Gift salon clients the ideal present for the holidays!

Gift salon clients the ideal present for the holidays!

The holiday season is a time of gift-giving and well-wishing, but for hair and beauty businesses, that also means an insane amount of bookings to manage, products to stock up on and holiday decor to put up, leaving you with little time for other tasks, like getting gifts for clients. So to help you with this last-minute shopping spree, we’ve created this list of quick gift ideas that will put a sparkle in every client’s eye!

What gifts should I offer?

Anything that makes a client’s visit memorable! And don’t just fill up a jar with mini candy canes, set it on your receptionist’s desk and call it a day - you’ve got to get creative! If baked goods are your passion and you have time, clients are going to fall head over heels for gingerbread cookies, cinnamon buns and smores (but remember - they should be packed tightly for clients to enjoy them at home, as they cannot eat at your salon!). Homemade goods make for ideal presents that come from the heart, and customers won’t quickly forget them, however, you still need to bear in mind that you run a business and that gifting clients needs to be beneficial for you as well. Besides baked goods, you should also consider making these a part of your present:

• Branded items: anything from pens, face coverings and hand sanitizer, to towels and reusable bottles. Products with your business logo will remind clients about their experience at your salon, making them more likely to return.
• Sample retail items: do you have products that aren’t flying off the shelves? Pour them into your sample bottles and make them a part of your gift!
• Gift vouchers: who doesn’t love getting a voucher to their favourite hair or beauty business? It’s a kind gesture that wins the hearts of your clients but is also very beneficial for you.

Why gift vouchers?

Simply put, they tie clients to your business, and if managed effectively, can fill your appointment book during a slow season. Offering them in your salon brings you the most benefits. But how do they work? Someone who receives a voucher from you or a friend or family member has to return to your business in order to redeem it. Here’s a great tip for voucher values - don’t make them redeemable for an entire treatment or product, as the recipient isn’t required to make a purchase. What’s the chance that a potential client who walks into your salon with a voucher for an updo will make an additional purchase or return to your business? Unless they’re willing to become your loyal customers, chances are they won’t be back. To avoid making this blunder, it’s best to gift value vouchers. A £10 voucher is an ideal stocking stuffer that will go well with other, ornately-packed presents. In order to redeem it, your clients will have to pay the remaining price of the treatment or products that aren’t covered by the voucher. But you can gain even more benefits from this! Salon owners have a tendency of focusing primarily on the “here and now” - and who can blame them? December is the harvest time and everyone is busy filling up their appointment books. But what about the post-holiday season, when clients go back to work? That’s when your vouchers make their debut.

Your gift card’s lifespan should be set to the same time frame as your slow season, so for most hair and beauty businesses, from January to March. Use Booksy to create gift card templates, set their expiration dates and place them in individual clients' files. In order not to let their vouchers expire, your clients will want to redeem them during these few months, thus filling out your appointment calendar! Booksy  will also let you quickly get a list of clients with active gift cards.

Consider tier gifting!

Some clients are more loyal to your business than others - so shouldn’t you give them something a bit more special? Those who actively promote your business, spend great amounts of money or simply book treatments to chit-chat with you are clients who make your job a dream come true. For them, consider giving an attractive discount on a popular treatment (20%-30% off will suffice), a pair of mugs or something even more exciting, like concert tickets. This not only shows your loyal customers that you’re thankful for their attachment to your business, but also, your new clients see the benefits of returning to your salon. The Booksy system comes of help again, as it lets you easily search your customer list for most loyal clients.

Where do I begin?

When it comes to preparing your campaign, you truly have to get creative. Your salon customers should already be expecting great gifts, joyous music and festive decor even before they walk into your business. So what can you do? Start planning as soon as you finish reading this article! Got a holiday gift idea ready? Great! Go to your salon’s social media fan pages and post your upcoming happenings in the salon! Here are some ideas that might come in handy:

• Santa came to the salon and left gifts for every client - book your visit and pick up yours!
• We love our regulars, which is why we’ve made something special for you! Pick up your gift at the salon!
• First time in the salon? There’s a present with your name on it under our tree! Book your first visit and get something special!

When clients arrive

So you’ve successfully transformed your salon into a wonderful winter wonderland - paper snowflakes hanging on the windows, a bright Christmas tree in the corner, the smell of hot chocolate and cinnamon hanging in the air and festive music playing in the background - everything is as it should be. However, you’re still at work, which means customers need to be tended to! You’ve got a new client in your chair and a good discussion going on - now is the perfect opportunity to tie them to your business. Mention that you have a gift for them and discuss the advantages of returning to the salon, of course without being too pushy. Before the client leaves, it is crucial that you ask them for their contact details, and mention that you send awesome offers to those who do so. After they’ve left with their gift in hand, send them a heartfelt thank-you message. It’s the small things that count! Are you ready to get the most out of the Holiday season? Don’t just leave out a jar of sweets at the reception desk - gift clients heartfelt presents that will make them leave your salon smiling. And take your customer communication a step up with Booksy - grab your free account today!