Actions speak louder than words. As a successful tanning salon owner, you value your existing customers and are focused on bringing more customers in your doors. So let your customers know they’re important to you by doing things for them.
Customer appreciation is important to win the hearts of current and new customers. Showing customers that you appreciate them is a much more effective and powerful tool than sending them a letter, e-mail blast or direct-mail piece. A focus on face-to-face, meaningful interchanges between you, your staff and customers can create long-lasting relationships, fun times, great memories and, something important to you, customer retention and growth.
It’s easy to get stuck in the day-to-day business operations of your tanning salon and lose focus on effective customer appreciation strategies. That’s probably not too much fun for you, either. So take a look at these simple customer appreciation tactics that can help you reward your customers, show them that you care about them past the sale and bring a little fun to their lives – and yours.
Have a friends-and-family event every quarter.
Provide light refreshments and noticeable discounts of sessions and products once every quarter for your best customers and their family members and friends.
Remember your customers’ birthdays.
Everyone has a birthday once a year and everyone gets presents on their birthday. Be sure to remember your customers’ birthdays by giving them something personal that they’ll enjoy compliments of you and your staff.
Have some after-hours parties throughout the year.
Invite your customers to your tanning salon after hours to enjoy refreshments, special deals, promotions and more. Partner with nearby businesses to offer their products and services while helping promote their businesses and being a good neighbor. If you’re a member of your local chamber of commerce, connect with them about the possibility to host an after-hours chamber event at your salon.
Offer a new product promotion.
If you’ve updated your beds, selected a new lotion line or remodeled or improved your salon, show things off. Offer special discounts, incentives and rewards to the top 30 percent of your customers and invite them to experience what’s new at your salon.
Remember your beyond-the-purchase ‘thank-yous.’
Be sure that you and your staff are highly appreciative toward your customers after they purchase their session packages and products at your salon. That might mean giving them a new pair of protective goggles or a free bottle of water on their way out, a complimentary session every once in a while or a tasty treat at no charge. They’ll remember that little something extra long past leaving your salon.
Build relationships outside your salon’s walls.
Get to know your customers and what they like to do in their free time. Can you meet for lunch? Could you both work out at the gym or exercise outdoors with each other? What about a round of golf together or going to a local sports event sometime? If you’ve built that in-salon relationship with your customer, look to expand and grow that relationship outside your salon – and have some fun at the same time.
Teach your employees to do the same.
In all you do and all you feel is important in focusing on customer appreciation strategies, make sure you share your vision and what you want to accomplish with your employees. They are typically the front line in meeting, greeting and taking care of your customers in your salon. Make sure you empower them to engage your customers and reward them with customer appreciation tactics you choose to employ.
Open early or stay open late once a month to provide special deals.
Don’t forget about those early-bird and late-owl customers who would enjoy sessions and services earlier than you open and later than you close. Provide an incentive to them by opening early or staying open late and be sure to wow them with appreciation tactics while they’re there.
Go back to old-school techniques.
Hand-written thank-you letters. A free logo T-shirt with your salon’s identity on the front. Anything that’s free. Stuff We All Get has seemingly been around since the dawn of time yet continues to be great tool to reward customers and build brands. Everyone loves SWAG so give some out over the course of the year.
Tie in to a different community charity once a month, encourage your customers to get involved.
Given the state of the economy, charities are taking a hit. Financial contributions and volunteerism are down and you can help. Connect with a different community charity once a month. Volunteer your time. Let your employees volunteer. Engage your customers to support your charity of choice through volunteerism or financial support. In doing so, you become an even stronger and influential corporate citizen, a business worthy for customers to frequent and support and one that encourages others to get involved.
And remember, if you aren’t sincere in all you do to show your customers that you care about them past their business, it’ll show. They need to feel the love at all times so they’ll keep coming back for more.
