Client retention is vital for anyone in the beauty and aesthetics industry, regardless of whether you’re a Beauty Therapist, Aesthetician, Nail Tech or even a Microblading Artist.
It’s easy to lose focus on maintaining the customers you already have and focus on gaining new customers.
However, in the marketing world, there is the 80/20 rule of customer retention. The rule highlights the importance of keeping existing customers loyal, as 20% of a company’s customers are responsible for 80% of its revenue.
Having a steady stream of loyal clients will give you constant and predictable income as it’s proven to be easier to sell your services to an existing customer versus a new customer!
In this blog, we will dive into five essential strategies beauty and aesthetic professionals can implement to keep their appointment books full and their clients coming back!
5 Essential Client Retention Strategies for Aesthetic Professionals
To stand out in the competitive beauty and aesthetics industry, delivering exceptional treatments isn’t enough—you need to create unforgettable experiences that keep clients coming back. Here’s how:
1) Create Personalised Client Experiences
Clients want to feel seen, remembered and understood. The goal is to make your clients feel like they are your priority, and you can achieve this by creating a tailored experience from start to finish.
- Tailored Treatment Plans:
Treatment plans are a great way to personalise your client’s appointment experience. Dedicate some time before the appointment to assess your client’s skincare needs and current issues, creating a plan that helps them achieve their goals.
- Small Gestures Matter:
It’s as simple as suggesting an alternative or extra facial treatment in response to weather changes or adjusting products as the client’s skin type changes. These small gestures reassure your clients that you are invested in their skincare journey and want the best results for them.
Adding small, personalised gestures to your appointment makes a big impression. It’s why email marketing includes our names in the to-line or why brands offer us personalised product recommendations. As clients/customers, we want businesses to engage with us as individuals.
- Utilize CRM Software:
To make it easier to personalise your client’s experience, use a customer relationship management (CRM) software. These systems can record each client’s treatment history, unique skin concerns, and preferred products to help you remember their preferences.
When clients see that you’ve remembered their preferences, it sends the message that they are valued as unique individuals and not just as another client in your day. This attention to detail transforms the client relationship into something special, from simply transactional to relational.
2) Offer a Loyalty Program with Exclusive Benefits
Who doesn’t love a loyalty program? A well-designed loyalty program rewards clients for their repeat business, encouraging them to rebook, which builds consistency in your appointment calendar!
As a beauty or aesthetic business, there are many ways you can establish a loyalty program that encourages clients to keep coming back.
You could do a points-based loyalty program, the most traditional option on the market. Clients are rewarded with points when they use your services or purchase from you. For example, after every 5 or 10 appointments, they get a complimentary treatment or product.
- Points-Based Programs:
Point-based loyalty programs are easy to navigate as a business and are very profitable because they don’t hold monetary value. However, they encourage clients to keep coming back to your business to build their points and get their reward rather than hopping from business to business.
- Seasonal Promotions:
Loyalty programs don’t always have to be point-based or even all year round. Seasonal promotions are also a great way to reward clients whilst keeping bookings up during your slower periods. In the winter, you can offer clients who book a particular treatment will get a discount on skincare products or treatments to help combat winter dry skin. Seasonal incentives are practical; if it doesn’t work out for your business, you can end it once the promotional period is over.
Overall, an effective loyalty program is a great way to make your clients feel appreciated and encourage them to visit frequently.
3) Maintain Consistent Value-Added Communication
Unfortunately, the saying “out of mind, out of sight” is very true when it comes to clients and your business. In today’s fast-paced climate, clients are constantly being shown ‘better‘ options online, so it’s important to create consistent and regular content that your clients can engage with outside of their appointments.
We’re not encouraging you to flood their inbox with non-stop promotional emails. Instead, put yourselves in their shoes and think of relevant, informative and engaging content that adds value to their beauty journey.
Sharing educational content is an excellent way to stay in contact without constantly feeling promotional. Regularly share beauty/skincare tips, product recommendations and advice on your social media platforms or through email newsletters. Not only does this help you to stay in touch with your clients, but it also makes you appear more knowledgable with a deep understanding of the industry.
Another great form of value-added communication is personalised follow-ups. After their appointment, send your client a personalised follow-up message that outlines their treatment-specific aftercare advice and how long they should wait before their next appointment. You can even give them the option to be reminded to book a follow-up appointment when the time comes. Personalised follow-up messages show that you care whilst providing an additional touchpoint.
4) Seek and Act on Client Feedback
As a business, you need to know what you’re doing well and what you need to work on and without your client’s feedback, you just won’t know.
Actively seeking client feedback is useful for retaining existing clients whilst improving your services. Your clients will appreciate knowing their opinions are valued, especially when they see that their feedback has led to meaningful changes in your business.
Post-appointment surveys are great for getting feedback from your clients whilst the service is still fresh in their minds. After each appointment, just send out a quick survey to ask clients about their experience. It doesn’t have to be a lot of questions, just enough to gauge their satisfaction, understand if there could have been any improvements and if they are likely to recommend your services to a friend. We’d highly recommend that you collect answers anonymously to ensure that answers are most accurate.
The most critical aspect of customer feedback is implementing their ideas; otherwise, what’s the point in collecting these answers? Now, we’re not suggesting that you implement everything your clients suggest! At the end of the day, it’s your business, and sometimes how we want to operate doesn’t work for specific clients, whether that’s down to your decor, treatment offerings or even pricing.
Pay attention to the recurring themes in the feedback received. If more than one client complains about an aspect of your business, there’s a pattern there. You should consider implementing these changes to enhance the overall experiences of your clients.
By actively listening and improving your services based on your client’s feedback, you are demonstrating a desire to deliver a top-tier beauty experience that keeps clients coming back.
5) Master the Art of Rebooking Before they Leave
One of the simplest but most effective client retention methods is ensuring your clients leave with their next appointments booked in.
Encouraging your clients to rebook face to face is much easier than over email or phone, as you can do so without coming across as pushy, fitting it into conversation naturally. For example, at the end of their appointment, you can take a moment to discuss the benefits of developing a consistent schedule. “For the best results, it would be great to see you again in four to six weeks. Would you like to book now?” This method provides gentle encouragement and is sure to be effective as the client can see the benefits of their current treatment.
Not all clients will be able to commit right there and then due to other commitments in their lives. However, they will appreciate flexibility, so if a client can’t agree to a specific date, rather than just leaving it there, you can offer a tentative booking that can be adjusted when they know their schedule. A tentative appointment will put something in the calendar and allow you to gently reach out closer to the date without pressuring them.
Aside from offering your clients flexibility when it comes to rebooking, consider offering a small incentive for those who rebook before they leave. It doesn’t have to be anything crazy, but a 5% discount can help clients lock in that appointment.
Securing rebookings ensures a more consistent flow of clients, making your calendar easier to manage and your income more predictable.
How Does Client Retention Fuels Success in the Beauty Industry?
The beauty and aesthetic industry is about more than just providing treatments. To retain clients, you must focus on more than just your skills and abilities. You need to build trust, form connections, and add value to your client’s life.
By investing in the retention strategies outlined in our blog – personalised appointments, meaningful loyalty rewards, maintaining educational communication and encouraging rebooking as a beauty professional – you can build a loyal clientele that keeps you booked and busy.
Every extra step you take to enhance the client experience strengthens your reputation and paves the way for long-term success. It’s about creating memorable and positive experiences that keep your clients looking forward to their next visit.
At Ray Cochrane Beauty Aesthetic Academy, we work hard to provide our students and alumni in the beauty and aesthetic industry with career guides and tips to help them set up a rewarding, stable and fulfilling career.
If you found this blog helpful, why not check out some of our other guides for navigating popular beauty treatments:
