April 19, 2015

How to handle client complaints.

If you meet or exceed a client’s expectations at the completion of service , the average customer will walk away and tell 5 people about the experience.

If you fail to meet the client’s expectations at the completion of service, customers are very likely to tell 11 people about the problem they had with your salon or spa.

If fail with clients expectations at the at the completion of service, but rebound with a quick customer recovery, research shows that the clients will tell up to 17 people about your service recovery.

Did you get that? Clients will tell 5 people if you wow them, but if there's a problem and you quickly fix it, they will tell more than 3 times as many people as they would if no problem had occurred at all.

One of the fastest and easiest ways to grow your bottom line is to equip your front line service providers, managers and front desk staff with skills to respond to complaints and problems in such a way that they completely regain goodwill and restore the client's confidence.

1. Resolve problems as quickly as possible. The faster the resolution, the better the chances for maintaining loyalty. The speed of resolution has a greater impact on future loyalty than the resolution itself. Strive to resolve complaints on the first contact and when that isn't possible, final resolution should occur within 5 business days in order to maintain and build loyalty.

2. Only allow the friendliest, most helpful, and diplomatic employees to talk to clients. Front desk staff courtesy and attitude are critical factors in regaining the goodwill of clients who have experienced a problem. Clients contacting a salon or spa with a problem want to talk to a person who is courteous, professional sympathetic and understanding. Additionally, employees must be skilled in communicating with diplomacy, expressing empathy, and representing the company credibly and convincingly during times of client distress. The attitudes and behaviors of frontline professionals form powerful lasting impressions with clients whether these impressions are positive or negative.

3. Encourage your people to do whatever it takes to service customers. This includes being flexible, bending over backwards, making a 180 degree turn when you were heading another direction on a non customer-impacting task. It might even mean standing on your head. The idea is to be completely customer focused.

4. Give Them Something. Coupons, product samples, and other freebies have a definite impact on loyalty after a service failure has occurred. Giving clients token items, such as coupons or product samples, after a service failure both increases the perception of value and serves to maintain loyalty.

Use the automatic thank you email in Advantage Salon Software and Spa Software to connect to clients right after they have service in your salon or spa. In the thank you message ask if your salon or spa did not meet expectations to contact you as the owner or manager so you can rectify the situation. Not only did you solve a client complaint issue you super ceded any negative reviews.