Our family started HAI Professional Styling Tools in 1998, but for most of my adult life, I was a full-time hairdresser and salon owner.
I owned two salons in Newport Beach, California, before moving to San Diego, where our family built a chain of six salons and days spas. In order to fully focus on our tool business, Connie—my wife and partner—and I sold our salon and spa chain a few years ago. However, many of the practices and standards we have for our tool company, were actually learned while doing just what you do every day—making a salon business profi table.
Loyal to the Core
There’s one truth in the salon business that can’t be avoided: Retailing products leads to a higher client retention rate, which, in turn, creates greater profi tability. This is especially critical in today’s market where the constant dash for the next daily deal has turned cheap into chic.
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Many beauty pros don’t realize the difference between a satisfi ed client and one that’s loyal to their services and salon.
Satisfi ed clients actually like what you do with their hair, but they may or may not return to your salon. Why? There are a lot of good hairdressers in every city. If you don’t differentiate your services by giving them more than a haircut or color, odds are great that they won’t be motivated enough to become truly loyal to your business.
A life lesson that I learned early on in my career: You get what you give in life. In the salon setting, this means exceeding your clients’ expectations. Retail is the common denominator that enhances your services and shows off your professionalism. By meting out advice on how to care for and style their hair at home—which naturally involves retail—your clients will be impressed with your overall services, even if they don’t always take all of your recommendations. This is important because loyal clients will always return to your salon—and refer their friends—because you’re not only a great technician, but also professionally committed to their appearance, whether they’re sitting in your chair or doing their hair at home. (HAIstylingtools.com)
About Richard Ouellette and HAI Professional Styling Tools True Beauty Professional is the HAI Professional Styling Tools ethos, which stands for unending inspiration, unparalleled quality and uncompromising integrity. It’s the same guiding standard that allowed the Ouellette family to build the most successful salon and day spa business in the history of San Diego County. New tools by this illustrious company are featured on page 67 of this issue!
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