Direct Answer: Build a follow-up sequence around one person: a small gift at checkout, a call and text two days later, a thank-you letter around day 4, and an automated text two weeks later to anyone who did not prebook. Heather's own salon data showed the biggest fall-off between a guest's first and second visit, from 18% of guests to 10%.
I originally dove into all things retention because my Guest Happiness team and I are reading Never Lose a Customer Again for the second time.
Fantastic book and I can’t recommend it enough. So the first big system we came up with that will be going into effect in the next 2 weeks is centered around all our new guests.
Phorest has a report called Salon Trend Summary. It shows you out of all the guests you have in a month, how many experiences their first time with you. It also shows 2- 5 x or more.
Here’s an example because I know that could be confusing as hellll.
So when I looked at this for all of 2021…
We averaged:
85 new guests a month
47 guests 2nd-time guests
36 3rd-time guests
27 4th-time guests
271 5th time or more guests
Basically, once we get them to 5 visits we should be Gucci. The biggest fall-off happens between the 1st and 2nd time.
It goes from 18% of our guests are experiencing their first appointment with us to 10% experiencing their second appointment with us.
So what the hells are we gonna do?
Check it out and steal it for yourself.
There are the exact directions I wrote out for my Guest Happiness Team.
Again, we haven’t launched our “Beta” round yet, where we test all this out and work the kinks out so most definitely it will be altered, but the foundation is there!
Learn more about our 12-month program, Rich Life CEO below. Enrollment is currently open for commission/hourly salon owners! We’ll send you instant access to real salon examples of how we’ve helped our students generate over a combined $1.2 million in additional revenue.
New guest System from Check-out-2 weeks later:
At check out, they get a small present with tissue and a tiny card with a lip saver and stress relief roller ball.
Phone call and text if they don’t answer 2 days after their appt. If you’re the one checking a new guest in, let's try for you to be the one that prebooks them, checks them out, and gives them their gift.
Then, you are the one that calls them 2 days later. From the guest's perspective, they’ve had all these interactions with the same person creating safety and a ton of rapport!
If a guest is unhappy at all, offer for us to either fix whatever it is complimentary OR schedule their next appt right on the call and tell them it’s on us. Then Assign yourself a task in Asana for the day of their appointment so you can say hi. Change the date afterward for 2 days later and call them again.
If a voice mail is left, tell them on the voicemail you’re going to go ahead and shoot them a text just in case that's easier for them:
“Hi Susan, it's Shy at Neatbeat! I just called you to ask about your experience & how you're liking your hair. You can shoot me back a text or give us a ring!”
Thank you letter around 4 days after appt from artist turned in within 48 hours so it’s put in the mailbox at the end of the night.
Text to book 2 weeks after their appointment We’ll send an automated text message out to all new guests every week (so the copy is specific) that didn’t prebook when they were in 2 weeks ago. This will help us to proactive rather than reactive and not realize they haven’t come back in 8-10 weeks and trying to get them back in!
There’s a lot here that I’m confident will help our first-time guests actually return for their 2nd appointment. Use whatever resonates and make it your own if you’d like!
Positively Impacting People
Heather
FAQ:
Where do new guests drop off? Between the first and second visit. In the 2021 data in the post, 18% of the salon's guests were on their first appointment and 10% on their second.
Who should follow up with a new guest? One person, ideally the one who checked them in, prebooked them, checked them out and gave them their gift, then made the call two days later.
What if a new guest is unhappy? Offer to fix whatever it is complimentary, or schedule the next appointment right on the call and tell them it is on the salon.