[155] 29 Step Checklist to Create a Five Star Experience 💎✨ (Every Single Time)

Hey Successful Hairstylists!! This week we're talking about something that rarely gets discussed... the TOTAL guest experience. Often times, we focus on color formulation and techniques or marketing to new clients. But the truth is that if we don't know how to create a great experience and KEEP our clients - we will be starting from scratch every single month - no matter how flawless our techniques or marketing are.

I'm talking about...

• The LATEST data around consumer behavior (hint: 1/3 people leave a business after just ONE bad experience)

• 29 Step Checklist

• The ONE vital thing you need to do after listening to this training

A great guest experience is such an important part of building a successful and profitable business behind the chair. Yet - it’s often overlooked and an afterthought. It’s easy to simply wing it and let your day control you vs. the other way around. It reminds me of the experience of driving home from my parents house and then parking and being like, “wait, how did I do that?!” because I don’t have any memory of driving. Like I’m truly on auto-pilot.

But being INTENTIONAL with our guest experience can make us MORE MONEY each and every day behind the chair. The truth is that a great experience makes people want to spend more which increases your average ticket. It also increases loyalty and keeps people excited to keep coming back 5+ times per year. PLUS - a great experience grows your business through word of mouth and referrals. When you exceed peoples expectations - they will keep talking about you to everyone who will listen!

CONSUMER BEHAVIOR STATISTICS FOR RETAIL AND SERVICE EXPERIENCES*

• 1/3 customers will leave a brand after just one negative experience

• 92% of customers will leave after 2-3 negative experiences

• 86% of buyers are willing to pay more for a great customer experience.

• Customers are shown to spend up to 140% more after a positive experience than customers who report negative interactions.

• 43% of all consumers would pay more for greater convenience, while 42% would pay more for a friendly, welcoming experience.

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29 STEP CHECKLIST FOR A FIVE STAR EXPERIENCE

1. Warm Welcome: In a perfect world - how would you greet your guests when they come in? Are you multi-tasking while saying hi, walking over to them, opening the door for them… etc. I highly recommend the book, CUES by Vanessa Van Edwards for a deep dive into body language and using our body language to build trust quickly.

2. Beverages and Snacks: Offer coffee, tea, or water while they wait. Stop and think - are the snacks and drinks you have a gas-station vibe, or a Nordstrom cafe vibe? There’s no right or wrong - it’s just about being intentional with the environment we create!

3. Provide a Comfortable Waiting Area: Do guests know where they should go to wait for you if they need to? Are they assured that you have seen them and will be just a minute? We want to make sure we’re not just leaving people hanging. It can feel so uncomfortable and awkward for the guest when they don’t know what to do and don’t want to interrupt or bother you.

4. Timeliness: How many appointments out of 10 do you start on time? 9/10? 5/10? Being on time is one of the first ways we can make a great impression and show respect to our clients. If you do run behind - what are ways that you can adjust your timing in your schedule to make sure that doesn’t happen? Have you taken time to practice your most requested services so you can speed up your time while remaining efficient? Do you have a go-to script to greet clients and let them know when you are late? I recommend always acknowledging and making sure you ask them - “Are YOU still okay on time? I know we’re getting started a little later.” This helps to show the clients that they are your number one priority.

5. Consultation: This is where you spend time asking questions and LISTENING to what your client wants, needs, loves, hates, dreams of for their hair.

6. Hair/Skintone/Lifestyle/Face Shape Analysis: This is where you SHARE with the client the elements of their own look that either will go well with what they want - or need to be adjusted to bring out their best!

7. Confirm the Plan: Instead of just running to get started - make sure you’re repeating the plan back and price quoting them.

8. Customized Recommendations: Offer personalized suggestions based on hair type, face shape, preferred maintenance, budget and lifestyle.

9. Professional Knowledge: Without going overboard into infomercial territory, share some of the WHY behind what you’re choosing to do. Are you foiling instead of doing open air painted balayage? Share a couple thoughts about why. Did you mix a couple different shades into your formulation? Share how her formula is completely UNIQUE! This can show your passion and the intentional thought behind why you’re doing what you’re doing.

10. Reassurance: Continuously check-in with the client throughout the service. We can forget to do this! But it’s so simple and really makes the client feel like a priority. Remember, most people don’t get 1:1 attention even from their closest friends and spouse. These little touches can mean so much.

11. Engage in Light Conversation: Maintain pleasant, professional conversation without dominating the discussion.

12. Attention to Detail: Be meticulous in cutting, styling, and color application. Be careful not to get color stains on their forehead or neck, to make sure you’re not whipping wet hair into their face during the blow out, that you’re sectioning during your haircut. It MATTERS and only take a few extra seconds.

13. Check In on Comfort: Regularly ask if the water temperature, chair position, and blow-dryer heat are comfortable.

14. Clean Workspace: Real talk. Is there a ton of little hairs in the drawer where you keep your brushes? When was the last time you actually changed your Barbicide? Do your towels have visible stains all over them? Just because you don’t have a boss there to remind you, micro-manage you or hold you accountable doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be holding yourself to a high standard! Your clients notice way more than you think!

15. Fresh Towels: Use clean, soft towels and robes for every client.

16. Scalp Massage: The scalp massage is one of the most anticipated parts of the entire service. Be GENEROUS with your time here. You can even take time to learn more about the pressure points throughout the scalp.

17. Maintain a Relaxing Atmosphere: Regularly take a step back and think about the environment - is the music still at a good volume, is the TV playing something obnoxious, are your phone notifications constantly going off… etc. We want this to be our clients great escape.

18. Safety First: Adhere to hygiene standards, sterilize tools, and wash hands frequently.

19. Offer a Mirror Check: Show the client their hair from all angles throughout the process — even during the blowdry! This can help them understand sectioning, how dry their hair should be before round brushing and HOW to hold the round brush to actually get it to work.

20. Product Recommendations: The haircare industry is a BILLION dollar a year industry. Women WANT to buy haircare - and having a personalized recommendation is always going to matter more than whatever is on sale at Ulta. Do not underestimate the benefits of getting it from you - saving them time, instant delivery, personalized…. etc.

21. Style Demonstration: Teach the client how to recreate the look at home, explaining any products or techniques used.

22. Ongoing Feedback: Continuously ask for feedback, and make adjustments based on client preferences. I know many of you might feel intimidated by feedback - but this isn’t personal. COMMUNICATION is everything. You’ll never be able to get their look right and keep them as a client if they don’t feel comfortable telling you that something isn’t working.

23. Final Review: Allow the client to review the finished look and make final tweaks if needed.

24. Compliment Their Look: Show genuine enthusiasm for the end result. This includes taking time to take photos! Even if you’re not going to use those photos on your grid - it makes the client feels even better about what they got because they know that YOU’RE proud. You can also send them the pictures to post on their own platforms too as a way to boost your word of mouth.

25. Offer Loyalty Programs: This can be as simple as having a referral program that rewards your clients for sending in their friends and family.

26. Provide Aftercare Advice: Give personalized advice on maintaining the hairstyle or color until the next visit.

27. Pre-booking: Suggest booking the next appointment before they leave.

28. Gracious Farewell: How would you like to say goodbye to your clients? How long do you want check-out to take (hint: consumers REALLY hate long check-outs, try to have their ticket already ready so it’s a simple swipe.) Do you want to walk your client to the door and open it for them? Are you hugging? Think through what this would look like.

29. Follow-up: Send hand written, personalized thank-you notes or messages after the appointment. You can also send texts asking how did they do with their first time styling their new look? Any q’s you can answer for them? Again, this shows that you’re invested in them feeling good.

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IF YOU DO JUST ONE THING…

Your homework assignment from your stand-in business coach, Ren, is to walk through your experience step by step and just think about and write out how that experience would go in a perfect world. I want to be clear… I don’t recommend doing this so that you do it perfectly every single time.

I recommend this because [1] if we don’t define it - we don’t know what we’re doing and [2] when our personal lives blow up (and we get bad news right before a shift, or our world is falling to hell, or our health isn’t 100%) then we will KNOW what to do without even thinking. THAT is where the magic is.

If you're new here, welcome!! I'm Ren Lopa, the CEO and Founder of Wolf and Rabbit Inc Salon Marketing! I'm obsessed with helping hairstylists and estheticians make more money doing what they love!!

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Footnotes:

Consumer Intelligence Series. 2018 Experience is everything: Here’s how to get it right. PWC. https://www.pwc.com/us/en/advisory-services/publications/consumer-intelligence-series/pwc-consumer-intelligence-series-customer-experience.pdf PDF Download.