As a salon owner, you want to obviously engage new clients and get your existing clients to book with you again and again. But, how sure are you that first-time clients will come back to your salon to avail of another service? Well, it all depends on whether the clients are happy or not. Rebooking is a daunting task most salon owners face. Though a lot of clients say they will rebook later, they seldom come back to your salon. Plus, it is more expensive to acquire a new client than retain an existing one. Thus, rebooking in your salon is an important driver of growth in the salon business.
If you want to increase the rebooking in your salon, you have to tweak your marketing efforts. Only the right strategies can fill those empty slots and increase your long-term client retention.
Steps to Enhance Rebooking in your Salon
With the following strategies, you can definitely boost the rebooking rate in your salon.
1. Train your team the right way
Rebooking all begins with a consultation. With the right consultation, your hair and beauty clients will definitely want to rebook. However, you need to train your staff and educate them so that they’re aware of what offers are available in your salon. Make them ask the right rebooking questions. Instead of simply asking the client if they want to rebook, maybe you can handle the situation tactfully. Tell them their hair color would need a touch-up in 4 weeks and ask them if they’d like to rebook. Make it all about them and they’ll definitely schedule their next appointment with you. Also, from a client’s point of you, it becomes difficult to say “no” to such questions.
Also Read: 7 Strategies to Maintain your Salon’s Position in the Beauty Business
2. Incorporate an online booking system
Appointment booking over the phone is something that majorly affects rebooking in your salon rates. If someone calls and a slot is unavailable, they will need to keep trying multiple times to find a suitable date and time. This can be time-consuming and annoying. Instead, all salons should get an online booking system or automated appointment scheduling software. It completely eliminates the problem and gives the client the freedom to book their hairdressing appointment as per their convenience and slot availability. Studies suggest that rebooking rates are much higher when a salon has an online booking system.
3. Create a salon loyalty program
If you want to improve the rebooking rate in your salon, focus on incorporating a loyalty program. It will make clients want to come back to your salon again and again. Start a points or punch card system for your clients and allocate points every time they visit. You can use your salon marketing software to track the loyalty points of every client. However, make sure your clients can redeem their points for something they actually want. This will give them the motivation to come back to your salon. Also, most clients actually end up spending more in the quest of redeeming their points. This can turn out to be a win-win situation for your salon as you get to earn some extra revenue and increase the number of rebooking services.
4. WOW your clients
A major reason why clients don’t come back is that they’re unhappy with the customer experience your salon provides. Your team might be a pro at rebooking but when it comes to creating an exceptional client experience, they may be faltering.
A simple way to solve this is by allocating new clients to top stylists who are experienced. Since they’re trained to provide the best experience, clients will want to come back to your salon. It may be challenging to push a client towards a particular stylist or technician. However, let them know they’re the best human talent in your salon and they’ll surely understand. Make sure you’re doing everything when it comes to building a strong client relationship.
5. Educate your clients
Ask your salon manager to educate your clients on the benefits of rebooking in your salon. Some of them include no last-minute panics, regular hair and beauty maintenance, and the ability to get an appointment at a time and date that suits them. If your salon is a really busy one, clients will value rebooking. When your clients realize the quality you’re offering, they will want to rebook with you.
6. Send out promotional messages
In case, a particular client forgets to rebook their appointment, you can always remind them by way of promotional messages. Leverage the power of SMS marketing. You can intimate clients about new offers and deals, and lure them to rebook with you. Instead of manually checking when a client visited your salon last, put your MioSalon Lite, free salon software to use. It gives accurate information on a client’s past visit history. Track their last appointment and send out reminders when you feel they’re due for their next haircut, hair coloring, or nail service.
Owing to today’s busy schedule, they might forget they need to pamper themselves. However, with the software, you can always remind them and make sure they book with you.
As a salon owner, if you’re genuinely interested in increasing your rebooking in your salon rate, you need salon software. It not just works as your marketing channel but also manages daily operations. When you stay connected with your clients, it builds customer loyalty. If you want to thrive in the beauty business and make sure your salon is profitable, you have to realign your rebooking strategy. Right now, the average hair and beauty industry rebooking rate sits at around 40-45%.
