For most clients, a salon appointment is a form of self-care. They’re taking time out of their day to relax, unwind, and treat themselves. So, why not provide them with the best experience you can offer?
Providing high-end amenities is a great way to pamper your customers. It sets the standard for your salon and creates a luxury atmosphere. This can help you attract a more affluent customer base and justify increased prices for your services.
Clients will be happier to pay more for services if they feel like they’re paying for a more spa-like experience.
Adding amenities to your salon can be simple and affordable. You don’t have to do a full renovation to raise the bar. A few additions and extras can elevate your salon and keep your schedule full of happy customers.
In this article, we’ll explore how amenities can improve client satisfaction and check out what your salon could provide.
What’s the Difference Between Salon Amenities and Salon Services?
Salon services and salon amenities are two sides of the same coin.
Salon services are what you provide. These are the appointments that your customers book and pay for. Whether it’s hair, nails, or facials, your clients come to you for a specific service.
Amenities are the little bonuses that keep your customers coming back.
These are the things that your salon provides to boost the customer experience. It could be as simple as offering infused water or as complex as building a selfie station to flaunt their new look.
A great haircut goes a long way. But a great haircut and a glass of wine while they’re in the waiting area? That will keep your clients feeling appreciated and taken care of every time.
FROM ONE OF OUR PARTNERS: How to Create a Professional Salon Experience
Why Salon Amenities Matter
Salon amenities show that your business is willing to go above and beyond to treat your clients. It provides them with an experience outside of the services they’re paying for. This helps your salon stand out from competitors and keeps your clients feeling appreciated.
Client satisfaction should be the number one goal of any salon. You want to provide quality services, but you also want your clients to know that you value their business and time.
Even the littlest touches can improve customer loyalty and get them to re-book for their next service.
RELATED ARTICLE: 11 Unique Salon Service Ideas to Dazzle Guests
What Amenities Should Your Salon Offer?
The amenities that you offer will vary. They depend on your salon size, the services you provide, and your company’s branding. For instance, if your salon is small, building a “selfie” station or spacious waiting area may be impractical.
The right amenities should coincide with your branding.
For instance, if your brand is all-natural and organic, you may want to offer amenities that promote natural living.
On the other hand, if you provide ultra-funky and eclectic hair services, then a selfie station could be the perfect thing for your salon.
Here are some fun and unique ways to improve your salon amenities:
Refreshments
This one is easy enough for any salon to accomplish. Provide your clients with beverages while they wait for and receive their services.
You could offer them water, tea, coffee, or wine. Not many things feel as luxurious as drinking a glass of wine while getting pampered.
Depending on the way your salon operates, you could set up a self-serve beverage station or have your employees offer your clients a beverage when they arrive. Whatever fits your space best doesn’t add too much to your employees’ plates.
Charging Stations
This one is helpful for any business. Setting up a charging spot at each service station is a great amenity. There’s nothing worse than having your phone die while you sit for an hour or two during an appointment.
This is a simple and thoughtful thing to offer. It shows clients that you’re thinking of the little things.
Waiting Area Entertainment
Waiting is boring no matter where you are. Many salons offer magazines or TVs to provide some entertainment while clients wait. You could get as creative as you’d like with your waiting area.
Something as simple as magazines that showcase similar products or services to your brand is a great way to spark some inspiration for your clients.
Providing free wi-fi allows clients to enjoy their own entertainment choices via their smart devices as well.
Restroom Courtesy Station
Your salon restroom should be clean and feel like an oasis. Providing a “courtesy” station adds to the atmosphere.
It’s typically a basket or table with products laid out for guests to use. You could provide lotions, feminine products, mints, tissue, or product samples.
Again, this one is about the details. It may not feel like much, but this goes a long way in showing that you’re thinking of your customers.
Exclusive Products and Samples
Your salon can offer your guests exclusive product deals or even free samples. This is a great way to promote your products and offer some perks to your customers. You can create a loyalty rewards program or just offer discounts at the end of a service.
Offering perks and deals that feel exclusive to your customers can increase loyalty and sales.
Research has shown that loyalty programs and reward systems can increase your customer’s lifetime value. This means that any perks you can offer will have a high return on investment.
Social Media Attraction
A social media attraction could be anything that draws customers in. It could be your expert branding and aesthetic, or it could be that extravagant selfie station.
In this day and age, most people are on their phones and posting on social media. Giving your clients something fun to post about not only makes their experience more exciting but can also attract more clients.
A “selfie” station encourages clients to get creative and have fun with their appointments. But it can also be an opportunity to reach new audiences.
Consider having them tag you or post their photos on your own social media. This is a great way to build community and show your clients some love.
Don’t forget to like, comment, and respond when they post. And tag them in your photos when they visit!
Good Vibes and Ambiance
The vibe of the salon is a big factor in client satisfaction.
Ambiance is curated through the energy of your staff, the music playing, the smells, the decorations, and the little details. The wrong music or negative employees can ruin someone’s entire experience.
Whatever your brand is, try to keep the ambiance of your salon consistent. Whether it’s bright, bubbly colors and funky songs, or lots of greenery and meditative music, the energy you curate will be part of why people visit your salon.
Also, make sure that everyone working in the salon knows how to keep their game face-on with clients. The vibe should be welcoming regardless of the customer or service.
RELATED ARTICLE: 7 Ways to Make Your Salon Stand Out
How To Implement New Amenities
Trying to stay competitive in the salon market can be difficult. It may feel like you have to do a bit of everything to stay afloat, but even a few simple things can help.
Amenities don’t have to cost a fortune, and they don’t have to be extravagant to provide a high-end atmosphere.
So, before you start remodeling your salon or investing in the most expensive products, let’s look at some practical ways to get organized.
Consider Your Budget.
What kind of budget are you working with? If you’re on a tighter budget, it might be unrealistic to provide bottomless wine for clients.
Running the numbers will help you set manageable goals for amenities. This way, you can continue to provide a high-end experience without breaking the bank.
Staying within your budget can help you focus on the amenities you can provide in the highest quality possible.
Remember, intention and showing that you care are impactful. Any level of client appreciation will be received well.
Gauge Client Feedback.
What features have your clients mentioned? Understanding their needs and wants is important when providing services and amenities.
How can you meet their needs? What have you noticed might be helpful during their appointments? This could be offhanded comments, things you notice during appointments, or even from a suggestion box.
Customers are increasingly looking for unique and personalized experiences. Paying attention to your client’s needs and rising to meet them is a huge step towards improving customer satisfaction.
Evaluate Your Space.
Consider what the layout of your salon has to offer. Is there space for new areas? Do you have the power to add a TV? Where would it go?
Knowing what kind of extra space you’re working with will help you pick and choose what amenities to offer. Most amenities shouldn’t take up too much space, but having a plan for where everything will go is helpful.
Chat With Your Employees.
Before implementing any new amenities, discuss them with your employees. They can provide feedback and suggestions. Also, you’ll want your whole team trained in any amenities and how you want to go about offering them.
Your employees are the face of your business. How they provide services has the biggest impact on your customers’ experience. Their input and training go a long way.
If a customer has a good experience with staff, over 90% will become repeat customers.
FROM ONE OF OUR PARTNERS: Salon Marketing: 10 Ways to Sell a Service
How You Can Start Implementing Amenities Right Now
Feeling ready to start adding some amenities? The best place to start is by gathering ideas and making a plan. Once you’ve evaluated what is practical for you, you can start to get creative with it.
It doesn’t have to be over the top either—even the smallest effort will go a long way.
Let’s look at a few simple steps that you can take to start elevating your salon:
Create a Client Survey.
Creating a survey can help you collect feedback from customers. You can ask them directly what kind of amenities they’d like to see in the salon. This could be as specific as what beverages they prefer and their music taste.
Digital surveys can be easily created through email marketing services, such as Mailchimp. You can even go low-tech and leave a few paper surveys in your waiting area. Guests might be more inclined to fill them out while they’re waiting.
Asking your customers for their preferences will help you narrow down what you want to offer. This way, the amenities in your salon are specific to your client’s preferences.
Research Competitive Salons.
Understanding the market and what other salon businesses are doing is a great way to stay competitive. It can motivate you and help ensure that you’re keeping up with the market.
There are a lot of salons out there. So, what can you do to make your salon stand out? How can you make your guests feel special?
Your salon should provide a unique experience, but knowing what else is out there can be helpful. That way, you stay ahead of the trends and ensure you’re doing what you can to deliver the best salon experience.
Use Social Media for Inspiration.
Social media is a useful tool in all areas of your business. Social media marketing and branding are impactful and make your business stand out.
Many salons use their socials to promote their services and amenities to help draw in and attract more clients. You can also use them to explore and find inspiration.
What are other salons doing right? What amenities are they offering? What are other industries doing that you could pull into your salon? Do something completely different from what other salons are doing.
Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest all offer creative and interactive ways to build ideas and get inspired.
Improve Customer Service.
Customer service should always come first. While this isn’t an amenity, it is the baseline for a positive customer experience. To start improving the vibe of your salon, you want to ensure your team is functioning at its highest level.
And, once you add amenities, your team will be the ones providing them. Making sure that they are doing so with kindness and grace is as important as the amenities themselves.
