By T. Joel Hall, 2010 Looking Fit Advisory Board Member
In business – and life in general – we all make promises. Promises are easy to make; the harder part is keeping them. I think we can all remember personal frustrations and disappointments associated with broken promises.
In the tanning industry, our promise to our clients is that they will get results from our tanning units, results from our lotions, and quality service and information from us and our employees. If for some reason we fail to deliver on these promises, our clients can potentially become someone else’s. And believe me, your competition will be there, waiting to make similar promises. So what can we do to ensure we’re keeping our promises to our clients?
First, good communication is a must. Clarify your mission statement to your staff as they will be, more often than not, your front line. Remind them (and yourself) about the old adage, “Don’t write checks that your behind can’t cash.” This was a favorite of my father, and although the wording has been changed, the message has not. Our clients want results, and we are here to give them, but we have to be smart and true. Training of not only your staff but your clients, I believe, is the key. Reminding our clients that tanning is a process and that results do not come overnight is extremely important. We live in a world of “instant gratification,” and for those last-minute event tanners, a spray tan or self bronzer may be the right recommendation over a traditional UV unit. If you don’t have a spray unit, recommending a competitor that does adds to your credibility as a service provider who’s willing to look out for the client’s health and well-being, not just their money. Stress to the customer why you’re making the choice, but remind them if and when they have the time to tan traditionally, you will be there to give them the attention and service they expect and deserve. It will be less painful to go this route than to promise a deep dark tan in your top-of-the-line bed, when all you may deliver is a top-notch sunburn.
Second, empower your staff to make decisions during a dilemma. In Buffalo, where I’m based, we're subject to the occasional blizzard, and due to travel bans, we are sometimes forced to close. Many of our clients have unlimited weekly, monthly and yearly packages and upon reopening, they ask if that day will be credited. Instead of an answer that consists of “I don’t know” or “Let me check with my manager,” give your employee the power to say, “Yes, of course!” You can then have them add, “I’ll let my manager know, and we’ll get that taken care of.” Of course, being another promise, make sure that manager knows of the issue so it can be resolved, preferably sooner than the client’s next visit.
Third, know your facts. If you have a Skin Type II at your counter, don’t promise them a golden brown tan in a week. Of course a quality lotion will help them get more out of every visit, but take the time to recommend the right lotion. If I promise the same Skin Type II customer that if they use Brand X’s “Premier Ultra-Mega Bronzing Fluid” they will get an added boost of color, I may be right – as they will get color – but is it the right color for them? We make promises every time we recommend a particular product, as we are the industry professionals. If that lotion turns them a pretty shade of “pumpkin,” that promise has been broken, we lose credibility, and when someone asks them, “Where did you get that crazy tan?” don’t be surprised when your name pops up. Our clients are our best form of advertising, and when things go right, it’s great! But when things go wrong, people will spread the word, too, but it won’t be the words we necessarily want people to hear.
Remember, we are only as good as our word, and the promises we make and keep. If we follow through on promises made in a consistent and timely fashion, we become a credible resource our clients can continually believe in. But always keep this adage in the back of your mind: Promises are like babies; easy to make but hard to deliver.
T. Joel Holl (joel@totaltancorp.com) is the leadership coach for Total Tan Inc. and the newest member of the Looking Fit advisory board. He started with Total Tan (www.totaltancorp.com) in mid-2005 as a store manager, and is now responsible for training all new hires in 30 locations across New York and Pennsylvania. Holl spends a great amount of time working with staff regarding sales, marketing and overall customer service. He graduated from SUNY Purchase in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and photography.
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