A warm welcome, refreshing beverage and a close personal connection with a client can be as important in retaining her loyalty as the precision of the cut or the dimension of the color. Customer service impacts the overall experience, and salons and spa that master it with each and every visit can boost their overall business.

ADARA SPA
Raleigh, NC
adaraspa.com
Sunny Miller
SQUARE FEET: 1074     
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 5
SKINCARE: Image Skincare, Hush & Hale 
NAIL CARE: OPI, IBD
TECH SUPPORT: Phorest, Tippy  
“Every three months, we sit down as a team to review what’s working and what’s not. We gather client feedback, examine how smoothly our processes are running and brainstorm how we can add more value. We revisit our mission to provide a space where everyone feels welcome, and consider new ways to make our clients feel even more special.”

GADABOUT SALONSPAS + VERVE SALONS
Tucson, AZ
gadabout.com
Frank and Jana Westerbeke
SQUARE FEET: 3121, 3300, 6000, 5400, 7000, 1940
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 235
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $68
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Kerastase, R+Co, HairArt
COLOR: Wella, Pulp Riot, Min
SKINCARE: Skin Authority, Comfort Zone, Sculpture
NAIL CARE: OPI, Qtica 
TECH SUPPORT: SalonBiz, Central, Tippy, Laru 
ASSOCIATIONS: ICA, ISBN, ISPA, PBA, 2 to 10 Network   
“We created a new concept for our front desks modeled after the kitchen island. We eliminated the traditional front desk, because we wanted a centralized gathering place where people feel comfortable conversing. It allows us to stand next to one another and to use the surrounding space to create an energy that welcomes movement, where that means shopping, sitting, enjoying a beverage.”

KATHERINE JON SALON
Port Jefferson Station, NY
katherinejonsalon.com
Kat Riley
SQUARE FEET: 3600     
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 14
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $83
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Eufora  
COLOR: Eufora  
TECH SUPPORT: Phorest
ASSOCIATIONS: PBA 
“We host themed gratitude events for our loyal clients. For example, at our ‘Jamaican Me Beautiful Night,’ we played reggae music, served Jamaican food and rum punch and had special retail promotions. Each guest left with a personalized swag bag with a hand-written gratitude note from their stylists.”

LITTLE FERN SALON
Flossmoor, IL
littlefernsalon.square.site
Nora Kornblum, Alysia Lambert
SQUARE FEET: 800     
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 6
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $55
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Davines, Naturaltech, Milk_shake
COLOR: Davines, Staino, Pravana
TECH SUPPORT: Square, Sunsama 
“We stay connected with our guests through our podcast, On the Floor with Little Fern. The podcast keeps them up to date and lets them experience our salon’s warmth, humor and camaraderie from afar. As one client put it, ‘Listening to your three is like wrapping myself in a blanket, laughing and reminding myself not to take me too seriously!’”

MANE ATTRACTION SALON
Phoenix, AZ
maneattractionsalon.com
Chris and Jenny Knudsen
SQUARE FEET: 2376     
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 28
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $87
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda, Bumble And bumble 
COLOR: Wella, Aveda, Pulp Riot
TECH SUPPORT: Zenoti  
“Arizona is hot in the summer and cool in the winter. To be more bespoke in the warm seasons, we offer co-branded cooling ice packs as clients come into the salon. And because our AC works so well, we offer blankets for those guests who are chilled during the shampoo service. Our team is trained to look for cues, but also ask guests what would make them feel more comfortable.”

SALON BLONDE
Spring Hill, TN
salonblondetn.com
Lora Powell
SQUARE FEET: 2680, 2500    
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 38
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $56
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Kerastase, Redken, Pureology
COLOR: Redken, Pulp Riot 
SKINCARE: Image  
TECH SUPPORT: SalonBiz, Vish, Salon Ninja, Mya, Demandforce 
ASSOCIATIONS: PBA    
“We have a ‘surprise and delight’ budget. At any time, a stylist can request to surprise and delight a guest which a gift that is under $25 for a specific reason such as a birthday, graduation or even just a pick me up. II can be flowers, a gift card or a specific and meaningful gift. Both our guests and stylists love this!”

SALON NAMAN
Rock Hill, SC
salonnaman.com
Amy and Chris Naoum
SQUARE FEET: 2000     
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 19
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $55
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Kerastase, Redken, Pureology
COLOR: Redken, Pulp Riot 
TECH SUPPORT: Daysmart, SalonClouds+ 
“We have a Recovery System which empowers our team to address any unhappy guest scenarios as they arise in the moment to prevent frustrations from escalating. Even when the guest says the situation is ‘OK’  we follow through letting the guest know they are appreciated and their time is valuable. An example is if a stylist is late to the guest’s reservation, we offer $15 off or a complimentary treatment.”

SALT & SPARROW SALON
Bismarck, ND
saltsparrowsalon.com
Alexa & Matt Frank
SQUARE FEET: 4300     
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 20
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $55
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda  
COLOR: Aveda  
SKINCARE: Aveda  
NAIL CARE: Kiara Sky  
TECH SUPPORT: Meevo, Vish  
“Where our salon is located we get all four seasons, so we try to take into account little things that would be nice each season, such as changing our drink menu to include fall drinks like apple cider, or changing the aroma on our hot towels to a more cooling oil in the summer. We are constantly evaluating our customer experience standards and asking for feedback from guests.”

TANGERINE SALON AND SPA
Murfreesboro, TN
tangerinesalonandspa.com
Jim McCarrall
SQUARE FEET: 4200     
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 26
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $55
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda, Vomor, Teleties
COLOR: Aveda  
SKINCARE: Aveda  
NAIL CARE: OPI
TECH SUPPORT: SalonBiz, Textel, Vish  
“We realize that everyone comes in carrying something from the outside world and that we needed to address the whole person, not just their hair. So we created a space in our breakroom and stock calming soaking salts and handwritten cards for stylists to grab if a guest needs extra encouragement. Our team members have sent care package to those going through cancer, and baskets of snacks for guests with long service times.”

COME CELEBRATE the 2025 SALON TODAY 200 at our annual Award Dinner, which is part of Data-Driven Salon Summit in Scottsdale, Arizona, Sunday, April 27th. For more information and tickets, visit https://www.datadrivensalon.com/st200.