The Salon Club
There are clubs for virtually everything that cater to frequent visitors willing to pay the privilege to be a member.
Golf, tennis, fitness, yoga, travel, airline, hotel, dining and other service establishments depend on membership for their existence.
Members are more loyal, spend more money and even brag to their friends which spurs more business.
So why not emulate this concept for salons? Most salons have regular clientele that visit weekly, bi-weekly, monthly and in this economy, less often.
Membership would give clients an incentive to frequent the salon on a regular basis since they are paying for it anyway. Members would also spend more money since they would receive member-only discounts on retail and they would also spend more money on other services.
Salons can offer different levels of membership. Perhaps a manicure membership: good for one manicure a week. Or how about a mani-pedi membership? The VIP membership package can include unlimited hair cuts, color, mani’s and pedi’s. In this category, specific days of the week would be required utilizing the slower times of the week. And even if members don’t pay for services, they would still tip creating another income stream for talent.
Salons can even have a member-only lounge with WIFI, coffee, soft drinks and a relaxation area.
Pricing would be annual and would be paid in one payment at signing or monthly auto payments. Clubs know that members never use the facilities as much as they think they will so earnings selling memberships is better than selling day passes.
For a few smart salon owners, this might be a good idea for 2010.
Happy Monday!
December 7th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
I like it! The memberships are a guaranteed monthly income for the salon. Even say, a customer cancels, they are still going to have that income as if the customer showed up.
December 7th, 2009 at 3:13 pm
On top of the package, you can offer exclusive membership deals, or incentives. Many women love free gifts! So when they open up their membership it should come with a FREE rob, or nail polish set, or Hair cut and color for a friend. (that way when they bring in the friend, then the friend might sign up!?)
December 8th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
“Shopper marketing” has gained significant momentum, the GMA/Deloitte Shopper Marketing Report shows that 86% of retailers and 74% of manufacturers rate shopper marketing among the top four activities that deliver meaningful ROI.
In 2010, the loyalty landscape will continue to be quite dynamic as companies continue to adapt to the uncertain economic climate… and the salons in UK have already begun thier programs.
It all really boils down to answering the following questions about the salon’s customer while defining a potential program:
Who is she/he? What do they buy? What would make them come back more often?
The program itself should consider:
How does it impact the customer’s experience at the salon? Does it surprise and delight? Is it just another card to keep track of? Or… is it a source of aggravation?
Is the point of the program to increase sales by that “deep understanding of shopper behavior” which requires data—SKU data, loyalty card data, manufacturer data, overlay data—and the analytical tools to derive insight from it?
December 8th, 2009 at 5:50 pm
Jill makes some valid points. I like programs but not if I’ve got to keep track of a “card.” It’s too much trouble to deal with.