CosmoBiz Magazine June 2017 | Page 67

Keep grading scales consistent . Keeping rating scales ( things such as “ rate your experience on a scale from 1 to 5 ”) the same throughout the duration of the survey helps prevent confusion and makes the survey accessible and easy to use .
Make your questions neutral . Again , the goal of a customer survey is to receive a response that genuinely and truly reflects that customer ’ s experience . Using questions that imply a correct answer often uses emotionally charged language or assumptions that can be off putting and act as a deterrent to a client .
Crafting a strong survey and encouraging clients to complete it through promotional gifts are important , but only a small facet of the overall effort it takes to elicit positive feedback . With social media being an evergrowing form of advertising and customer outreach , having a strong social media presence is a necessity . Using free social media sites such as Facebook , Instagram , Twitter , and Yelp provide your clients with an area to publicly post their positive reviews regarding your salon or spa . Considering most clients use social media reviews to evaluate a new salon or spa before visiting , maintaining a robust , yet professional social media presence will go a long way to help bring in fresh clients and solidify the notion that your salon or spa has earned the trust of its clients through consistent positive experiences .
In knowing a strong social media presence is needed , there are a couple of ways you can utilize technology to make sure that you are promptly updating your social media pages regularly across the different platforms . Programs such as Buffer or Hootsuite allow you to post on and manage all your social media accounts in one spot , including the ability to respond to customer complaints or compliments on those various social media platforms . These programs also allow you to schedule posts ahead of time to ensure that you are maintaining an active presence without having to log in to each individual site and post throughout the day .
While neither Buffer nor Hootsuite is a free program , investing in a social media manager will allow you to quickly update your customers on promotions or services without distracting from the day-to-day management of your salon or spa . Again , maintaining a social media presence will provide your clients a forum to provide positive reviews for your growing business .
Although having a strong social media presence and offering clients complimentary gifts or services will help increase the amount of reviews for your salon or spa , making those reviews positive , ultimately comes down to the training you give your staff . A positive experience is not just based on offering competitive pricing but is wholly dependent on the convenience and customer service you are offering your clients .
Customer service is the backbone of any industry and failing to train not just the front desk staff , but every member of your team is a disservice to your clients and thus your business . In order to receive an increase of positive reviews on your salon or spa , the client experience must first be positive . This means not just having a strong front desk team , but also a strong staff where everyone has received training in customer service . Properly training each of your staff members ensures that every client is receiving an outstanding experience that they will pass on to their friends and colleagues , whether through word of mouth or through customer reviews .
Like any business , investing in customer service training and technology will help make your salon or spa enjoyable and easy to visit , helping to naturally increase the positive reviews that are posted on your social media or through more traditional means such as customer experience surveys .
67