Delivering a great customer experience is not as simple as it might seem. Most barbers can offer an okay haircut but what will really set you apart is how your client FEELS about your client care during their barbershop experience. It is your client care that forms the important, long-lasting relationships.
The client’s total customer journey creates the positive emotional content behind their visit. Their experience of you is based on 70% emotions and 30% technical skill and you need to score high in both areas to create repeat bookings. For Men’s Grooming Ireland, client service is at the very heart of our business. It is a value that underpins the DNA of everything we do. So, according to our experience, what are the top nine secrets of excellent barber client care?
1. Make life easy
From booking through to payment, your barbershop should make your client’s life as easy as possible.
Booking: Some clients are old-school and like to use the telephone to make their bookings, others prefer the ease and anonymity of booking online. Make sure your website accommodates online appointments and that your telephone number is easy to find on every page of your website.
Car parking: Is it easy for your clients to park outside? Free parking is a distinct advantage in a city location and can make the difference for many clients. So consider this when choosing your location.
Services: Your website acts as a brochure for your website. Why should a client trust you? What do you offer? How much does it cost? What are your unique selling points (USPs)? If you offer unique services, such as hot towel shaves or colouring, make sure you draw attention to these on your website and in your marketing.
2. First impressions count
Remember that your website and how your phone is answered could be a clients’ first interaction with your brand. Therefore both should be professional and reflect how you want clients to perceive your business. Every interaction should engender trust and professionalism.
Telephone
Telephone calls should be promptly and professionally handled with a welcoming tone of voice. How you answer your telephone will give the client a distinct impression of what your barber client care will be like during their visit.
Website
Your website represents you. Therefore, it must be branded to match your logo and your shop design. It’s especially important that it looks good, is easy to navigate and is well written. Barbers are in the business of making people look good so your web design is particularly important. Good design gives the sub-conscious message that you will also be good at ‘designing’ hair. Include positive client feedback so that new clients can feel confident that you can be trusted.
Barbershop
As soon as a client steps through your door, they should be able to feel at ease and confident that they are in good hands. If you know them, welcome them by name – remembering them will begin the process of making them feel valued and special. Invite them to take a seat. If they are early or there’s a delay, let clients know how long it will be until they are seen. Offer a complementary drink. Everything should be done to make them feel appreciated and well cared for – even before they have sat down in your barber’s chair.
Dress code: Does your team look the part and represent your brand? It might sound obvious but your barbers have to give your clients the impression that you’re a professional, cutting-edge salon. So ensuring that their own hair and what they wear is as important as your branding and your salon decor.
“One of Men’s Grooming Ireland’s USPs is that we really listen to and pay attention to our clients”
3. Listen and empathise
The initial consultation is crucial to creating a happy customer. One of Men’s Grooming Ireland’s USPs is our excellent barber client care. And part of this is that we really listen to and pay attention to our clients. What do they want? Currently, what is bothering them about their current hair cut or styling? What do they like/don’t like about their appearance? All of this is helps us discover how we can solve their hair and beard care issues for them. Put your self in their shoes, their age, their hair type or skin issues. How can you help them most?
Some clients may be shy to talk or may not be able to express what is bothering them most, so careful and considered questions may be necessary to get to the root of what they want or need. For example, if they ask simply for a ‘trim’ what does that mean to them? It could mean very different things to different men. Checking in with a client at every stage of the haircut or barber service is also important. Many clients do not feel able to speak out if you have not given them the haircut that they want and will only let you know by not booking again.
4. Give sound advice
Once you have listened, it’s your turn to talk. Repeat back to your client what you have heard and learnt from them so that they know they have been understood. Phrases such as,”What I understand from you is….” or “ “I can see that ….. is really frustrating you” go a long way to establishing a rapport with your client.
Explain to them what you propose to do to help them and what styles will and won’t suit their skin and hair type. Is there a simple change you can suggest that will make all the difference?
5. Solve their (hair) problems
If, like our Creative Director, Andy Kozlov, you are very experienced and already speak the ‘language of hair”, you may already know what your clients’ issues are before they have even spoken. Solving the main issue for your client – whether it is styling, hair loss or skin issues – is key to creating a happy customer experience.
If you stock your own haircare range, this is a great time to introduce innovative products that your client might never have seen or used before. A new product could be the perfect solution for their haircare issues together with your expert advice on care regimes to help solve hair and skin complaints.
6. Personalise your service
Every type of person and personality are going to grace your chair. Personalising your service and your chat are key to making everyone feel comfortable.
Making notes after each client visit can really help you to achieve this. How did they like their hair cut? Did they want hair tonic or styling products? Did you talk about a specific event or issue? Remembering the little details about their life and their preferences helps you to help them feel special on their next visit.
Gaging the amount of conversation your client would like is also an art form in itself. Some will come back to you just because they got on well with you and enjoyed the craic. Others might prefer to sit in silence. Unfortunately, we can’t tell you how to do this – this is an instinctual knowledge that definitely develops with experience.
7. Create an experience
No matter how bad your day is going, you need to leave your troubles at home and be ready with a smile and a tale for your client. After all, you are there to make them look and feel better.
At Men’s Grooming Ireland, we teach our barbers to treat their clients as they would want their fathers to be treated. Therefore every interaction should be respectful, thoughtful and caring. Other barbers cater for a younger, trendier market and therefore might want to ramp up the ‘attitude’ or swagger to suit their image.
Think about the small but impactful additional services you can provide for your clients. Even if they’ve come in for a simple haircut, can you include careful edging, an eyebrow trim, top-notch styling and a splash of cologne to complement the haircut? It is the extra details that will create the all important emotional impact of your service.
Also think about if you have the ambience in your barbershop just right for your clients? Does the decor, music and smell of the salon suit your core customers? A haircut is a very sensory affair therefore the look, sound and smell of your salon also contribute to the total experience.
8. Care – to the very end
The customer experience does not end until your client has left the premises. We encourage our barbers to escort their clients to the very end, including taking payments and helping them into their coats. You can show them the products you used on their visit, but don’t be pushy. And wishing them a warm farewell means they will leave feeling as important as they did when they arrived – only they will feel and look important too.
9. King for the visit
Whatever service they have received, our clients need to leave feeling like they’ve been king for the hour. People remember their experience way beyond the service received. With social media channels and Google reviews providing such a wide reach, you can create no better marketing than a satisfied customer sharing their story with friends and family. In a nutshell, providing a great experience leads to great brand awareness and your strongest marketing will be via word-of-mouth.
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We are currently expanding our team of highly-skilled barbers so please get in touch if you are interested in working with us: Email: info@mensgrooming.ie
Stillorgan tel: 01 288 28 70 | Terenure tel: 01 492 93 37,
Men’s Grooming Ireland is a high-end barbershop business with two salons in Dublin, located in Stillorgan and Terenure. We are reknowned for our skill, service, clientèle and traditions, offering a remarkable lifestyle experience within a superior environment. Book online now.