Creative HEAD May 2017

FROM INSIDE
THE SALON
DOMENICO PANETTA
MIGUELE EXPERIENCE
We operate a
system called
‘Daily Reality’.
Our frontline team
identifies if complaints
are ‘latent’ or ‘registered’.
A registered complaint
is when a client directly
complains, and the facts
are recorded. A latent
complaint is when a stylist
or support staff believe the
client might not be totally
happy and that perhaps it
could result in a registered
complaint. This is entered
onto the Daily Reality sheet
and the client is called
within 24 to 48 hours. We
have designed a flow chart
which gives the necessary
guidance enabling front
liners to follow clear steps.
Research has proven that if
a complaint is successfully
resolved and within a
24-hour period, the loyalty
factor is increased and that
client will tell more people
about their experience. You
should always consider the
‘lifetime value’ of a client.
Sometimes they are hasty
in their decision to walk
away and we must make
it easier to return.
THE
BUSINESS
EDIT
CAN YOU HANDLE
COMPLAINTS?
IT’S SOMETHING OF a cliché that Brits are
too polite to complain with any real conviction,
as a recent survey by SME Insurance
illustrates, claiming 40 per cent of Brits
wouldn’t complain about a bad haircut.
However, what this also suggests is that too
many clients are underwhelmed with their
experience… and with 28 per cent saying they
wouldn’t complain AND they wouldn’t return,
there’s a real cost to your business and no
opportunity for you to put things right.
Ken West, director of 3•6•5, is encouraging
3•6•5 members to think about what they
could do as salon owners and managers
in the time it would take to do two fewer
haircuts. One suggestion is to call clients that
haven’t returned, as these are “your silent
complainers”. He suggests picking up the
phone and asking them: ‘We respect your
decision to not return to our salon, please
would you be kind enough to share what we
could have done better?’
“Once they have answered your question,
thank them for their time and hang up,” he
adds. “Do not turn it into a sales call, do not
beg them to return to you. You could follow
up later with an offer by post or email, but the
most important outcome is to receive their
feedback about your business.”
“Reception always asks the client if they are
happy with the service they received today,
and our booking system is also set to email
every client with a questionnaire after their
appointment, giving them the opportunity to
give us feedback on all aspects of our service,”
says Jo Hardardt at Elements. “If a client
has cause to complain about a situation we
always encourage them to come back and let
us look after them for free until the complaint
is resolved. This again is overseen by a senior
stylist and management.”
As part of its consultation, the team at
Fowler35 ask clients if there is one thing they
could change about their hair, what would that
be? “When we finish we will again reiterate,
in front of the mirror, which areas they were
unhappy with, and do a sense check,” says
owner Darren Fowler. “As we know clients
often don’t feel able to admit they are not
happy, we are all trained to pick up on bodylanguage
and energy, as this will often give
us vital clues even if they client isn’t verbally
expressing them.”
“With those vocal, unhappy clients, we
utilise empathy as much as possible, and
aim to understand what their human needs
are – some people might just want a bit of
attention!” admits Darren. “Mostly we find
that getting onto the client’s wavelength,
asking what they need us to do to resolve their
complaint and offering added value works
better than anything.”
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