Happiness means different things to different people. Whether you fantasize about a better work-life balance, an industry-leading business, or a quiet afternoon with a good book, prioritising happiness in your salon can help you to be more successful to ultimately realise those dreams. But how do you foster happiness?
When developing a happy workplace, it’s key to focus on two areas: your staff and your clients. It turns out the old saying “if the customer’s happy, everybody’s happy” isn’t really true anymore. A study by the University of Missouri found that when employees were highly satisfied with their jobs, the relationship between customer satisfaction and loyalty was nearly twice as strong.
Your staff
Here are three areas you can start focussing on that will ultimately assist in making your employees happy.
1. Allow your staff to be masters
Remember, your team work for you because they love what they do. Whether they love seeing their client enjoy their regular facial or turning their clients dreams into a reality, ensuring they have the time to do what they love needs to be a priority. People naturally want to improve their skills, they want to continuously learn and get better at what they do. It’s when a person feels they’re no longer growing they may start to love their job less or feel unhappy in their current role. So find the time for training. Your staff will jump at the opportunity and it’s ultimately going to benefit your clients too.
There’s only so many hours in the day, so you may wonder how this will be possible. It simply requires a shift in where your staff spend their time, for example moving your team’s focus from admin tasks to more client and training time. This will take some work and won’t happen overnight, however there are many ways you can achieve this new team focus. Investing in salon management software is a great way to reduce admin tasks as booking appointments, updating client cards, and planning the day ahead can all be done in a few clicks. In fact, your clients can even book their own appointments using Online Booking so you don’t even need to answer the phone.
2. Let your staff own their column
People want the freedom to work how they like, to set their own rules and conditions. They have a desire to direct their own lives and their own work. However, this doesn’t mean you have to allow them to do as they please to keep them happy, you simply need to allow them to have a sense of autonomy. Give your staff a little more responsibility, ensure they really own their column and provide them with challenges. One way to do this is by setting some weekly targets. Ensuring they can visually see their progress throughout the week will keep them engaged, motivated and driven because they can see what they’ve achieved as well as the challenge that lies ahead. Be sure to make it fun too! Add an extra incentive, like a bottle of bubbles or some recognition for what is important to you – such as the biggest increase in average client spend. It’s a small investment for what’s likely to result in a noticeable increase to your salon’s income.
3. Give your staff a sense of purpose
Naturally, people want to contribute to something bigger than themselves. They want to feel as though their life and work is meaningful and it serves a higher purpose. You can foster this in a few different ways. Ensure you have a strong team culture where working together and developing relationships with colleagues are a focus. Most people thrive in an environment where they feel respected and receive recognition for their effort, so it’s important to clearly communicate with your staff about your salon’s performance and how they can contribute to it’s success. Don’t be afraid to share your vision, it’ll get them on-board and working towards a common goal. Create some personal goals for each of your staff to clearly show them how they’re contributing. Taking care of your employees by doing things like taking an interest in their personal lives or treating them every once in awhile will make them more likely to make your businesses mission their own too.
Your clients
If your staff are happy, you’re more likely to have happy, loyal clients, which ultimately results in referrals and higher revenue. It’s exactly this that makes your clients your biggest asset, so you need to focus on them as much as your staff.
1. Define your client offering
Start by determining exactly what your client offering is. What is it that makes your business unique or standout in the marketplace? What type of clients do you want to attract? What type of service do you offer – budget focussed, great value for money or a luxury experience? You can’t be everything to everyone, but by asking these questions and defining your client offering, you’ll be able to look for the right clients and ensure that the service you provide is one that will make your clients happy.
2. Listen to your clients
Consider whether you’re really listening to your clients. Taking the time to learn what your clients think about your business and the service you offer is key to your success in the search for happiness. Be proactive and run a client survey – ask them what they like and dislike, if they would like to see different products or treatments offered. You can do this when your client arrives at the salon, during their appointment or you could create one electronically using SurveyMonkey and add a link to the survey at the bottom of your emails. Businesses who gather this information are able to use it to get the most from their marketing dollar, train staff appropriately, and tailor an environment which caters to their client’s needs, all of which ultimately leads to happier clients who stay with you longer and spend more.
3. Communicate with your clients
Communication goes both ways, so ensure you’re clearly communicating with them too. You should be a useful resource for your clients, someone they trust to get advice from, and who shares relevant, useful information with them. This shows you’ll go the extra mile and it doesn’t cost a lot of time or money. The more value you offer, the more a client comes to depend on and trust you. It’s not just about what is said in the salon though. Ensuring you’re communicating with them frequently will make them feel valued and ensures they’ll remember you. A great way to do this is by keeping them up to date with what’s going on at the salon, sending them appointment reminders and special offers. Choose which communication and social media platforms you’ll use. Instagram, Facebook, email or a combination. Remember, sending personalised messages is key as it makes your clients feel special. Salon software with in-built marketing now makes this super easy too!
There are several ways to generate happiness in your salon which have the ability to significantly affect the success of your business. So, whether you’re working with your staff or considering the client experience in your salon, make sure you keep the happiness factor in mind. Don’t try to tackle all these ideas at once. Pick one or two that you feel will benefit you most, get them going then read this article again!
Happiness. It’s not just a buzzword. It’s the key to success!
