Think your best customers are your monthly cut-and-color clients who always purchase retail? Think again. Your internal customers, namely your employees, are just as vital (if not more) to the health of your business, according to Lisa Louison, vice president of business development at Strategies magazine. And, your approach to internal customer service should reflect their importance to your salon. Strategies offers a few tips on how to make sure they know they’re valued:

* Talk to them like a VIP. The next time you approach an employee, listen to how you address her. Speak to her in the same way you would one of your best customers.

* Be respectful. Make sure you honor your commitments to them, show up on time for meetings and make yourself accessible to them.

* Show your gratitude. Don’t underestimate the value of a simple “thank you!” You may think your employees know you appreciate them, but unless you tell them or show them, they might feel unacknowledged.

 

—Reprinted from Strategies magazine, the premier publication
for business growth. For more information on subscriptions, seminars
and coaching services, visit Strategies online at www.strategies.com.

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