Have you been searching for the key to success in your salon or spa?
The answer lies right at your front desk.
That’s right, your front desk isn’t just where the cash register sits—it’s the heart of your salon or spa’s financial health.
But only if you’re managing it correctly.
The key to your front desk is simple: two words—Customer Service.
Once you’re consistently delivering five-star customer service, you’ll start seeing the benefits:
- Fully booked appointment schedules
- Increased cash flow
- New clients eagerly calling to book appointments
- Higher retail sales
- A satisfied, friendly, and competitive front desk team committed to meeting the needs of every single client
How do we know this?
For starters, the team at Empowering You boasts decades of experience behind the chair and as owners of salons, spas, and waxing boutiques across the country.
Additionally, we rely on the data, and numbers don’t lie.
A Customer Experience Impact Report revealed that 86% of customers are willing to pay more for a better customer service experience.
How much more? Up to 25%.
If that’s not enough motivation to improve your front desk operations, consider this: the same statistic shows that 86% of customers switched to a competitor due to poor customer service.
If the prospect of earning up to 25% more every week didn’t catch your attention, perhaps the thought of losing 86% of your customer base will.
The solution is simple:
two words—Customer Service.
And it all begins at the front desk.
Watch this webinar training for more tips on boosting your salon or spa’s profits through effective front desk management.
To start developing your Five-Star Front Desk, you need a clear understanding of its role in your salon or spa, beginning with communication.
Have you communicated the importance of the front desk to your team?
Their attitude, tone, and how they communicate can make or break a salon. Does your front desk team know their roles and responsibilities? Are they aware of the powerful impact they have on every aspect of the business? Were they properly trained?
If you answered “no,” “I don’t know,” or “I’m not sure” to any of these questions, you have some training to do. Your front desk team must understand how critical prebooking, upselling, and retail sales are to the entire salon.
Communication with your clients is crucial. It builds rapport, develops relationships, and allows your front desk team to learn about clients and their beauty habits. This knowledge enables your future all-star front desk staff to serve them better, leading to more frequent appointments, better upsell and retail sales rates, and, say it with me, higher revenues.
To ensure consistent communication, you’ll want to use scripts for everything. Scripts provide structure, boost your front desk team’s confidence, and convey professionalism. They also help reinforce your salon or spa’s culture to new hires.
So, what areas can you use a script in?
- Greeting clients when they arrive
- Pre-booking
- Upselling services or complimentary products
- Checkout
- Follow up
Your team should practice their scripts to avoid sounding like they’re reading from a cue card. Another reason to practice: how you say it is just as important as what you say.
So far, everything we’ve discussed involves simple adjustments. We’re communicating clearly with our team and clients, building relationships with our guests, using scripts to ensure a consistent, outstanding experience for every guest, and observing how these small, straightforward changes positively impact the bottom line.
But that’s not all.
You also need to hold your front desk team accountable, and we make it easy with the Empowering You Front Desk Weekly Tracker.
This tool helps you set specific goals—such as selling 20 more retail items, booking 10 additional appointments, or achieving 5 service upsells—and allows your front desk team to track their progress. For salon owners and managers, it provides a quick overview of performance and highlights where to focus training and resources.
But that’s not the only tool you might find useful. Many Empowering You clients use engaging methods like BINGO to motivate their teams and encourage them to elevate their performance.
You can also join our private Facebook Group, where beauty professionals like you share their experiences, offer tips and training advice, and connect with one another in a unique beauty industry community.
So in summary:
1.) Dish out five-star customer service.
2.) Communicate with your team and clients.
3.) Use scripts for everything.
4.) Keep your team accountable.
5.) Give your team incentives.
We want to hear from you too! Share your front desk advice, questions, or experiences—whether something worked well or didn’t work at all—in the comments below. We’re here to listen and help.
Be sure to check your email inbox and the Empowering You Facebook Group for updates on our next webinar and upcoming live and virtual training sessions. We’d love for you to join us!
Join our Salon & Spa Owner Facebook Group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/61806372788
Download the Front Desk Tracker: https://empoweringyouconsulting.com/fdtracker
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