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Using I-Salon to get closer to your customers? The Retreat shows us how
Date Added: 2010-05-05
Letting his customers know they are number one takes more than just a good hair-cut, reckons Colin Prince, owner of The Retreat in Wokingham.
Ensuring that the customer service his salon offers is of the same quality as his treatments, Prince lets each of his customers know they are special the moment they walk through the door:
“Minor details such as the receptionist greeting them by their first name to their hairdresser picking up the conversation where they left off makes a huge difference to their experience”, he says.
The key to maintaining this bond is I-Salon – a system Prince has been a fan of since the beginning. One of the first salons to launch the programme, Prince realized early on he could use it for more than just a diary replacement:
“We use the client database to update personal information such as their pets names to who’s waiting on a promotion,” says Prince, “it completely wipes out the typical ‘where did you last go on holiday?’ question making the appointment more pleasurable for both the customer and stylist.”
This bond between stylist and customer enhances more than just the experience the salon offers but also Prince’s profits.
“Because our clients feel so special it means they are much more likely to keep coming back, about 70% of our customers being regulars”
I-Salon allows Prince to use this to his advantage, with the addresses and birthdates of his customers on the system he sends out birthday cards – each with a 10% off voucher and information of upcoming deals at The Retreat. 95% of the vouchers are redeemed so Prince is confident it is a system which works.
The salon’s growing popularity has seen Prince expand by opening a nearby beauty salon, making I-Salon more invaluable than ever – with the programme allowing him to communicate between the two salons effortlessly.
With 600 square feet still waiting to be filled Prince has big plans for the future – and with I-Salon behind him we’re sure he can go all the way…
