Covid impacted every aspect of our lives and that included the customer service experience. Despite the fact that quality customer service has always been key to business continuity, during the pandemic meeting customer expectations became, not surprisingly, challenging for many companies. In a survey conducted by NBC and Telemundo in October-November 2020, 75% of respondents said customer service got worse during the pandemic.[1]
As business begins to return to pre Covid times, spas and massage practice professionals may find that you need to make an extra effort to rebuild relationships and meet customer expectations that result in loyalty. Covid weary clients may have less patience than before the pandemic if they don’t feel you value their business enough. You may lose out to competitors who may offer a more welcoming experience.
Improve the client experience
Be friendly and approachable: Nothing puts a client more at ease than walking through your door and being greeted with a friendly response and a smile. When you show that you are genuinely happy to help, clients feel welcome and it improves the chances of things going well.
Listen attentively: Not all clients will be able to convey what they really expect from a session, so you’ll need to ask questions that help draw them out to learn about their health issues, skincare goals, preferences for product use, and more. Listen attentively to their answers and also observe non-verbal cues from body language.
Get to know your clients: Recognizing a birthday or anniversary tells clients you are thinking of them on a personal level. Asking about their health, their family and what they’ve been doing lately builds bonds.
Customize the entire experience: Customization starts with the treatment. It may require using a greater variety of products and continually training staff. However, customization doesn’t end there. Even the music you play can impact a client’s satisfaction. The room scents you choose also will help customize the ambiance of your service.
Make clients feel appreciated: No one wants to be taken for granted and that includes clients. The goal of everyone on your team should be to make sure that clients feel that you appreciate their business. While thanking clients for their business is the first step, there are other ways to make clients feel appreciated. From time to time, offering discounts for services or adding in a treatment, such as neck or foot massage with a skin treatment or giving them a sample product as a gift, goes a long way in showing clients how much you appreciate them.
Ask for feedback: Find out what clients think about your service. Ask them directly or provide a mechanism for feedback such as posing questions on social media channels or conducting a survey through email marketing. Asking for input assures clients that you are constantly striving to offer them the best experience possible.
Follow through: When you make a commitment follow through. A client may have a special need, so offer to do some research to find out the best treatments or products. Or in another instance, a client may benefit from the services of a chiropractor or dermatologist. Offer to get recommendations from your professional network. Whatever the question or need is, when you promise to do something, follow through.
Great customer service isn’t costly. But poor customer service can be.
[1] Desarrollo, “Why Customer Service Matters Even More in the Post Covid Era,” Estafeta, September 28, 2021. http://estafetausa.com/why-customer-service-matters-even-more-in-the-post-covid-era/