new look, the next, they are telling you this. For salon owners, this is a recurring situation and it may be caused by a number of factors, but these are the most common:

• A lack of knowledge: oftentimes, clients may not understand the process involved in hair treatments you may offer. A common example deals with box colours - a customer who has been dying their hair black, using box colours will have to book at least 2 visits in order to see the full effects of a treatment. Lifting hair from a level 1 to 9 or 10 requires a lot of patience, and clients that do not expect this may get irate. If you have activated the Booksy online booking system, make sure to provide exact descriptions of the treatment process so clients know what to expect.
• Guilt: imagine having a stylist work on your dream look for hours - you are laying back, relaxing as they run from the basin to the cart with dye, conditioner and brushes in hand. You value their dedication to what they do, however, after they finish with your hair, you sit up, look in the mirror, and your smile begins to slightly fade. Your highlights may be off, the layers are too uneven, or you may be noticing orange and blue patches in your hair. Your stylist patiently waits for feedback, and you respond with “I love it!”, as you would feel bad for harshly critiquing their work before them.
• Pricing: every salon offers treatments with price ranges, which are often based on the amount of product needed to be utilised. A customer with waist-long hair will obviously pay more for highlights than someone with shoulder-length hair. Clearly explaining your prices in your hair salon online booking profile will help to avoid any misunderstandings.

Use your Booksy client database in order to group less-satisfied clients. An unsatisfied customer is not always a lost cause - in fact, chances are quite high for regaining their trust and loyalty. Booksy allows you to send personalised messages to a specific client group, which is ideal to pinpoint accurate marketing campaigns. It is best to send this delicate group of clients your latest offers or even freebies, like consultations or goodie bags. It is important to keep them interested in your business, so make sure to work back their trust in your salon. 

If your prices are too low

Let’s face it - every salon has its fair share of bargain-hunting customers, who book discounted treatments and purchase only on-sale products. Most salon owners do not mind, but what happens if the majority of customers turn into them? Your salon may have taken a turn for the worse. Read more on bargain hunters here.

If your salon’s prices are set way below competitive rates, your business is not making money, and creates the perfect opportunity for bargain-hunting customers to score inexpensive purchases. Since this is advantageous for them, the majority of your clientele will not tell you that your business is losing profit. Besides this, your treatments and products are considered poorer in quality by potential customers - however, before you jump the gun and raise your prices, try these steps:

• Start selling service packages: clients enjoy receiving treatments they love at a discount, and although simply selling them for less keeps them coming to your business, there's an even better option. Start selling service bundles - offer your clients a discount but only for purchasing a certain number of sessions upfront. This way, you're filling up your calendar, attaching the clients to your business even more and giving yourself a greater opportunity to familiarise them with your other services and products.
• Create strategic discounts: although providing offers at your salon may attract a number of bargain hunters, it does come with a few advantages, such as getting rid of less-popular products or bringing clients back to your salon. Check your salon’s statistics to help you plan your next discount. In your Booksy account, generate product and treatment reports and follow your numbers. If you notice drops in sales, try offering the product or service at a discount - during the time your discount is in effect, monitor your reports for any increases in sales.

Customer at-home hair routines

One of the more infuriating things salon owners and hair stylists have to deal with are clients who are not truthful about their at-home hair routines. Applying box colours, henna or poor-quality conditioners may bring disastrous results after a treatment. More often than not, box colour and henna users over-colour their hair at home - box colours are burdensome to work with, as they tend to have very strong pigmentation and going from level 1 to 8 or 9 may take a few hours, if not a few visits, along with beautiful orange strands! Henna, on the other hand, stains hair so much that stylists tend to avoid working with it altogether. Before dying a client’s hair, henna needs to be completely washed out, or otherwise, green patches will appear. 

Clients who do not mention their at-home hair treatments may either be unaware of the consequences, or do not believe in them, resulting in catastrophic results. Make sure you are:

• Educating clients: those who know and understand the possible consequences of the above-mentioned home hair routines will more than likely visit the salon only once their hair is free of box and henna colours.
• Warning customers: there are days when the salon is packed with clients, and you forget to do a quick consultation and strand test before a service, which can be disastrous. Upon bleaching the client’s hair, you notice orange or green patches appear - and that is not the worst of it. If you forget to consult with the client about their hair, you may be to blame. Instead, on your online booking page, add warnings to each treatment's description, informing clients not to book the service if they have been treating their hair with either henna or box colours.

For one reason or another, there are things clients do not tell salon owners and stylists, which, as a result, may have a negative impact on your business and possibly their hair. But with the help of Booksy, you can easily track your salon’s numbers and keep clients informed of your treatments and their effects.