Getting more customers isn’t the only way to grow your salon’s revenue. You can also increase how much each customer spends when they visit.

For example, a customer who normally spends ₦15,000 might spend ₦18,000 or ₦20,000 if you offer a relevant add-on, upgrade, complementary service, or product that makes sense for them.

The important part is how you do it.

Increasing average customer spend shouldn’t mean pressuring customers to buy services they don’t need. It should be about identifying relevant services, upgrades, products, or combinations that genuinely add value to what they’re already booking.

A customer coming in for a wash and styling might benefit from a treatment. Someone booking a manicure may also want a pedicure. Another customer might prefer a package that combines several services they were already planning to book.

These small increases can add up. And because you’re getting more value from customers who are already choosing your salon, you don’t need to find a new customer every time you want to increase revenue. 

In this article, we’ll look at practical ways to increase your salon’s average customer spend without raising your prices.

4 ways to encourage your customers to spend more

1. Add relevant extras to services customers already book

A simple way to increase what a customer spends is to add something that naturally complements the service they’re already booking.

For example, a customer booking a wash and styling appointment may also benefit from a hair treatment. At a spa, a customer booking a facial might add a face mask or another suitable treatment, while a manicure appointment could become a manicure and pedicure.

What you should pay attention to here is how relevant the extras are. Don’t offer every add-on to every customer just because it’s available. Pay attention to the service they’re booking and recommend something that genuinely improves the experience or result.

When the recommendation makes sense, it feels less like an upsell and more like useful advice.

2. Give customers a better version of the service

Another way to increase average customer spend is to offer an upgrade to the service a customer has already chosen.

Instead of asking a customer to buy something completely different, give them the option of getting a better version of what they’re already coming in for. This could mean upgrading a basic facial to a more advanced treatment, choosing a premium product, or moving from standard styling to a more elaborate finish.

The important thing is to make the difference clear. Customers should understand what they’re getting for the additional cost and why it may be worth it.

A good upgrade gives customers a choice. You’re not changing the price of the original service; you’re giving them another option if they want more.

3. Bundle services customers are already likely to buy together

If customers regularly book certain services together, consider making it easier for them to book them as one package. 

A wash, treatment and styling appointment could become a single package. The same applies to manicure and pedicure, facial and massage, or bridal hair and makeup.

Bundles can make the decision easier for customers because they don’t have to figure out which services go well together. They also increase the total value of an appointment. 

And bundling doesn’t have to mean offering a huge discount. The convenience of getting everything done in one visit can be valuable on its own. You could offer a small saving, or simply package the services together at a price that makes sense for your business.

4. Don’t ignore retail and product recommendations

The customer’s visit doesn’t have to be the only opportunity to increase how much they spend with your business. Retail products can also add value when they’re recommended as part of the service.

For example, you could recommend suitable hair-care products after a treatment, nail aftercare products following a manicure, or skincare products after a facial. Your spa might also recommend specific home-care products to help a customer maintain the results of their treatment.

The key is to make the recommendation specific. Instead of asking, “Would you like to buy something?”, explain what the product does and why it may be useful for that particular customer.

How Splice can help

Increasing average customer spend becomes easier when you know what your customers are already buying.

With Splice, our all-in-one booking platform, you can use your booking and sales data to see:

• Services customers frequently book together.
• Add-ons or upgrades they choose.
• Services that generate strong demand but low average spend. 

Customer booking history can also help you spot opportunities to recommend relevant services based on past visits and preferences.

The goal is to use what your business already knows instead of guessing what customers might want.

Once you start testing different add-ons, bundles and upgrades, your reports can also help you see whether they’re actually increasing your average customer spend.

Best practices for increasing customer spend

Increasing customer spend shouldn’t turn every appointment into a sales pitch. 

• Keep recommendations relevant to the service, explain the benefit clearly, and give customers the freedom to choose.
• Train your staff to recommend naturally rather than push services or products customers don’t need. 
• Pay attention to what customers respond to and adjust your offers accordingly.