Modern Salon - July 2008 - (Page 64)

YOUR BUSINESS # 1Worldwide Hair Polishers continued from 62 FANTASIA flatirons, blow dryers, styling products and make-up,” says Parsons. “We also include a goodie bag at every Glamour Blow Out— it’s very popular for Sweet 16 and bachelorette parties.” Double and Triple Features With complaints about appalling customer service at a national high, Bobby Fairbanks, owner of Hairbenders International in Chattanooga, Tennessee, made a move that guaranteed his business wouldn’t end up on the receiving end of an internet rant. His newly instituted program, “We promise to give you 10” allows clients to rate the salon’s customer service and spreads the message that he’s serious about delivering the best. Using a range of outreach points from newspapers and TV to the internet he touted his “10 all of the time” message. Simultaneously, he solicited feedback through customer surveys and backed up his service stance with a bold “10 or it’s on the house” promise. He also tied in his 30th anniversary by using the surveys in a drawing for a free week of vacation at his Florida resort condo. “In one week, we had 500 clients fill out our internet survey,” says Fairbanks. “It’s good for the staff to see the salon from a client’s perspective; already they’re doing things right automatically—‘10’ is becoming a habit.” But maybe the biggest payoff is that now, Hairbenders is associated with a 10 in everyone’s mind. For another play on 10, Tony Anders, who owns Ha!r, a Tony Anders Concept in Columbus, Ohio, is starting up a “Go Green-Get Green” program, in which clients get 10-percent off their next purchase when they bring back empty product bottles. Besides being eco-smart, the program keeps clients away from the drugstore shelves, because the empties remind them of the salons’ products and encourage returns. For the greatest shine on earth! ™ Fantasia offers an exciting line of haircare products for every style and type hair. HAIR POLISHERS Daily Hair Treatment Heat Protector Olive Moisturizer Color & Chemically Treated Hair decide for themselves when it’s time to give away a hair cut. It also puts the responsibility for filling the chair in stylists’ hands. “We send out e-blasts to get models for our training sessions,” adds DuBose. “This serves double duty: The staff gets training and we always end up getting the models as clients.” At Jamison Shaw Salon in Atlanta, Candy Shaw-Codner uses a similar tactic because it’s always better to be busy and have your work on the street. Her newer staffers can give away free cuts Tuesday through Saturday. “It builds trust,” she says. “They can also target the type of client they want, whether it’s a trendy student, a sophisticated businesswomen or the client who wouldn’t dream of leaving the house without hair and full make-up. They hand out business cards that include their bio and a photo.” Shaw-Codner’s approach beats the old “get a free hair cut here,” because clients judge stylists on how they look, and the potential client gets to read a little bit about the stylist who approached him or her. “We get a far better return than we did back when stylists passed out traditional business cards,” she says. Get Smart The smartest salon owners let big businesses test the waters and borrow what works. What’s hot now represents a real mindshift. Instead of discounting products or services that are slow to move or build, let the customer choose the reward he or she wants. For instance, Barnes and Noble’s bookstore chain recently mailed out a “25% off” sticker that shoppers could put on any book in the store that they wanted. Anders is on top of it with an offer for any client who makes three referrals. That person gets a free cut with anyone in the salon. Guests who would not be able to afford higher-priced stylists get to trade up, but the real payoff is that clients feel free to move among the salon’s stylists without bad blood. It exemplifies what’s behind some of the best ideas today: What’s good for the client is equally good for the business. N The People’s Choice Fantasia Industries Corporation 20 Park Place, Paramus, NJ 07652 © 2008 Made in USA fantasiahaircare.com 64 JULY 2008 Salon owners can’t do it all, which is why Frances Dubose, who owns London Hair in Charleston, South Carolina, encourages her stylists to pass out their own invites to high-profile job holders. This lets them www.modernsalon.com http://fantasiahaircare.com http://fantasiahaircare.com http://www.modernsalon.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Modern Salon - July 2008

Modern Salon - July 2008 Contents Behind the Cover Notebook Contributors @Modernsalon.com New-Now-Next Modern Portfolio Modern Reports Ask the Experts Summer Blcokbusters Chem Lab On Trend My Process Ask Beth Your Makeovers Feel the Beat Shanghai Express Sweet 15 Modern Hair Modern Beauty Modern Education The Goods Personal Style

Modern Salon - July 2008

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