Salon and spa owners should think of their establishment as a giant revolving door—the more clients who return and return quickly for their next appoinment, the stronger the business will be. Even better is when those clients bring in their friends. We invited applicants to describe their loyalty and referral programs as they would to a new client, including how they would encourage that client to prebook her next apointment. Extra credit was awarded to salons and spa that offered data that demonstrated the value of these programs to the salon’s future business.

BERENICES
Denver, CO
berenicesdenver.com
Sara Brentano, Lisa Kirkland, Louie Lago and Minica McCrackin
SQUARE FEET: 4,300     
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 21
NEW CLIENT RETENTION: 43%
RETURN RETENTION: 82%
PRE-BOOKING RATE: 81%
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: 41
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda  
COLOR: Aveda  
TECH SUPPORT: SalonBiz, Demandforce, Birdseye
ASSOCIATIONS: PBA  
“We see our guests as more than a dollar sign, which is why in addition to all of our client programs, we offer a secret service. We have a monthly petty cash fund that can be used to treat a guest that may have something to celebrate or who needs a pick me up.”

CENTRE SALON, LAKEWOOD
Lakewood, CO
centresalon.com
James F. Pacifico
SQUARE FEET: 3,300     
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 23
NEW CLIENT RETENTION: 39%
RETURN RETENTION: 69%
PRE-BOOKING RATE: 103%
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: 32
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda  
COLOR: Aveda  
TECH SUPPORT: Salon/SpaBiz, Demandforce   
“Our staff use iPads to confirm a desired look with photographs, offer suggestions for current and future visits and establish a future plan for what the guest would like to see with their hair over time. It’s this care for details that has allowed our salon to maintain a guest retention rate over 60 percent.”

EVOLVE SALON AND SPA
Center Valley, NC
evolvesalonspa.com
Alan Robell and John Riniker
SQUARE FEET: 3,700     
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 33
NEW CLIENT RETENTION: 42%
RETURN RETENTION: 82%
PRE-BOOKING RATE: 70%
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $50
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda
COLOR: Aveda
TECH SUPPORT: SalonBiz, CityGro, MailChamp
ASSOCIATIONS: PBA  
“Our welcome back card is a personal invitation for the client to come back and experience all we have to offer. The card looks and acts like a punch card that we initial each time a service has been received. On future visits, clients receive 25 percent off any color service, facial, massage, manicure or pedicure, once for each service.”

FRINGE
Maplewood, NJ
thefringesalon.com
Kim Hammer
SQUARE FEET: 1,100     
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 15
NEW CLIENT RETENTION: 53%
RETURN RETENTION: 85%
PRE-BOOKING RATE: 88%
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $50
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda  
COLOR: Aveda  
TECH SUPPORT: SalonBiz, Demandforce  
ASSOCIATIONS: PBA  
“Fringe Benefits members are clients who have patronized our business since we first opened in 2007. As we like to say, ‘Being a member has its benefits!’ They receive 10 percent off any service at Fringe. Additionally, Fringe Benefits members receive special emails about members-only sales and events.”

REJUVE SALON SPA
Carmel, IN
rejuvesalonandspa.com
Mini Dhanjal
SQUARE FEET: 3,800  
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 22
NEW CLIENT RETENTION: 53%
RETURN RETENTION: 75%
PRE-BOOKING RATE: 73%
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $42
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda, Brazilian Blowout
COLOR: Aveda  
TECH SUPPORT: SalonBiz, Demandforce, SalonBuilder
ASSOCIATIONS: America's Beauty Network, PBA  
“Our automated Demandforce program will shoot clients an email, asking about their salon experience. This in turn will immediately post as a review on Bing, Google and the Demandforce site.”

RITUALS SALON-SPA
Midlothian, VA
ritualsssalon.net
Pete and Sheri Polignone
SQUARE FEET: 5,500     
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 38
NEW CLIENT RETENTION: 55%
RETURN RETENTION: 90%
PRE-BOOKING RATE: 60%
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $55
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Eufora, Kevin Murphy, Unite
COLOR: Schwarzkopf Professional  
TECH SUPPORT: Millennium, Demandforce  
ASSOCIATIONS:  The Day Spa Association, PBA  
“Each client has the opportunity to earn money in their Rituals account by pre-booking, purchasing retail, booking appointments online and exceeding $100 in service sales.”

SALON ESTIQUE
Phoenix, AZ
salonestique.com
Cheryl Finn, Brenda Barnaby and Kelly Boudreau
SQUARE FEET: 3,600     
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 26
NEW CLIENT RETENTION: 68%
RETURN RETENTION: 82%
PRE-BOOKING RATE: 46%
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: 63
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda, Bumble & Bumble, TIGI
COLOR: Wella, Paul Mitchell
TECH SUPPORT: Millennium, Demandforce, Constant Contact
ASSOCIATIONS: PBA  
“If a guest refers 10 new people to their service provider within a year, they receive free haircuts for a full year! That is up to $600 in free services. This program has been so effective that approximately 90 percent of our new guest growth comes to us through referrals.”

SALON JOVON
Brecksville, OH
salonjovon.com
Jo Ann Gaudio-Byrne
SQUARE FEET: 1,600     
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 15
NEW CLIENT RETENTION: 37%
RETURN RETENTION: 71%
PRE-BOOKING RATE: 67%
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $40
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Redken, Pureology
COLOR: Redken
TECH SUPPORT: Envision, Constant Contact
ASSOCIATIONS: ISBN, Redken Artist Network
“My staff is encouraged to rebook and write their percentages down daily. A booking order based on the highest percentage of rebooks from the day prior, is a great incentive for stylists to rebook and earn the #1 position and guarantee income for weeks to come.”

SHEAR DELIGHT SALON & DAY SPA
Erie, PA
WEBSITE
Pamela  Bane Turner
SQUARE FEET: 3,300     
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 9
NEW CLIENT RETENTION: 72%
RETURN RETENTION: 65%
PRE-BOOKING RATE: 70%
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $35
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Eufora  
COLOR: Eufora, Schwarzkopf 
ASSOCIATIONS: The Day Spa Association   
“We asked each technician to make a list of their ideal guests—guests who believe in our mission, reschedule on a consistent basis, invest in our solutions and recommend us to others. We give these ideal guests Shear Delight Gift Cards to give out to friends, family and coworkers who have never been to us before.” 

VON ANTHONY SALON
Frisco, TX
vonanthonysalon.com
Amy Kott-Hovland and Kerry Hovland
SQUARE FEET: 3,400     
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 23
NEW CLIENT RETENTION: 89%
RETURN RETENTION: 82%
PRE-BOOKING RATE: 68%
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $72
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Oribe,Kerastase
COLOR: Goldwell, Wella, L’Oreal
TECH SUPPORT: Millennium, Demandforce, independent Smartphone app
ASSOCIATIONS:      
“Our focus on training and education ensures that the client experience is always consistent and exceptional regardless of the service provider. We even encourage our guests to be comfortable with multiple stylists.”

ADDITIONAL HONOREES*
360 The Colour Bar Salon, El Paso, TX
Cortello Salon, Jacksonville Beach, FL
Cutting Loose Salon, University Park, FL
Ginger Bay Salon & Spa, St. Louis, MO
Maggie The Salon, Pemborke Pines, FL
Nuovo Salon Group, Sarasota, FL
Salon Biyoshi, Knoxville, VA
Salon Soca, Chicago, IL
Serenity Couture Aveda Lifestyle Salon Spa, West Des Moines, IA
Sin 7 Salon, White Rock, Canada
Solaris, Evansville, IN
Studio Wish Salon, Twinsburg, OH

*Additional honorees have accrued more than one honor in the the 2015 Salon Today 200 and their salon is profiled in another category.

For more information on retention systems, visit neilltsp.com.