Top tips to deal with client complaints

However well you run your salon, there will always at some point inevitably be complaints from clients, but how you handle them can win or lose your business.

1 Encourage feedback

While it might sound counter-intuitive, receiving complaints can actually help you retain clients in the long run.

Kelly Shaw, founder of k:spa in Whiteley, explains, “Ninety-six-percent of clients won’t complain – they would rather just leave and not return. We want to encourage our clients to complain because then we have a chance of fixing the experience for that client and redeeming ourselves.”

2 Make sure it’s a genuine complaint

“Not every complaint is viable and it’s important to know when warns Sammy MacDonald, director of The Studio Salons in Aberdeen.

She continues, “Always ask the client to return to the salon for you to see the quality of work for yourself.”

Speaking to the therapist involved is also vital to make sure you’re armed with all the facts from both sides.

If the complaint is found to be unjustified, Lesley Caster, owner of the City Retreat salons and spas in Newcastle, suggests you should explain in detail the processes and expected outcome of the treatment to make sure the client understands what was supposed to happen.

However, in some cases it’s still better to offer to remedy the issue so the complaint doesn’t further escalate.

Belinda Price, owner of NailSpa in Huddersfield, adds, “We have to be seen to put the treatment right if the complaint is about that. If we have offered to do that, then to a degree we have covered ourselves.”

“ BE EMPATHETIC and LISTEN to what the CLIENT HAS TO SAY R ATHER THAN being DEFENSIVE as that will MAKE HER MORE AGITATED. ”

3 Keep calm and listen

When a client gets angry, it’s vital you remain calm. “Be empathetic and listen to what they have to say rather than being defensive as that will make them more agitated,” says Tima Reshad, owner of Coco Nail Bar in London. “Clients like to know that their opinion and service experience matters.”

Caster suggests you demonstrate how seriously you are taking the complaint by clarifying each point with the client as you go along and noting details in writing.

Helena Field, house manager at 42 Acres in Somerset, adds, “Listening and giving your undivided attention to the guest goes a long way already in solving the issue.”

“While COMPLAINTS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED On a CASE-BY-CASE BASIS, having an OFFICIAL PROCEDURE will give you a GOOD STARTING POINT. It will also GIVE YOUR STAFF GUIDANCE on HOW TO DEAL with ISSUES when YOU’RE NOT THERE. ”

4Involve your team

Never take the client’s side without giving staff a chance to explain.

“Make sure you have all the facts before approaching the member of staff. Start by having an informal meeting with them so that you can explain the nature of the complaint,” suggests Sheral Griffin, beauty therapy tutor at The Beauty Academy.

5 Resolve the situation quickly

A speedy resolution could prevent that customer from telling their friends, or worse, announcing it to the world online.

“I tell my staff they should always find a resolution before the customer leaves. If they leave with it unresolved it nearly always escalates the situation,” says Field.

If you can’t find an immediate solution, don’t put it off for too long.

Image from Shutterstock

6 Take time to think your response through

“All too often, I see hot-headed replies to complaints – and whether this is via email, in person or on a review somewhere, responding when you aren’t in the right headspace can do more harm than good,” comments Hollie Power, co-founder of Salonology.

Shaw adds, “Whenever anyone makes a complaint, there are three key things they are looking for – to be listened to, to be respected and to have their problem solved. Focus on these three key points in the right way and you can turn a complaint into a positive experience for the client.”

7Re-do, don’t refund

It is usually better to offer to re-do the treatment or discount the next one rather than giving the customer their money back.

“Once a refund is issued it’s pretty much guaranteed that client will never return,” says MacDonald.

Instead, she suggests you should “offer a gift certificate or free service to try and restore the customer’s faith in your salon”.

8 Respond to online complaints

If the worst does happen and you see a scathing review online, it’s unwise to ignore it. “Where possible, leaving a comment directly underneath the complaint is ideal. You should state that you are sorry the customer has experienced something below the high standards you set for the company,” suggests Moulding. “Make the customer, and everyone else reading, aware that what has happened is not a normal occurrence and you are happy to rectify the problem.”

9 Then handle them offline

The general consensus about online complaints is that you should tackle them privately.

“If the review is genuine, you should already have the clients’ contact details to call them directly. If not, respond to the review saying you are sorry that they are dissatisfied and could they please contact the salon as soon as possible to discuss the matter further and give you a chance to resolve it,” suggests Rebecca Dowdeswell, owner of the NKD specialist waxing salons in Norwich and Leicester.

While complaints should be considered on a case-bycase basis, having an official procedure will give you a good starting point. It will also give your staff guidance on how to deal with issues when you’re not there.

Price advises that your procedure should involve asking members of staff discreetly and professionally what happened. “You should also have a procedure in place with your suppliers, so staff know what to do if they receive a complaint about a homecare product. There should be a returns policy in place with the supplier. This should protect the salon or spa owner whether the complaint is about an allergic reaction or if the product doesn’t deliver the expected results,” says Griffin.

10 Write a procedure

“MAKE SURE YOU have all the FACTS BEFORE approaching the MEMBER OF STAFF. Start by having an INFORMAL MEETING WITH them so that you can EXPLAIN THE NATURE of the complaint. the client and mean it of the complaint ”

11 Thank

“Although no salon wants to receive a complaint, we’d much rather our customers tell us when they have an issue, which in turn gives us a chance to resolve it,” says Dowdeswell.

“The alternative is that the client goes away, probably badmouths us to others and remains dissatisfied with the service she or he received from us for evermore.”

NKD invites feedback via a survey after every treatment. “Clients have the option of remaining anonymous if they wish, but of course we’d rather they reveal their identity so we can contact them and put things right,” says Dowdeswell.

She continues: “Rather than reprimand the therapist or receptionist in question, we’d first consider whether the incident occurred because of a lack of knowledge or skill that we have failed to pass on to our staff,” says Dowdeswell. “That changes if we receive persistent bad comments about a particular therapist doing a particular thing, but that is very rarely the case.”

The training needed may not always be in treatment skills. Caster suggests, “If necessary, the member of staff should be given training in effective communication or dealing with difficult clients before the issue becomes a disciplinary matter.” that a five-star rating isn’t everything

Power says, “We all strive for perfection, but a negative complaint here and there won’t massively impact how your potential clients see you.

12 Remember

“In fact, it can make you seem more genuine. Potential clients may see a perfect five-star rating as ungenuine, so a slightly lower score shows you in a more authentic light.

“As long as your general rating is high and you respond well, you’ll always appeal to the right clients.”

Source: https://professionalbeauty. co.uk/site/newsdetails/10-tips-forhandling-complaints