A client emailed to say they're leaving for a cheaper, closer salon

We all realise clients will come and go, opt in and opt out, try other's deals, yet perhaps return for an experience they trust and prefer. Some clients get to love the personal approach to client-stylist/therapist relationships which are nurtured at particularly friendly salons and stay loyal for years, but its still a business relationship unless they cross into your own circle of personal friendships.

There should be no hard feelings where someone has made a choice on price and convenience, especially when they have taken the time and effort to let you know. That in itself shows some respect towards the professional relationship so far shared. It also provides you an opportunity to evaluate if its worth extending this individual an opportunity to continue frequenting your salon as a 'destination salon' - one that a client will go the extra mile to, because the salon experience / value goes the extra mile.

The more experience you have as a stylist and the more senior position you hold in a salon, the more you should be evaluating 'what kind of client' do I want to keep as my loyal ones? You've only so many clients you can do in a day, so if your running a full column its ridiculous to be discounting your work. If your not running a full column, then there's an argument that if you're going to be sitting/standing around anyway, you have room to entice new clients in with an offer anyway.

Just don't do it by discounting your core service. Never let the perceived value of your bread and butter service, be cheapened by directly discounting it. Always look to what you can 'value add' with your most popular service. Use this same rule to reward your loyal returning clients. Use the relationship you build with them (your client consultations, you should all be doing - yes even with existing clients) to work out a service plan / package that really provides value to their individual service needs and witness how committed they will be to it.

The client who emailed you is rare, they have taken to time to explain that regrettably, they have had to weigh up cost and distance in deciding which salon can best meet there needs on balance. Your evaluation of the 'life worth' of a client; (You can calculate by the value of what you could expect them to spend with you in a year, times however many years you expect to be providing services to them if each of you doesn't move away) Tip: Just use 1 year for simplicity - can help you determine how much of that you can profitably value add too, to still have them come the 'extra mile' to you.

Don't forget to factor for some client referral 'love' too, because your keeping another happy client who naturally will be spreading word of mouth about you, not your competitor.

The important thing to reminder is, whether this client returns or not, whats your overall picture look like? You must have the measure of this, so you can constantly measure and evaluate, just like this client has done and every other client / potential client is too.

That's what Nexus Revolution http://www.nexusrevolution.co.uk help salons do best.