A client's bond with her stylist is strong--84% percent of Americans report they would switch salons to follow a favorite stylist.
According to research from Phorest Salon Software, American customers place huge importance on their relationship with hair and beauty service providers:
- 58% stay with their regular hair salon because of this relationship, while 55% stay with their spa of choice for this reason.
- 84% say they would be likely to, or very likely to, follow their favorite hair stylist if they were to move locations.
- While 88% say they would do the same for their favorite esthetician.
These relationships between US consumers and their hair stylists seem similar to salon-goers in other countries surveyed. In Ireland, 62% of respondents said they stay with their current hair salon due to this relationship while in The UK, 61% agreed. Different from the rest were Finland and Canada, where only 44% (Finland) and 54% (Canada) cited relationships with service providers as their reason for staying loyal to a hair salon.
Verna Wall, lead researcher at Phorest Salon Software, commented; “The beauty industry is unique in the way that it thrives on relationships between clients and service providers, particularly in the United States. This human connection is the life force behind most salon businesses, but it can be worrying for salon owners when they see the potential to lose clients should a staff member get a new job. This makes it essential for salons to focus on attracting and retaining great teams, and this insight is the driving force behind the employee management tools we build into Phorest. Tools like custom commissions, KPI tracking, and goal setting features allow salon owners to motivate, empower and reward great employees.”
Other top reasons given by participants for their loyalty to their chosen hair salon included:
- 65% quality of service
- 63% price/affordability
- 51% convenience/location
- 40% ease of availability
- 28% hygiene
- 13% decor and atmosphere
Meanwhile, when the same question was posed about loyalty to their spa, participants answered:
- 64% price/affordability
- 58% quality of service
- 50% convenience/location
- 20% hygiene
- 24% ease of availability
- 14% decor and atmostphere
Wall continues: “In other industries, the lowest price will generally encourage customers to return, but our research also shows that American salon clients put just as much, if not more, importance on high-quality services as cost. This proves that salons don’t have to undervalue themselves. Charge what your services are worth and treat your clients well to build loyalty.”
This research was carried out as part of Phorest’s Salon Industry Report, due to be released at the end of 2022. Dig deeper for more details on the public’s attitude to salon loyalty.
About Phorest: Phorest Salon Software is used by more than 155,000 salon and spa professionals worldwide, freeing teams up to focus on their passion and business success. More creativity. Less admin. Known globally for providing one of the best salon marketing tools, Phorest touches every point of the salon experience, from custom salon apps, online bookings, and inventory control to e-commerce and payments. Founded nearly 20 years ago, Phorest has grown to be much more than a technology company. Today it is proud to be a life force for our industry with a system that empowers businesses to manage, market, and grow, not just through innovation in technology but also through mentoring, education, and unrivaled support.
For reprint and licensing requests for this article, Click here.
media brand