By Alex Thaddeus
Published:A successful salon never stands still. Client expectations, trends and buying habits are constantly evolving, so your service menu should evolve with them. Regular research and development (R&D) helps ensure you’re offering treatments your clients genuinely want, while creating a more profitable and future-proof business.
Your clients are at the heart of every salon, so understanding their needs should be part of your everyday strategy. Reviewing your service menu regularly allows you to identify your best-performing treatments, remove services that no longer generate demand and introduce new ones that reflect current trends. It can also help you review pricing, improve profitability and make better long-term business decisions.
View this post on Instagram
At Alex Thaddeus Hairdressing, our service menu is continually evolving. We regularly analyse which services are most popular, identify those that are declining in demand and adapt our offering accordingly. This keeps our menu fresh, relevant and aligned with what our clients are actively looking for.
One of the easiest ways to gather meaningful insights is through informal conversations at the end of an appointment. Your front-of-house team is perfectly placed to ask a couple of simple questions while clients are checking out.
Questions such as, “How was your appointment today?” or “Is there anything you’d love to see us offer in the future?” can reveal valuable patterns over time.
Clients are often far more willing to give honest feedback during a relaxed conversation than they are when faced with a lengthy questionnaire.
A short follow-up email is another effective way to collect more structured feedback. Sending a quick survey a day or two after the appointment gives clients time to reflect on their experience and often results in more considered responses.
Mention the email during the appointment so clients know to expect it. You may find they’re more comfortable sharing constructive feedback online, helping you identify opportunities to improve both your services and overall client experience.
Learn how AI can help your salon with our article: Phorest launches AI edition to help salons deliver more personalised client experiences.
Social media has become one of the biggest influences on salon bookings, with clients regularly discovering new techniques, colours and treatments online.
Whether it’s TikTok, Instagram or Pinterest, staying aware of emerging trends allows you to spot opportunities before they become mainstream. If clients repeatedly ask about the same look or treatment, it may be time to consider adding it to your menu.
Rather than chasing every passing trend, look for those with lasting appeal that complement your salon’s expertise and client base.
Alongside client feedback, take time to review your salon’s own data. Which services are consistently fully booked? Which ones rarely get requested? Are some treatments taking too long for the return they generate?
Analysing booking patterns helps you make informed decisions rather than relying on instinct alone. Removing underperforming services creates space for new treatments that better reflect current demand and improve overall profitability.
Once you’ve gathered your research, don’t be afraid to make changes. You could trial a new service for a limited period, introduce seasonal treatments or simplify your menu by removing options that no longer resonate with clients.
A service menu shouldn’t be static. Regular refinement ensures your offering continues to meet changing client expectations while supporting the long-term growth of your business.
Read the Salon Business article on Holly Fairley’s: Post To Profit Business Course.
By making research and development part of your salon routine, you’ll create a service menu that’s not only current and exciting but also commercially successful. After all, the businesses that continue to grow are those that continue to listen.
If you enjoyed this article, read another one by Alex: How A Boiler Breakdown Became A Lesson In Salon Crisis Management.
View this post on Instagram
