This one shouldn’t come as a shock – good reviews play a huge part in getting people to trust you with their hair and beauty. Simply put, the more reviews you have, the more likely a client is to book with you.
Your reputation’s important – a bank of good reviews is one of your best ways to boost client confidence when they’re booking you.
So, how do you get people reviewing you more and how can you make sure you’re getting the most out of them when they do?
Here are 5 things you can try to make sure you’re not missing out.
Make it easy
Convenience is everything. It’s all well and good providing an amazing service that the client loves – but make the review process complicated or long, and even your most loyal clients might find it too much of a faff. Essentially, you want to keep the process as painless as possible so they don’t give up halfway. With Treatwell, we send automatic review requests to your clients. They receive an email, directly after their appointment (and a push notification if they have the Treatwell App) – and from there, they can conveniently leave you a glowing review in just a couple of clicks. It’s about as quick and easy as you can get, really. Plus – it’s no extra work for you, meaning you can grow your online reputation without having to lift a finger.
Review requests are free, automatic, unlimited, and sent after every appointment that’s booked through our marketplace, as well as any booking made through your widget. Yep, that means that any customer who’s booked through Facebook, Instagram, Google My Business, or even your own website, will also be asked to leave a review after their appointment. What’s more – we’ll even send a request after appointments you’ve manually inputted into your calendar (so long as you’ve added an email address), so your direct clients can shower your salon with praises, too.
Don’t be afraid to ask (at the right time)
Whilst a salon management software like Treatwell can do the hard part for you – it doesn’t hurt to add a personal touch, and ask your clients directly to leave a review. A customer might be incredibly happy with their experience at your salon but they’re also often busy – it might not occur to them how important reviews are to your business without a slight nudge in the right direction. It’s not rude to float the idea.
That said, when it comes to getting a great review, timing is everything. Too early and you might come off as pushy. Leave it too late and they’ll have already started to disengage, lowering your chances.
Pro-tip: Always ask for honesty – don’t try and lead them on by asking for a ‘good’ review. That way they won’t feel like you’re pressuring them, which might hurt your chances of getting those all-important stars.
Make sure you’re sharing
This one’s a no-brainer. Don’t be shy about shouting about a glowing review. It’s the ultimate seal of approval – not only did they enjoy their treatment, they enjoyed it enough to let everyone know. So, share those stars with the world. New clients love to see a salon is trustworthy and professional before they book.
Social media is perfect for this (bonus points if you can personally tag the reviewer to say a big thank you), but it doesn’t have to stop at Instagram. Try including your best reviews on your website, in emails, in your window display… anywhere a client might decide to make a booking.
Pro-tip: Try to choose recent reviews (within the last few weeks) to promote. Posting reviews from last year might actually have the opposite effect on building trust.
Keep your staff motivated
It’s not just your clients who appreciate a good review. Share great customer feedback with your team, especially if they mention someone by name.
Recognising and celebrating good work is vital to your team enjoying their jobs and putting their best in – and it’s an easy way to let them know you’re noticing their hard work.
Learn from honest feedback (and respond publicly)
It’ll happen at some point – bad reviews are pretty much unavoidable for any business. Clients can be tough to please sometimes, and mistakes are a reality. But just because feedback is negative doesn’t mean it’s not valuable – quite the opposite.
Use bad reviews as learning experiences and pay close attention to which problems keep coming up – then take action to fix them. Very often, the most important feedback you’ll receive isn’t about what is working for your salon, but what isn’t.
There’s more than just a personal learning experience to be had, too. Responding publicly (as long as it’s polite and helpful) to bad reviews instead of trying to hide them shows how seriously you take complaints. Treatwell allows you to easily respond to reviews from within your management system, and show clients how invested you are in making that their salon experience is a great one.
Treatwell’s salon management software is designed to make life easier for salon owners, and help with every aspect of salon life (we’ll leave the treatments up to you, though). Keep track and manage your business, without giving up time, so that you can focus on creating amazing experiences for your clients. Choosing Treatwell means becoming part of a community of visionary hair and beauty stylists – are you ready to join us? Book your free demo here.
