Are you doing everything you can to bring in and keep clients? The October issue of Salon Today explored the ins and outs of good customer service. Here are a few tips to make your customer service one-of-a-kind.

• Smile! Although guests can’t see the front desk staffer over the phone line, smiles are important, stresses Marion Stones, owner of  Illusions Color Spa, Inc. in St. Louis, Missouri. “The guest can ‘hear’ a smile—it changes the tone of the conversation. I’ll call my desk periodically to check that they’re smiling.”

• Above and Beyond. Customer service guru and salon owner John DiJulius regularly has staff members going the extra mile: “For example, one of our guest care employees sees the guest walking up with the service provider, pulls up her file and greets the guest by name; a staff member pulls up the guest’s car to the door or escorts her out with an umbrella; or she asks a guest with a new updo if she is attending a wedding and if we can offer a gift card, saving her a trip to the store,” he says.

• Follow Up! At DiJulius’ John Roberts Salons and Spas, employees try to make the follow up personal with a handwritten note to a special client or an e-card, including links to websites the client may enjoy. “We also send out e-surveys to clients that include questions such as their favorite flower, place, hobby, drink, etc.,” says DiJulius. “We can add this information to their profile for future gifts, e-mail links or topics to discuss

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