In his new book, “Tales of an American Entrepreneur: Journey of a Small Business Owner,” beauty industry veteran Michael Randazzo shares business tools and counsels patience and perseverance to help other salon owners achieve the level of success he has seen. The book includes advice on advertising, marketing, financials, leasing retail space, hiring and training quality employees, what to do when you lose key employees, how to borrow money, how to manage money, and how to deliver world-class customer service.

When it comes to improving customer service, Randazzo urges salon owners to take note of what kind of service they receive — good or bad — every time they make a purchase. “Look around every time you purchase anything,” he says. “What did you like or dislike about the experience? How would you have made it better, and how could you implement that in your business?” Randazzo also urges salon owners to actively solicit feedback from clients.

“Poll your customers. Ask them to give you ideas on what could improve your service,” he says. At his salon, they e-mail feedback forms to each client and ask them for suggestions on what they can do to improve. “Do not get emotional,” he cautions. “If they tell you something that does not make you warm and fuzzy, remember: You asked them. Instead, try to understand their suggestion and see if it makes sense or if it sparks an idea that you can do that will work for your business.”

Positive feedback is shared with employees. “I like to take the positive and roll it through our salon to keep people thinking positive. I believe that we need to put out what we want.” If he receives negative feedback, he will usually meet with that employee and review it. “I keep a folder for each employee. This way I can see patterns and know if there needs to be any technical or customer experience training.”

You can find Randazzo’s book at Amazon.com.

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