What makes a salon special?

[gdunstan]

Hi, I am opening a tanning studio soon and I really want to make it as good as possible. I have been frustrated by the quality of the salons in my local area and want to make a place that customers will really love.
What things really make a place stand out to you and what things do you hate?
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

[GreenHeels]

Aside from the obvious good beds, lotions at all ranges of prices including cheap, and keeping things clean, most of it is about your workers. They need to KNOW about tanning, be sweet, and not overly pushy. Tanning salons are notorious for having crappy employees, so when I'm treated well by an employee, that immediately makes the salon "special" in my eyes.

[Princesa]

I hate rude & pushy salon employees..that alone will make me never buy anything from them.

A knowledgeable,friendly employee is always a plus...I like it when they know their info about beds.lotions etc. I can tell when a employee takes pride in what their doing and will go above and beyond for their customers.

[Cliften]

well i think by keeping it clean , keeping prices low and by managing good staff you can make it special.

[LisanAndy]

Knowledgeable and unpushy staff, nice beds, cleanliness, and lotion variety :-)

[MissTKZ]

A super friendly and knowledgeable staff. I love my new tanning salon because the employees are super friendly and personable & not pushy so I always feel comfortable asking them their opinions or advice.

[jilly'n]

I agree that great customer service is a necessity to have in your new salon, so train your employees well! Lol. I used to go to a salon that had a few locations, and I would travel to a location farther than the one closest to me because the employees were friendly, knowledgeable, and never pushed any products on me. The girls at the closest location were obviously just trying to make sales and it was so annoying!

[AshleyReid]

Yeah, I am the owner of a salon service in Annandale, VA from past many years and if there is one thing that I learned from so many years of service is that the "customer satisfaction" matters. Being pushy is sure a business killer, I must say, keep your services of high quality, keep your staff well mannered and helpful, keep your salon clean and keep your prices not essentially low but competent. This will help you for sure in the long run. Good luck.

[Beaners]

I have a few suggestions:

- Ensure staff are fully trained on all the equipment (or have instructions clearly posted on walls in the rooms). When I first went to use the Beauty Angel, there were no instructions and the control panel was not intuitive. The girl who happened to be working that day couldn't show me how to get it running (and there was no manual, nor could she reach her manager) so I had to go home/return next day - it was annoying!

- Ensure staff are well-educated in skin typing and don't try to talk customers into doing additional minutes, or selling HP sessions to first time tanners who don't yet have a base. I had someone tell me I could go in for 8 mins. my first time, and I could hardly handle 4!

- Showcase lotions/skincare items in an open area, with testers so people can sample/smell them (without opening actual product intended for sale). I prefer to browse without someone hovering, and analyze ingredient lists (and prices) privately as opposed to having the employee making the recommendations.

- Have in stock, and provide, necessary accessories for certain equipment (e.g. foot sole covers & noseplugs for spray booths), and build these into the pricing structure so that customers aren't surprised with extra costs each visit. For example, I'd purchased a spray tan package at a set price, but end up paying an extra $20 every time I go, for the additional "prep & finishing" steps, and the foot covers, so what started as a $25 tan turns into a $45 session!

- Don't crank the music throughout the salon. Some may want to listen to their own tunes, or veg to nothing. It's better to let users set their own preferences. Nothing worse than wanting to relax in a bed only to hear loud, jarring, blaring music (if it's not my preferred genre).

- Keep your pricing structure simple & straightforward. Nothing more confusing than too many options, points vs. minutes vs. monthly memberships, or combinations thereof. Use one or the other, but not all. It is difficult for the consumer to determine which package type would make most sense if there are too many options.

- Offer periodic specials to customers, have an active online presence, but when offering deals, be specific about the value. My salon has recycling rebate, but the sticker on the bottle says "return this bottle and receive 'up to' $10 off your next purchase" meaning there is no guarantee of receiving the full $10!

Hope these suggestions are of use to someone.

[Benny]

Knowledgeable & Friendly Staff along with a selection of beds & lotions.

[AmyW1205]

I think Beaners summed it as well as anything I could have said. Very, very good suggestions.

[Beaners]

Thanks, AmyW! HA - I'm pretty demanding, aren't I? (But seriously, much of it is just common sense, and if you're a good business owner, doing things that make the experience more pleasant & convenient for customers, within reason of course, is just smart.)

Here's an example: I've emailed the salon across the street several times now, virtually begging them to put in spray tanning or red light - anything "anti-aging" for the over 40s (since many in my complex, for example, are middle aged and older, and lots of attractive, well-maintained older women who look active & healthy, who I suspect would love these options).

If I didn't have to travel across town to get my red light or spray tan, I'd be doing all my business at this salon, and would probably be in there every 2nd day. Sadly, a girl at one of the other salons said she'd thought they'd shut down (guess rumours were flying last year about them not doing well and closing shop?). That would be such a shame, when they haven't maximized their potential.

Now the owner has responded saying they have something in the works, but she didn't say what (which I found strange ... why not reveal what you're planning on incorporating unless she herself didn't yet know?). This was several months ago, and I've not seen any advertising in their window, or online. So I'm not holding my breath ... but still have my fingers crossed!

[wowidk]

I want the staff to know what they're talking about and not act like a know-it-all. Just because I don't know certain things doesn't give the staff a right to give me a condescending attitude. The owner of the place I go to gives me different vibes. I can't tell if she's super nice and helpful, or annoyed with me being there. I like suggestions on which bed/ lotion to use if I seem confused or indecisive, but I don't want up-sells shoved down my throat (which she almost never does).

[dakotatan]

The owner of the salon I go to is an independent. He works the salon the majority of the time and really knows the tanning business!

He is always having special events and specials and really does them up well, they really are "special"!!!

The rest of his employees are awesome as well. We are actually more "friends" than owner/customer. I would never think of switching.

Of course cleanliness and up to date equipment is a must!

[Maxwell]

I give you my best wishes on such a nice idea. I hope your studio turns out to be the best in the town. Just remember to keep the charges a bit on the downside. That will definitely attract a lot of people.