It’s the phrase your parents used to say to you when you were a child, “never judge a book by its cover”. But let’s be honest, we do, everyday with nearly everyone and everything.
We look at restaurants through the window and judge the quality of the cooking before we’ve laid eyes on a plate of food; when we meet new people, those first minutes are crucial in creating a picture of whether we are going to get along with them or not. We can of course be wrong, but usually people stick by their first impressions and it will take a while to change them.
With this in mind, take a look at your salon from the viewpoint of your clients and make sure the impression they are getting is the right one.
Today, people will get their first impression of the salon from the comfort of their living room, by looking you up online. So make sure your online presence is a good representation the salon. Register it with Google places and make sure your details are up-to-date. Also make sure it is on any free directories and if you have them, that your Facebook, Twitter and other social channels are all good representations of the salon too.
Then look at your salon from the outside and put your self in the mind of a client. Does it fit with your salon’s identity? If you are targeting a trendy clientele then does it look the part? Or if you are a local family salon then is it inviting and welcoming?
Now walk through the doors, approach reception and then sit down in the waiting area. Was the experience the right one?
A lot of the experience isn’t just down to image and what the salon looks like. It’s about feeling welcome and having a happy greeting as you walk through the door, being kept up-to-date if there are any delays in waiting times, being offered a tea or coffee, some magazines to read, even a simple question about how your day was. All of these will contribute to making a great first impression and are quick and relatively easy to do. Take notes and then tackle the easiest and most important things first, then plan ahead for the larger changes.
Let us know if you do anything special you do for new clients, or if you create an epic first impression somehow. We would love to hear about it.