Top 5 Tips for Keeping In Touch with Curly Hair Clients

by Ivan Zoot/The Clipper Guy on Monday, May 24, 2010

Ivan Zoot is the director of education and customer engagement for the Andis Company and the founder of Zoot! Hair professional hair care products. Ivan identifies, recruits, trains and manages Andis’ team of professional beauty industry educators. Ivan continues to be a featured presenter at industry shows and events, sharing his unique blend of information, education and enthusiasm for clipper cutting and the entire professional beauty industry. Ivan’s background includes experiences ranging from salon ownership to achieving 3 Guinness World Haircutting records.

In our last conversation we made reference to the longer gaps between salon visits that are common for long and curly clients. Let’s take a look at my top five tips for keeping in touch with these clients so that they do not stray. When it is time for another salon service we want them to land back in our chair.

1. Rebook You must be a relentless rebooker. Get the next appointment on the books before they leave the shop. Period. No real options here.

2. Retail The more a client depends on you, the more often you will see them and see into their wallet. Once they are on a take-home hair care product regimen, they will be stopping in to reload their shower between visits. These are golden opportunities.

3. Reading Blog, Facebook, Twitter and use old-fashioned snail mail. Find ways to put your words in front of their eyes when they are not putting their bodies in your chair. Keep stoking the fire of the relationship and it will continue to smolder between flame ups (visits).

4. Referrals Ask for referrals of their friends. If you are the official hair cutter to their entire clique, they will all stay together with you. Everyone wants to be a part of the in crowd. If you are the ringleader of the cool kids, the gang will stick together.

5. Revelry Throw a party. Find reasons to bring clients to the salon for purposes other than their regular visit. New hair care product introduction parties, open styling nights, in salon consumer classes, art showings… There are many great reasons for customers to gather, and what better place to gather than your place?

It all comes down to relationship. The more value you can bring to a client’s curly haired life, the more they will bring that life to you for support. I would love to hear some of your success stories. Please share.