Customer service skills for salon owners and stylists

Having top-notch customer service skills is essential for anyone working in a salon, whether that's dealing with potential clients on the phone or completing the perfect colour appointment. Every aspect of the client journey is important and delivering great hairdressing results is only half the job. Keeping clients on side takes fantastic service skills right through the salon experience - from the moment they put their hand on the door to the final reveal of their great new cut. Nergish Wadia-Austin has made customer service her priority since launching PHAB Standard, which is a programme for crediting excellence in salons.  Here, Nergish shares her expert advice for ensuring your team's customer service skills are second-to-none - no matter what their role. 1. Ensure that your team are really understanding and listening to what their clients are looking for, then ensure that you deliver to them the result they have asked for to the highest standard. 2. Think like a customer. When you visit your favourite restaurant, the chances are that it delivers great food, friendly and welcoming service, is great value for money, or is in a convenient location. At a basic level, these are the principle reasons for the success of any business. 3. At a staff meeting, play a game using the example mentioned above. Ask each team member to reflect on a place which they like to visit, then ask them to tell you why they choose to spend their hard-earned money there. You will usually find that it boils down to the same reasons outlined above. 4. Once the team have identified why they like to go somewhere, ask them what they'd most like to get out of a day of top-notch hair and beauty pampering. Keep a running list; the best ideas often come from your own team. 5. Put together a list of service suggestions based on those that your team claimed they would like to experience. Type them up and recognise that you and your team have created a new service charter for your customers - then stick to it. 6. At PHAB Standard, we put together a service pledge that all applicants have to agree to in order to complete the process. The example of the first two points of our pledge to provide extraordinary service is given below. Putting a similar charter together for your salon and sticking to it is a positive way to keep the team focused on service standards. PHAB Professional's Pledge is: I hereby pledge to do my utmost to make my client's journey the best experience possible: a. Look - I pledge to always greet my client with warm sincerity and assess their needs prior to any treatment beginning (including gowning) to get a true feel for them and their lifestyle. b. Listen - I pledge to listen to my client's needs and expectations during a detailed and thorough consultation every time they visit. Not just the first time. 7. For the next four weeks, daily reminders of your new pledge will be necessary. Training your team to use the correct language to accompany the new service suggestions will also be crucial. 8. Recognise and reward the team members who put it into action. This will then encourage them to deliver the highest service at all times and encourage others to up their game. 9. Retrain the staff members who forget or resist improving their service standards by re-emphasising why it is important that they comply. It is essential to make sure each team member is on the same page when it comes to the service delivered. Listening to the staff who need to improve their consultations is essential and key to solving any problems that they're having. 10. Be passionate about delivering great service so your team embrace your passion for treating the customer as royalty. Remember that customer is king/ If their needs are met in a timely, courteous, efficient, friendly and knowledgeable manner, they will return time and time again.