Once you’ve won a new spa guest, the battle isn’t over. You need to secure that guest for life. If your operation doesn’t exceed their expectations and create a personal connection, they are prepared to seek that spa experience from a competitor.
Establishing a customer retention plan not only helps you better serve your existing customers, but it keeps them coming back month after month and spending more with each visit. Having a well-designed retention plan in this day of social media and online reviews, helps ensure you’re not losing guests you’ve haven’t even had the chance to serve.
Every business person understands the basics of customer retention. It costs much more to acquire a new customer than to retain an existing one – between 4 and 10 times more. Your loyal, existing customers contribute much more to your profitability than one-time visitors and are much more likely to spend at a higher level when they return to your business. Existing customers are your best sales tool. They are your fans and their referrals are more valuable than any advertising campaign.
So, how do you ensure these customers return to your spa time after time? Let’s look at some retention strategies that you can put in place today.
- Flawless Guest Experience – Overall, the guest must have a positive experience at your spa. From pre-arrival through the treatment they receive to check-out, all of the pieces together must create an overall favorable impression.
- Cleanliness – Used towels or untidy shower areas are a sure way to turn off your guests and sent them scurrying to your competition. Keep your spa tidy and spotless.
- Friendly, Personal Service – Learn your customer’s names and use them. Note their preferences and deliver them without asking. Provide genuine and friendly service. Smile when your customers enter your spa, it builds trust and familiarity and demonstrates you care about how they are feeling on that day.
- Thank Them for Their Business – Whether they spent an entire day at your spa or had a quick nail service, take a moment to sincerely thank every guest for choosing to spend their time and money with you.
- Really Thank Them – Send a follow up thank you card after their visit with a personal, handwritten note. Encourage them to return to your spa with a special offer or promotional product. Create a discount that will encourage them to come back with a friend. This continues the relationship building outside the walls of your spa.
- Train Guest Service Every Day – What gets trained, gets done. If you want your staff to provide excellent service every day, you need to focus on it every day. Create a training plan so that you can focus on this important details necessary to provide a flawless guest experience.
- Simplify the Spa Experience – From check-in to check-out, utilize tools and technology that makes the experience faster, reduces duplication of efforts and enhances personal service. For frequent and returning guests, retain guest information and intake forms and ask only if there are changes. This is preferable to repeating the collection of the same information on each visit.
- Reward Repeat Customers – Start a loyalty program to reward returning customers and encourage continued visits. From a simple punch card to more complex systems with points, loyalty programs are a proven way to encourage repeat visits.
- Go Above and Beyond – Guests appreciate when you surprise and delight them. Simple things like remembering a birthday, supplying them with product samples or giving them a little extra for free are noticed. The value the guest experiences is much greater than your cost.
- Welcome Feedback – Feedback and complaints are opportunities to learn and improve. It is always better to respond to a complaint and earn a lifetime guest than to ignore one and lose a customer forever. Be proactive about collecting feedback and comments at your spa, as well as replying to online reviews. Responding to and repairing a negative experience promptly can provide very positive results.
Following these ten tips is a great way to kickstart your customer retention plan or improve the one you have in place. Over time, loyal customers provide the growth engine for your spa business and are key to your success.
Want the secret to tracking guest preferences and tools to simplify the spa experience? SpaSoft can take the complexity out of providing excellent guest service and has all the tools you need to develop customer loyalty. Click here to learn more about SpaSoft for your spa.