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SEARCHInstead of client retention and online reviews, Kip Dodson relies on Net Promoter Scores to track client loyalty at A Moment's Peace Salon, identify gaps in the client experience, reward staff on customer feedback and continuously improve their service offerings.
The team from A Moment's Peace Salon and Day Spa in Franklin, Tennessee.
Owner Kip Dodson with the salon's two general managers Danielle Lafaye and Danielle Lolito with their Experience Elevation awards from the SALON TODAY 200.
At A Moment’s Peace Salon and Day Spa, Owner Kip Dodson and his team have always believed that the best measure of success isn’t just revenue or foot traffic—it’s loyalty. And not just any kind of loyalty—measured, trackable, and predictive loyalty.
“That’s where Net Promoter Score (NPS) comes in. It’s what our clients say about us when we’re not in the room,” says Dodson. “Unlike traditional metrics like client retention—which only tell you what’s already happened—NPS gives you a real-time view into how clients are feeling and where you’re headed. It helps spot service breakdowns before they turn into lost clients, and it surfaces opportunities for growth while you still have time to act.”
Since the salon’s Net Promoter is among the highest in the salon and spa industry, Dodson is eager to share his data:
Proven Performance: 6 Years of Loyalty Data
Over the past six years, the salon’s NPS scores have spoken for themselves:
Their current 2025 average of 93 is not only their highest ever—it sets the bar across the industry. While many businesses struggled to recover post-COVID, Dodson and his team doubled down on service, quality, and listening to their clients. And the results show.
What is Net Promoter Score?
According to Dodson, Net Promoter Score is the gold standard in measuring customer satisfaction and loyalty. And, it's based on one simple question—“How likely are you to recommend our business to a friend or colleague?
NPS segments responses into three groups:
Promoters (scores between 9–10): Loyal fans who drive growth.
Passives (scores between 7–8): Satisfied but indifferent clients.
Detractors (scores from 0–6): Unhappy customers who may harm your brand.
Here's how NPS is calculated as:
NPS = % Promoters – % Detractors
The result is a score ranging from -100 to +100. Anything above 50 is considered excellent. Above 70? World-class.
Why NPS is Different than Online Reviews
Unlike public reviews that come sporadically and often from extremes, NPS is based on a simple question sent directly to clients: “How likely are you to recommend us to a friend or colleague?” The results create a powerful metric showing how many of your clients are true promoters — the ones driving referrals, repeat business, and positive momentum.
“Good online reviews are vital for reputation and discovery, but they’re not the same as NPS,” says Dodson. “Reviews are public and often come from clients who are either extremely happy or extremely upset. NPS, on the other hand, gathers feedback from all clients in a systematic, confidential way, giving you a balanced and predictive picture of overall satisfaction.”
Why NPS Is a Game-Changer
While client retention tells you who came back, it doesn’t show you who left—and never returned. That’s the limitation of retention: it’s a lagging indicator. By the time you spot a problem through retention reports, the opportunity to save that client has already passed.
Net Promoter Score, on the other hand, is a leading indicator. It captures what your clients are thinking and feeling right now—before they leave. It gives you access to the clients you’re in danger of losing, not just the ones you’ve already lost. That foresight is priceless.
“So if you want to measure the real health of your guest experience in real time, NPS isn’t just more advanced than retention—it’s essential,” Dodson says.
In an industry where emotions matter and trust is everything, NPS isn’t just a vanity metric—it’s the most actionable and predictive tool you can use. Two-thirds of Fortune 500 companies use it because it answers the question that matters most:
“Will they come back—and bring their friends?”
Leading with Loyalty
At A Moment’s Peace, they’ve used NPS to:
Build one of the most loyal client bases in the industry
Identify gaps in the guest experience in real time
Reward staff based on real customer feedback
Continuously improve service offerings based on actual client sentiment
“We didn’t guess our way to success. We measured it. And then we acted on it,” says Dodson.
The salon's Net Promoter Score Every Single Month:
Tools To Stay Ahead
Just as A Moment’s Peace takes NPS seriously with their clients, they’ve also built the capability to integrate this powerful system into any point-of-sale (POS) platform a salon or spa uses. “Whether you’re using Square, Vagaro, Meevo, Mindbody, Phorest, Zenoti, Boulevard, Day Smart, Salon Iris—or nearly any other system—DodsonMC has a solution to embed NPS tracking directly into your daily operations,” says Dodson.
You don’t need a new system. You just need a smarter one. If you want to track loyalty metrics at every touchpoint, ask DodsonMC how to turn your current POS into a client feedback machine. Reach out to them for more information.
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