The ability of a business to meet and exceed its customer’s expectations is one of the biggest indicators of how successful a business is likely to be. Simply put, businesses that consistently disappoint their customers do not last very long. Those that do are likely to thrive and grow.  This is particularly true for hairdressing enterprises that offer highly personal service and thus have need to be careful not to disappoint their customers. If you have just come out of a hairdresser school in Toronto and launched your own business, here are the potential areas to keep an eye on above and beyond giving professional service to your customers

Get the right staff

If you are planning to hire, then spend some time getting the right person to work with you deliver great experiences to your customer. What this means is that not only do they have to be skilled and certified but that they have the right attitude towards your customers and yourself. No one likes to have their hair made or beard trimmed by a surly hairdresser. The person must have a good temperament and be one who does not easily fly into a rage. This is because you will meet all kinds of people and the ability to stay calm and polite will be crucial in delivering great customer experiences to your customers.

Create the right ambience for your customers

When designing your premises, it is useful to keep your customers in mind and ensure that your hairdresser is a comfortable place where customers enjoy spending their time. This has implications on the furniture, equipment, decor and many other things. This does not necessarily mean expensive but just having a customer centric view when planning these things out. Remember that if your customers are comfortable, they are more likely to come again and again.

Be good with time

Time is an incredibly important resource and your ability to manage your customer’s time will go a long way in creating a good or bad experience for them. This includes simple things like ensuring that customer bookings are respected and that you give your customer realistic timelines when their procedures will start and end. Being poor at managing your customers’ time often brings into question your professionalism and your ability to do your job.

Help your customers

This may sound obvious but often isn’t to most hairdressers. While customers may come with ideas on what they want (or don’t want), they look up to you as the professional to give them advice on what works best for them. In other words, go above and beyond their expectations and give them advice based on your experience and training. However, remember that unless something poses a health risk to you, your customer or your staff, the customer has the final say on what happens to their hair.

Privacy and sensitivity

Hairdressing is as noted a very personal service unlike say a car mechanic who never has to come up and close to his or her customer. This close interaction means that the hairdresser must be professional enough to respect his or her customers’ privacy. Any information that is learnt in the course of the interaction with the customer must be kept private. If customers do not feel safe interacting with you, they will promptly find another hairdresser.

There are many other areas that one should focus on in order to deliver a great customer experience. Remember that good customer service means that you will have loyal customers who will in turn spread the word about your business. Ultimately, this will lead to a vibrant and successful business.