Top-up salon services to keep clients coming back for more

Published 04th Aug 2013 by rachael
Top-up salon services to keep clients coming back for more With no discernible let-up in the tough economic climate, clients are continuing to stretch the gap between salon visits as much as possible. Where once a monthly trim and root touch-up might have been the norm, women are now waiting an average of 5.8 weeks between cuts and eking out up to 6.3 weeks between hair colour appointments*. But just because clients aren’t coming to the salon as regularly as before, it doesn’t mean they aren’t finding other ways to maintain their look – home dye jobs and cheap trims at stop-gap salons in between more expensive appointments are on the rise, as clients attempt to balance image maintenance and budget. However, it’s not bad news for everyone – some savvy salons are bucking the trend not just by keeping clients coming through the door as regularly as before, but by actually getting them to book in even more often. What’s the secret? Top-up services, providing little extras that are quick, cheap and unique; offering something special that clients can’t resist indulging in. Services like blow-dry bars, styling stations and express colour updates don’t just appeal to the time-stressed and budget-stretched, they also provide an ideal taster for new clients or an entry-point option for those who want to buy into your brand but perhaps can’t afford a full cut and colour. Here, we take a look at five salons who’ve made top-up services work for them. *Salon Services Beautiful Britain 2013 report Hari's beehive bar Beehive Bar, Hari’s, London What is it? An expert updo bar at Hari’s salon celebrating the comeback of high hair. There are five varying styles reflecting suitability and occasion and two versions of the service; either a hair wash and blow-dry or an express service where hair is dressed from dry. Make-up experts are available to create a total look. How much is it? £45 Why did you decide to launch the Beehive Bar? “We wanted to offer a service that reflected last season’s hugely popular sixties trend. We already have a popular Bun Bar and Ponytail Bar reflecting trends from previous seasons,” says Craig Taylor, creative director. “Clients are engaging more in having their hair ‘done’ and they’re also more experimental about having a proper ‘look’ which we can help with.” What effect has the Beehive Bar had on footfall? “Our salons are both surrounded by restaurants and bars so we get lots of people now coming in for a quick change before their evening out. Our regular clients also see what’s going on and like what we’re doing, so they’ve been requesting appointments alongside their regular services.” Who mans the Beehive Bar? “Most of our staff can do beehives, but we do have staff who are specifically put forward for these appointments. Putting hair up is not every stylist’s favourite, but I regularly take evening workshops to perfect the looks and teach the tricks and tweaks needed to adapt and make the service bespoke to each client.” Is this a permanent addition to your salon menu? “As long as the service is requested and relevant, we’ll continue to provide it. The bun, pony and beehive bars have all been a big success as the results are quick and transformative – it means they get talked about and create a great buzz for the salon.” Josh Wood Bang BarBang Bar, Josh Wood Atelier, London What is it? A new ‘drop-in and chop-in’ express fringe cutting service, offering maintenance cuts and the latest in fringe trends for a quick style update. How much is it? £10 with a Bang Tech (advocate level stylist) Why did you decide to launch the Bang Bar? “Fringes are a strong trend at the moment and a fashion favourite,” says Josh. “With regulars like Alexa Chung visiting the Atelier for a quick trim, it made sense to have a specialist service.” Do you have a designated area within the salon? “In the Liberty salon we have a dedicated Bang Bar, and we also do a pop-up on the last Thursday of the month in the shop’s beauty hall.” Has the Bang Bar attracted new clients? “We have been inundated with a massive footfall of new clients and also top-ups with regular clients. It’s evident that this quick, no-commitment service is a way forward for attracting new business. It’s a constant source of new clients, who then enquire about more of our services like colour and blow-dries.” Who mans the Bang Bar? “We have two Bang Techs that are dedicated to looking after it. All of our stylists are really excited about chopping in the odd bang though!” Is this a permanent addition to your salon for the foreseeable future? “As long as bangs are in vogue. I’m always looking for global trends in our industry and I love pushing the envelope on skills and services. It’s a pivotal moment for change in the hairdressing world.” Lisa Shepherd LS Color Bar LS Color Bar, Lisa Shepherd Salons, Birmingham and London What is it? The LS Color Bar is a new economy express colour concept from Lisa Shepherd. Developed in collaboration with Redken, it delivers six low-cost speedy colour services all in under an hour. Although clients can pay for a blow-dry, they can also save money by styling their hair themselves. What are the prices? From £15 for ‘Root Rage’ to £30 for ‘Fast Track to Fabulous’. Why did you decide to launch the Color Bar? “I wanted to open up great colour to a bigger audience and create genuine accessibility,” says Lisa. “The LS Color Bar concept is the express economy ticket to wonderful hair colour for clients that simply don’t have the funds for ‘Upper Class’ or the time to keep up in the colour stakes.” Is there a separate area for the Color Bar? “Yes, it has its own area in each salon. I have made the feel of the LS Color Bar distinctly different from a salon service, so the Color Bar is set apart and designed to stand alone but with harmonising interior accents. It’s clear the Color Bar is part of the LS company but also sets a different level of expectation.” What effect has it had on footfall? “A lot of clients were at the stage where they were extending the time between their appointments already for financial reasons, so now they are thrilled they can have a quick in-between service. The low price points have also opened up a new target market, giving them access to professional colour and the best colourists.” Is it something you’d like to see in other salons? “It’s going in to all my salons exclusively at the moment, but I’d love to see it rolled out nationwide.” We Love Southampton Essentials menuEssentials, We Love, Southampton What is it? A new menu of competitively priced ‘top-up’ services to keep clients coming back between appointments. Salon owner Rae Palmer says: “All of the services on the menu are maintenance, so it could be a reshape of a cut, a top-up of colour or regrowth cover, or even just styling. We also offer beauty essentials like nail shaping.” How much are the services? “We’re competitively priced to match any high street salon offering large discounts or a mobile hairdresser offering ‘cheap’ services – these are our main competitors. With the Essentials menu, the client is getting a premium salon service but without a big discount, so it’s not cheapening the brand.” What effect has it had on footfall? “We’ve attracted new clients who don’t want to pay ‘top-end salon’ prices and also regained some clients who left as we were too expensive. The biggest impact has been our regular clients though as they have been having more appointments, especially with top-up on the colour and the maintenance cuts.” Has it had any other impact on business? “Because most of the menu is maintenance, our younger and less experienced staff are more than capable of doing the work. It’s a great way to build their revenue, columns and experience.” Would you recommend it as a business model to other salons? “It’s definitely going to be the way we go for the future. To survive and grow on the high street at the moment you have to look at ways to cater for all budgets. Not everyone wants, or needs, to pay top-end prices for a premium salon experience.” Braid Bar Four London Braid Bar, FOUR London, London What is it? A full menu of on-trend styles from French plaits to fishtails. Clients can choose from an express option (on unwashed hair) or a full service with wash and blow-dry before styling. What’s the starting price? From £35 Why braids? “We have two stylists – Amy and Neha – who are excellent at putting hair up and enjoy braiding – they were keen for us to open a braid bar,” explains Brooke Bohan, colour director. “We also had a demand by clients for this service and, as we know, catwalk often dictates hair fashion and a lot of braiding was seen this season. We do lots of hair ups as part of the styling service too.” How do you make the service special? “We have an iPad with a ‘bank’ of braid shots which we go through with the client to find the style they want to achieve. We can also incorporate accessories – so far diamantés, feathers and lace have been really popular.” Do you have a designated area to carry out the service? “We didn’t have the space to dedicate to a braiding bar specifically, however we are lucky in that we have a mezzanine floor and also a VIP room that can be used if necessary. However most clients are quite happy to sit in the main salon area – this allows other clients to see the work being done, which in turn helps promote the service.” Has the Braid Bar attracted new clients? “We got lots of press in the media when we launched which brought in new clients and some have stayed for our regular services too. We’ve also found that our existing clientele – particularly our celebrity and press guests – love the bar and come in for a ‘do prior to awards or events.”
rachael

rachael

Published 04th Aug 2013

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