Can anybody help me figure out what i am meant to learn from having 2, yes TWO, days with absolutely no clients. No appointments filled. No Bookings. Period. Do i need to take some more classes? Work on the customer service? Gratefulness?
Just when I think we are getting things sorted out around here, this happens. What am I doing WRONG? Help me focus, and tell me what would make you go back to a hairdresser you stopped going to. Is a discount enough? Free product? An appology? How about an additional service for free? Like free manicure with a color? Or conditioning treatment? My boss just called and told me that "Unfotunately, your schedule hasn't changed. But your once a year client's husband just bought her a gift certificate for her birthday today." That is good. But what about today? I am not even going in because it is too embarassing to hang out with an empty chair. MOE's clients must wonder what I do there? Ugh.
13 comments:
hm.
I'm extremely loyal - probably to a fault - when it comes to people servicing me (that sound downright dirty)
And I cry when my hairdresser leaves for the winter months and I have to see someone else - altho I've never been happy with the others - but I just adore HER. kwim?
But why do I like her? hm. I do like how she does my hair - and I like her as a person - she's way more chatty than I am, so I just listen. She's older - more my mom's age or older - but we enjoy a lot of the same things - hanging clothes on the line, gardening, bargains, that sort of thing.
What would make me go back to her if I for some reason stopped? hm.
Probably a cute little note in the mail (not a phone call - because that would make me feel pressured) with something like you mentioned - for me, it would be a discount. The holidays are coming - every penny counts.
I know my hairdresser mentioned that a lot of people are cutting back on cuts - doing it themselves - or going additional weeks between based strictly on economy, so if it's that - discounts or freebies would be the ticket, right?
sharyn,
just how many people do you have servicing you?
(sorry, couldn't resist!)
what is kwim?
my hubby thought the card/note idea, too. as for my part, even partial revenue would help a little. guess I just gotta get some coupons in the mail.
thanks for your input :)
Sorry Jenny- Keep your chin up! I am exremely loyal too, and I like the little note idea - a free something or other might work too, but probably the note would say it better. The reasons I have moved on from people is that they just don't get it quite right and sometimes I've wondered if it would be worth trying to give them a second chance, try to tell what I didn't like, but I really hate the whole experience of getting my hair done so much that that just complicates it too much. Not that finding someone new is any fun either...if I was really comfortable w/someone, some follow up communication on how the cut worked out might alleviate that stress a little, but that might be a little wierd...
kwim = know what I mean
is it really that your regular clients have stopped seeing you? or is it that they're seeing you less often?
I am loyal. I must confess that if I stop seeing someone, there is probably not much that would convince me to return. (Sadly, I cannot imagine going back to any of the hair people that I stopped seeing - horrors.)
That's why I'm wondering if it's really that you're doing something wrong, or if it's just a slower time and people are cutting back. :)
I am not so good about booking appointments regularly (case in point, it's been about 5 months since my last cut and color - and I have been known to go years between highlights, LOL). A discount would be enticing. As would a schedule that included weekends (only because it's hard for me to get downtown during the week).
I wish I were there - I'd visit you for a cut! I actually have been thinking that I need to visit my hair stylist in case her business is slow because I do love her.
How do you find new clients? Maybe some ideas on how to do that? OH! What if you sent out referral coupons? Refer a client and get a discount on your next appointment?
Oh, but I should say .. I move on immediately if the person isn't right - after the first cut or maybe the second, I know if we'll work out. So I guess I don't give people another chance to fix things .. but once I find a stylist I give them a lot of leeway. I didn't want to leave CA because I had been with my stylist for 5 years; I couldn't imagine leaving. Even if I didn't love something, I loved her - and even if I couldn't tell her that I didn't love something, I was willing to give her more chances. Same with my current stylist. She could probably make me look horrid and I'd still go back and try again. (I don't think she would - I trust her - but regardless ..)
If I wasn't sooo far away I would schedule an a haircut with you NOW!(do you make housecalls 7 hours away?) nan
i like the note/coupon idea as well.
but also, i think it's the economy, not you personally, jen.
my "customers" (so to speak) are way down too. people just aren't doing stuff they want/should.
~ann b.
I have been loyal in the past- before I got banned from that salon. For real.
I've been going to the same stylist for awhile now- she's not FANTASTIC, but she's nice and she doesn't butch up my hair. But, if I'm being completely honest, it is her notes and discounts that keep me going. Hand-written. That'll make me loyal. :)
how many people are servicing me? well.......... ;)
and yeah - kwim = know what I mean. handy one, that.
my 2 cents is that it is the economy.
And I am not loyal- just because it is so hard for me to schedule an appt. and get to town for it- I just sail in somewhere while I am in town.
...or I have my niece cut it.
so what ideas does that leave you with?
Any way to entice walk-ins, or to increase word of mouth advertising?? (the best kind of advertising) and with holidays coming- convince people their family/friends don't need more stuff, they need services instead. (thus, gift certificates)
Wish I could just drive down there for a cut!
sorry .. back to say that the only point of my second comment was to say that it seems like it's probably not you. :) I can hear how hard it is to have days without clients. I can only imagine how much harder it would be if you were thinking that it was something you did or didn't do that caused it. {hugs}
Blame it on the economy. You can always do that. FWIW, I didn't have anyone in my exercise class today. I, however, was happy. Because I had many other things I needed to get done and wasn't feeling that great.
About hairstylist, if they don't do a good job the first time, I don't go back. When I find someone I like, I'd pay anything for a good cut. Period. Can I admit one thing? If someone doesn't charge very much, I feel like it reflects on their skills. So I do judge my hairstylist in that way, too.
Mindi,
That is funny about the price thing. I kind of feel the same way. And I keep telling my boss that our prices are too low. he has been doing hair for nearly 30 years and his cuts are only $35. Mine are $28 and when I started 7 years ago they were like 23 or 24. I feel like mine should be about 38. I would feel comfortable charging that much, but the neighborhood we are in...well, I don't know how it would go. And How do I do a ten dollar jump? I don't. But I am going to have to double my prices if I don't get some heads in my chair!!!
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