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7 Tips to Boost Your Client Retention as a Lash Artist
So you’ve got your business up and running and customers are coming through the door.
Fabulous!!!
The next step in building up your lash empire is to make sure those same customers keep coming back through that same door, again and again… and again.
Here are 7 tips to help you do just that:
1. DO THE LITTLE THINGS THAT SHOW YOU CARE
When a customer walks through that door they’re not just paying for lashes or other beauty services, they’re paying for an experience. They want to feel important and pampered.
Doing just a few things to make your client feel special goes a long way to making them a customer for life.
And they don’t have to be grand gestures either. Little things like providing them with a cup of tea or coffee while they wait or telling them to help themselves to some complimentary chocolates or lollies will all show that you care.
Having a free gift for them at the end of their appointment is also a great way to create a memorable experience for them. It doesn’t have to be something expensive either. Even just a complimentary mascara wand, lip mask, eye mask or something to help them care for their lashes at home is a special touch.
If they’re a returning customer then make sure you refer back to your client records before they come in so that you can anticipate their needs. Which brings us to our next tip…
2. KEEP DETAILED CLIENT RECORDS
This one is super important. It only takes a moment but it goes a long way to making your customer know that you understand and care about their needs.
We’ve all had those frustrating experiences at the hair salon where you feel like what you’ve asked for and what you’ve received are worlds apart. Knowing your clients’ preferences without them having to remind make them feel like you ‘get’ them.
At a minimum you should be recording which type, size and curl of lashes you used at the previous appointment but it’s also important to take note of things like the overall look your client wanted to achieve and whether or not it was just for a one off event or something they’d like to do again.
They may have gone with a dramatic look last time because of an upcoming event, but in general prefer a more natural look.
And don’t be afraid to use your client records for other things too, like remembering the type of music they prefer, or even how they like their tea or coffee so that you can cater to their tastes next time they come in.
And if you’re the forgetful type then even keeping details of topics you’d like to follow up on with them in conversation (like a holiday they were about to go on) will help establish a real bond with your clients (just make sure you’re not recording anything too personal here).
3. GET YOUR LASH RETENTION ON POINT
Lash retention = client retention. You might apply the prettiest looking lashes in the whole world and get amazing feedback from your clients when they check out their new look in that mirror, but if those lashes don’t stay, neither will your clients.
We won’t go into a whole lot of detail here (we’ll get to all that in another blog post) but the basics of great lash retention are great prep (using a cleanser to help clean the lashes and a bonder to help your adhesive cure faster). The next step is finding the right adhesive for your technique and your environment.
The final pillar of great lash retention is great aftercare which brings us to our next tip…
4. ENCOURAGE PROPER AFTERCARE
Make sure your clients know exactly how to look after, clean and care for their lashes after they leave. Provide them with an aftercare card and a quick rundown of each point so they have the opportunity to ask any questions before they go.
Of course not every client will follow your advice but at least if they’re armed with the knowledge of how to care for their lashes and they’ll be less likely to point the finger at you in the event their lashes don’t last very long due to improper care.
And don’t be afraid to retail aftercare products to them either. A good aftercare kit will help your clients extend the life of their lashes and give them another reason to return to you.
5. COLLECT EMAIL ADDRESSES
You might not yet be at the stage where you’re using an email system to stay in touch with clients but that doesn’t mean that one day you won’t be.
When possible collect your clients email address and their consent to contact them with special offers. A simple way of doing this is just adding an extra line on your client consultation form where they can enter their email address and tick a consent box for marketing purposes.
And if you’re using an online booking system it may already have the functionality to do this built in.
6. SEND OFFERS TO LAPSED CUSTOMERS
If you have a list of customers that haven’t returned for a while then sending out a limited time offer or a special promotion is a great way to get them back through the door. If you’ve followed our advice in the last tip then you’ll have a couple of different options to reach out to your customers.
You can email or SMS special offers to get them back through the door and give yourself another chance to showcase the value of your business to them.
If you’ve recently improved or expanded your services it’s also worth mentioning somewhere in the offer.
7. BOOK THEIR NEXT APPOINTMENT BEFORE THEY LEAVE
This one is a no brainer but it’s worth mentioning. Always give your client the option of booking their next appointment with you before they leave. It’s convenient for them, and reduces the chance that they’ll forget or put off booking another appointment.
CONCLUSION
If we had to boil this entire post down into one small bit of advice to remember it would be a few words we live by here at My Lash Store…
Show your customers that you really care about them, and they’ll return.
