The Constant
Starting at Impressions front desk in 2006 when he was 19 years old, General Manager Paul Petrowsky is a seasoned professional who owner Sarah Taylor says is responsible for much of her own success.
by Stacey Soble
The Big Deal About Loyalty
Group 3 Marketing's Bart Foreman dismisses salons' belief about client loyalty and recommend three areas where owners should focus to grow their businesses.
February 27, 2012
4 min to read
“Loyalty” is one of the most overused words by marketers, but salon owners love to talk about loyal guests and how important they are to the business. Salon software vendors picked up on this theme and created “loyalty modules” in their packages that automatically generate loyalty points. Once enough points are earned, they can be used at the next visit.
The big deal about loyalty is that it is a sham. This is difficult for me to write since we created our company 24 years ago as a “Loyalty Marketing Company.” Twenty-four years later, we are still here but something happened: we had an epiphany: Guests are not loyal. Salons can create loyalists based on 5-star services, smiles, and ambiance but it does not mean the Guests are “loyal.” They will still bolt for a variety of reasons so your job is to keep them coming back.
Our epiphany led us to believe that marketing was all about “Relationships.” Our mission changed to, “We build marketing programs that create lasting customer relationships.” Then we had another epiphany: your Guests don’t want a relationship with you. They want 5-star service, value, a fair price, and all the other things that go into the salon and spa experience. You, the salon, desperately want a relationship and thus miss the critical point of how to market to your Guests.
Rewards, when done wrong, are nothing more than a margin drainer. Those rewards generated out of your POS system that are redeemed when the Guest is checking out do nothing to foster loyalty; they are a discount taken at the close of the sale. Rewards are the bait to influence the next sale. The key word in the previous sentence is INFLUENCE. Marketing is what we do to influence the next visit, the next sale. This is as basic as it gets. Remember, your marketing campaign starts the minute the Guest walks out of your salon. Instead of first concerning yourself about finding and capturing new Guests, focus on your most important and valuable asset – your current Guests.
Those periodic e-mails you finally sit down to write and send to all your Guests (one size fits all) are another waste of time and money because they are not personal and do not address individual Guest opportunities.
So, if the big deal about loyalty is not so big, what should be your salon’s focus?
To grow your business, you need to focus on three critical focus elements. These elements are a take-off from what Tom Kuhn from QNITY calls “The Two Number Growth Model.” Kuhn simplifies the process by explaining that growth comes from a combination of increasing the salon’s number of transactions (not Guests) and increasing the salon’s average transaction. It is a delicate balance. You can waste a lot of valuable financial resources chasing new Guests when a more productive resource just walked out of your salon. Our three focus elements are:
1. RETENTION – first, new Guests and second, regular Guests. With less than 30 percent of new Guests coming back to a salon, collectively we have a huge problem. It seems that most owners don’t seem to care because they focus on the next Guest rather than the one they have.
2. WIN-BACKS – by using your POS, you can track activity and get a good idea when guests are stretching appointments and reducing services. Here is your opportunity to re-engage and re-capture them.
3. UNDERPERFORMING GUESTS – You see and talk to underperforming guests every day and you still let them get away. The Guests who pass up add-on services are prime targets to increase the average transaction and get extra visits. Don’t just let them walk out the door.
If you are waiting for the economy to get better and expecting your old business models to improve your bottom line, you may be waiting a long time. Understand the new realities of the marketplace and refocus your marketing energies on your current Guests because that’s where your growth begins
To learn more about Group 3 Marketing, visit www.group3marketing.com.
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
More Salon Management
The Most Wonderful Time in Salons and Spas
Planning is in full swing for the most anticipated events and promotions for the 2026 holidays. As owners share their favorite ways to celebrate, they prove that a carefully planned event can also build culture, increase client loyalty, boost sales, and set a business up for a successful 2027.
by Stacey Soble
Leading with Empathy, Humility and a Mastery of Systems
When things run amok at Mane Attraction Salon, Owners Chris and Jenny Knudsen say General Manager Sami Hernandez is their go-to resource and ultimate sounding board. Meet Sami in this installment of Meet the Manager.
by Stacey Soble
Pagoda Brings AI-Powered Operations to Skinovatio Medical Spa Locations
Pagoda, a new AI-native operating system for scheduling, payments, patient records, marketing, and client communications, launches at Skinovatio Medical Spa in Arlington Heights, Illinois.
by Staff
How Women are Rewriting the Rules of Grey Hair
At a panel discussion hosted by L’Oréal Professionnel in Paris in early July, French Philosopher Sophie Galabru explored the cultural shift where women are increasingly choosing natural, personalized color results over traditional grey coverage. In an exclusive interview with SALON TODAY, Galabru and L’Oréal Professionnel Colorist Pierrick Beringer discuss this shift and how salons and colorists respond.
by Stacey Soble
Warm Leadership and Analytical Precision
At Salon Blonde, Director of Operations treats the staff as the salon's most important guests, while her wonderful 'nerdy' side, loves data, systems, and numbers. Find out how she makes Salon Blonde tick.
by Stacey Soble
Trotting the Globe, Forging Connections, Fostering Artistic Creativity
In an exclusive interview with SALON TODAY, Salon Owner Salvatore Minardi reflects on his past 18 months as Intercoiffure America Canada's World Talent Exchange Ambassador and how his experiences will help encourage cultural and artistic exchange and support greater engagement between ICA and the global organization Intercoiffure Mondial.
by Stacey Soble
Client Retention Guidebook
Everything you need to know about client retention as a salon owner.
Success Grown from Within
Owner Shelby Bills says her general manager, Sydney Osborne, reminds her of the power of leading with heart. Find out how Osborne became a great leader in our lastest installment of Meet the Manager.
by Stacey Soble
How Salon Leaders Can Process the Pain and Lead Forward When a Team Members Leaves Unethically
In her latest blog, Kati Whitledge identifies the five stages salon owners go through when a team member leaves the salon unethically, offering advice for each stage.
How AI Is Closing Revenue Gaps for Salons and Spas
The beauty and wellness businesses pulling ahead aren’t just working harder—they’re using AI to capture demand, personalize pricing, and convert more of every guest interaction into revenue. Here’s what the benchmark data reveals about the growing gap between AI adopters and everyone else.
Sponsored by Zenoti
The Premium Talent Magnet: The Modern Salon Playbook for Attracting Six-Figure Stylists
Stop chasing recruitment ghosts on generic job boards and start curating an elite team. Discover the framework that top-tier salons use to bypass phone tag, automate visual portfolio vetting, and attract high-earning, culture-first beauty professionals directly through real-time messaging. Turn your recruitment process into an exclusive brand invitation that keeps your highest-ticket chairs permanently filled.
Sponsored by Beautista
Five Revenue Leaks Hiding in Your Salon
Your calendar looks full, but is all of that demand actually converting to revenue? From phantom rebookings to underpriced peak hours, the 2026 Benchmark Report exposes five revenue leaks that most beauty and wellness businesses don’t even know they have.
Sponsored by Zenoti
The Heartbeat of Zandi K's Success
After moving to Colorado and teaching at a cosmetology school, Allison Stock joined Zandi K as a stylist, eventually becoming part of the Leadership Team, Education Team and Master Bridal Team. Today, as Director of Operation, Stock is Owner Nicki Wenz's right hand, managing human resources and operations, education and career development, and coaching and culture.
by Stacey Soble
Rethinking Retail in the Era of E-Commerce
In a world dominated by e-commerce, salon owners push back with proven strategies to increase retail sales while motivating team members to educate their clientele and delighting clients with retail-themed events and clever merchandising displays.
by Stacey Soble
The Harper Ellis Hair Co. Certification Program Teaches Stylists a Smarter, Safer Way to Install Extensions
The company's Concealed Bead Method is raising the bar for what professional extension education can deliver.
by Staff
The Micro-Salon Blueprint: How Kat Scott Quadrupled Income by Maximizing Her Suite
Scott maximized her micro-salon by transitioning from stylist to strategic owner, focusing on recruiting and station-sharing. By prioritizing her ownership role over behind-the-chair work, she grew her team to six stylists within the two-chair, 150-square-foot space before eventually moving to a larger facility.
by Staff