It’s not news that businesses need customer feedback. In a previous article, I explained how it can boost business credibility and convince potential customers to trust and do business with your salon or spa. However, many beauty businesses face the challenge of finding effective ways to ask customers to leave reviews.
A customer review is a product or service evaluation by someone who has purchased it. It’s a form of feedback.
Think about it like this:
If someone tells you, “I’m a great person, you can trust me.” You might think they’re saying what they need to earn your trust. But when other people say on the person’s behalf, “Yeah, I know her, she’s a great person. You can trust her.” You’d be more likely to trust her. The same logic applies to businesses.
Potential customers can trust your business through other clients, which means they trust other people more than the salons or spas they want to patronise. That’s why prospects read what existing customers have said about a product or service online before buying it. That’s also why you must get satisfied customers to give reviews you can share with potential customers across your marketing channels.
In this article, I’ll show you how to get customer reviews for your salon or spa. Then, I’ll provide you with a step-by-step guide on getting the best out of your reviews.
But first, let’s see why asking customers to leave reviews is important for your salon or spa.
Why is asking for reviews important for beauty businesses?
Prospective customers spend money with businesses they trust. Customer reviews are an effective technique to earn that trust. For example, up to 92% of customers read online reviews before buying something.
Additionally, reviews and ratings are among the metrics customers use to rank one beauty business against competitors. Reviews act as a compass leading them towards or away from your salon or spa.
How can you get beauty customers to give reviews?
Here are three simple, yet effective strategies to get customers to leave reviews for your salon or spa.
Strategy 1: Ask directly
The easiest way to get customer reviews for your salon or spa is to ask your clients. Most satisfied customers will leave reviews if you ask them to.
Once you’re certain a customer has had a great experience at your salon, let them know you would greatly appreciate it if they could leave a review for you.
For example, you could say, “Thank you for choosing our salon! Your feedback means a lot to us as it helps other clients make informed decisions and contribute to the growth of our business.”
Automate the review with your salon & spa software
You can simplify the process further by sending satisfied clients an automated SMS or email, thanking them for visiting and asking them to leave a review. Add the link to where you want them to write the reviews, such as Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business), website form, or a short survey.
Splice can help automate your review requests.
Strategy 2: Offer incentives
You need the review more than your customers. So, it’s normal for many of them not to be so motivated to leave feedback when they’re done.
If asking them directly isn’t getting you the reviews you need, it might be time to offer incentives to your clients in exchange for reviews. Everyone, including your clients, loves freebies, discounts, or a chance to win a prize.
Here are some things to note as you incentivise:
1. Focus on low-cost incentives
The incentives don’t have to cost you too much. You can offer clients whatever your business can afford. And you can change it at any time. It could be as small as 5% off all storewide products or free merch on the next visit.
2. Not all platforms allow incentives
Review platforms like Google Business Profile prohibit giving incentives in exchange for reviews. It’s against the terms and conditions and defaulting can get your beauty business profile flagged, suspended, or removed.
Strategy 3: Utilise marketing channels
Your marketing channels present another opportunity for your business to ask customers for reviews.
A marketing channel is any platform your salon or spa uses to interact with your potential and existing customers.
You can ask clients for reviews using marketing channels like social media, websites, email campaigns, and Google Business Profile.
1. Website
Add a call-to-action (CTA) asking visitors to leave reviews. Put the CTA in as many places on your website as your clients are likely to go.
Something like “How was your experience at our spa? Leave a review here” works.
2. Social media
Put your review link across your social media profiles. You can also post the link in your 24-hour-long Stories on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. Additionally, use social media posts to encourage customers to send reviews directly to your inbox.
3. Email marketing
Send automated follow-up emails to your clients after their appointment. Add that you want to ensure they enjoyed their service by encouraging them to leave a review.
As I mentioned before, Splice can help you with this.
4. Google Business Profile
GBP is a free marketing tool by Google that lets businesses manage how they appear in Google Search and Google Maps. Many beauty businesses overlook setting up or optimising their Google Business Profiles, but that’s a mistake.
Here’s why:
Up to 64% of customers online use Google Business Profiles (GBP) to find contact information for local businesses. It only makes sense to encourage customers to leave reviews here for your salon or spa.
8 tips for getting more out of your reviews
Take note of the following when asking customers for reviews:
Tip 1: Provide excellent customer service first
The whole point of asking for a review is to let potential customers know through existing clients that you offer excellent products and services. If your customer service is crap, reviews will do you more harm than good because they’ll mostly be negative.
Besides, it’s easier to approach a satisfied customer for a review than ask an unhappy client. So, provide outstanding customer experience first, then ask customers to leave reviews for your salon or spa.
Tip 2: Train your staff to ask for reviews
In a previous article on employee motivation, I highlighted relevant training as a strategy to help them perform better. You can also train them on how to ask customers to leave feedback. Some establishments leave the job to the front desk personnel.
It could be training them to say something simple like “Thank you for coming in today! We’d appreciate it if you could leave us an online review and tell others about your experience. It’ll help us grow and serve you better.”
Or, if you prefer, just trust your staff to do their thing.
Tip 3: Pick the best time to ask
A great part of mastering how to ask customers for reviews is considering when you ask. While there might be no perfect time to ask, there are times when you’re more likely to get a positive response.
You want to ask for a review ONLY after the job is completed to the customer’s satisfaction.
Tip 4: Make the review process easy
Do everything you can to make it easy for your customers to leave reviews, including providing links to your business’ review pages on your website, in a follow-up text or email, and across social media platforms.
The easier it is to leave a review, the more likely customers follow through with your request.
Tip 5: Provide a clear call to action
Tell your customers what to do in clear terms, don’t assume they know.
Some examples include, “Click the link and complete the survey in 90 seconds,” or “Leave a review on our Google Business Profile. Click the link and select ‘Write a Review.’”
Tip 6: Follow up
It’s normal for customers to promise you a review and forget to go through with it. Love happens. In this case, follow up to ensure they do.
Send them a warm reminder a few days after their appointment and thank them again for their business. Remember to include the review link.
Tip 7: Respond to Reviews
Ensure you respond to ALL reviews because 88% of consumers would patronise a business that replies to all of its reviews.
Make sure you respond to positive and negative reviews as it shows you care about your clients’ experiences and are willing to address any concerns they may have.
Tip 8: Share customer reviews
7 out of 10 consumers will take action, such as following an Instagram page, booking an appointment, purchasing a product, or messaging via Google Business Profile only after seeing a positive review.
Share screenshots of positive reviews across your social media platforms regularly so your potential clients see what existing clients think about your salon or spa.
Also, share negative reviews and how you handled them. It’ll increase trust in prospective customers when they see how warmly you handle complaints.
Conclusion
Customer reviews are critical for building trust with potential customers, ultimately turning them into loyal clients.
I’ve shared practical strategies for asking customers to leave reviews, including asking them directly, offering incentives, and leveraging marketing channels. We’ve also explored how to get the best out of the reviews for your salon or spa.
Let Splice, our all-in-one management tool, help you manage customer information, history, and preferences.
