So this week’s post from Jill has me thinking about just how important these things are to the success of the service provider and to the salon. When any one of these things is out of whack, the guest may or may not come back. I remember hearing once that it only takes one time to form a negative impression in the client’s mind but that it takes at least five positive experiences to cancel out the one negative experience. By this token it is so much less work to just make a good impression first than to try to overcome a negative one. I know that sometimes we are not at our best so we have to really push ourselves to take the right actions instead of indulging our bad attitude. There is a lot of truth to the saying “fake it until you make it!” If we keep a system in mind for meeting all of these criteria then it is easy to fall back on when we are having a less-than-stellar day.

It also made me think about the way new clients feel when they walk into your salon for the first time. That feeling can definitely be classified as anxious. Though I think that they also feel hopeful. They are hoping that this will finally be the salon that they can count on. They are looking for a place that makes them feel comfortable, and for great customer service. They are also hoping to find their hair, skin or nail soul mate. They want a service provider who will listen to what their wishes are and do their level best to give them what they want. Kristi Valenzuela said at the class I recently had with her, that every new client who walks into the salon is wearing a shirt that says “I am new. Please keep me. I am tired of looking.” Giving an awesome first impression is the first line of defense to combat the anxiety and fear that a first time client can feel.

— Sandy