What can we learn from salons calling clients during lockdown

There are a number of salons and indeed professional hair brands calling clients to offer them help and advice during lockdown. A number of salons who are in close contact with their clients explain the different ways it is benefiting their salon business.

Calling clients gives the opportunity to prescribe retail products

Michael Smith at Tristan Eves is busy delivering or posting prescribed retail products to loyal clients in Petworth, West Sussex and beyond. Michael said: “I did think about adding the service to our website and will do in due course as our social media campaign ‘pro haircare at home’ has proved so positive.” The Tristan Eves salon social media message advises clients to email the salon. The enquiry is picked up and a phone call follows to ascertain the correct products are required.  Michael added: “clients love the interaction – it’s all very positive that we keep in touch.” Lisa Farrall, Matrix brand ambassador, is hosting FaceTime's with her client's in what she refers to as client dating. "I’m doing a 1:1 FaceTime consultation and having a good old chat with my curly haired clients... trust me your clients want to here from you too!" https://www.instagram.com/p/B_W602xB01E/

Calling clients allows you to have a genuine catch-up about their loved ones

Danilo Giangreco at Danilo Hair Boutique in Chelsea has established a very close relationship with his loyal clientele over the years. He said: “When we call them up, we get to chat about the current situation and genuinely ask them about their loved ones too. We reassure them that we will reopen our doors as soon possible and we will announce that on our social channels. We then touch base on the condition of their hair and ask if they need any home care product that can be delivered to their door. They simply love it!”

Calling clients could prevent them from making a hair mistake during lockdown

For Robert Eaton at Russell Eaton Hair calling clients has been a key focus during lockdown. He said: “As a family-run business, we pride ourselves on the relationships we have with our clients. Some of our clients have been coming to us for over 40 years, so it’s really important we maintain our relationships during lockdown.” He added: “We are calling them regularly and they each have their own concerns so we are offering help and advice to those who want it. Whether it is how to disguise regrowth or how to resist the temptation of cutting their own hair in lockdown, it is our job as hair professionals to help them in the best way we can to get through this and then they will be able to come back into the salon without any sense of hair shame!"

Calling clients will add some positivity to their day

Esther van der Veken from Tommy’s Hair Company has always had a great relationship with her guests, however during the current crisis, the salon has upped that communication both by phoning and keeping in touch via social media. Esther said: “We’ve found that by personally calling our guests, not only are we securing that loyalty, we are actually adding a personal touch and getting to know them better.” She added: “Guests are given the chance to talk to us about their hair or future appointments and we often chat about how they are and the things they have been doing. It’s been fantastic and we’ve received nothing but positivity from everyone. Of course, we would advise remaining professional however this simple call can add some much-needed positivity to a client’s day.”

Calling clients means you can share official government advice for salons

Brian MacMillan, salon director at F&M Hairdressing has always believed communication is key and it’s vital to any salon to ensure their clients are at the forefront of their mind, especially in the current pandemic. He said: “We’re fortunate to have a great relationship with all our clients so picking up the phone has always been something we’ve encouraged from all our team. With a range of different age groups that visit our salons, we are making contact with as many as possible to update them as and when we have information from the government so we can advise them on what will happen as we move forward.” He added: “Not only that, a phone call is also warmly welcomed as it brightens up many clients day, especially those who may not have family around them – it's something to make them feel good. A lot of our clients planned ahead and purchased their favourite products pre lockdown however for those that were unable to do so we arranged for this to be sent to them in line with all government restrictions. They have and still are so loyal to us as a salon and for us it’s time to reverse the roll and support them during these difficult times.”

Calling clients shows you care for them during difficult times

Simon hill, owner at SESH Hairdressing believes it’s important to remind clients that you are there to support them and offer something to look forward to once this over. He said: “We are communicating consistently with our clients via social media messaging, email and phone where applicable. We need to remember that all clients have a preferred method of communication and therefore all lines of communication should remain open. We are currently offering retail deliveries at SESH Hairdressing as our clients had communicated that this was of interest to them. We take their order via Instagram or Facebook message or via email and if required we can chat with them on the phone to provide a more prescriptive approach to any specific hair concerns. Our clients seem to be appreciative of all communication from us as a salon and we are finding this is helping us to build and maintain our community.”

Calling clients means you can reach out to the most vulnerable

Karen Thomson, owner at KAM Hair and Body Spa made a list of the salon’s most vulnerable clients and those who were on their own prior to the salon shut down. This means the salon can check in with them regularly via phone to make sure they are ok. She said: “Clients really appreciate this, and it shows that you do really care about them. We think it’s important that we still contact a lot of our clients, especially those who are most vulnerable, via phone, however, we know a lot of our client’s follow us via our social media channels and look at our website regularly for our salon updates and news. With this in mind, we have also set up a new Isolation Hub section on the website, which includes tips and advice from the team on hair, nails and skin care, but also includes a link through to the KAM Online Shop, where clients can purchase their hair and beauty products easily and have these delivered straight to their door, as well as Gift Vouchers button, where clients can click through to order gift vouchers for future appointments or as gifts to help support the salon through this uncertain time.”

Calling clients helps to keep us feel connected with our communities

Tim Scott-Wright at The Hair Surgery is finding it really hard not seeing his clients at the moment. He said: “It goes against the grain not dashing around a busy salon and welcoming new and familiar faces week in and week out. However, we are doing as much as we can to stay connected to our customers.” He added: “Hair tutorials on social media are helpful, but only using that form of communication can exclude some of our salon's most loyal customers. In particular my lovely entourage of Friday ladies, some of which have been coming to me for 25 years. As a salon that has built its reputation on being a welcoming hub of the community, a simple chat on the phone has proved an incredibly valuable tool to stay in touch.” He pointed out the fact his Friday ladies still call him up for a chat speaks volumes about what the salon means to them. “Yes we cut hair, but our salon is also somewhere people feel part of the community and can socialise with others. My Friday ladies are all friends and will often stay in the salon for a catch up, even after their appointments have finished - something which they can't do right now. I hope that these simple gestures of communication keep our salon spirit going until we can open the doors again." To find out more about how you can help your clients during the lockdown click here.