Behind The Counter: Chili Pepper’s Tanning Inc.

Name: Jeff and Charise Davis
Salon: Chili Pepper's Tanning Inc. Megastores
Location: 11 salons in Michigan (Macomb and Oakland counties)
Years in business: 6.5

Q: How did you get into the industry?
A: About 15 years ago, we owned a nail salon with a couple of tanning beds. We decided to sell it when we had children, but always wanted to get back into tanning. So, a little more than 6 years ago, Jeff decided he was going to buy the salon near our house, even though it wasn't for sale. Our business took off from there.

Q: What is the philosophy behind your success?
A: Take chances.

Q: Best advice for maintaining or growing sales in this economy?
A: Know what your competitors are doing and don't let them one-up you; keep up with consistent advertising; keep your equipment updated; and, most importantly, keep your lamps hot!

Q: What advice do you have for new salon owners?
A: Stay away from Chili Pepper's Tanning. Just kidding! But seriously, in this economy, rather than build a new salon from the ground up without any idea of how it will do, we recommend trying to purchase an existing salon that has a proven track record. Then, improve it. That way, you already have a client base.

Q: What’s your favorite or least favorite aspect of your job/the industry?
A: Our favorite part of this industry is that it is a look good/feel good industry. We help people look better and that helps them feel better. We find it very rewarding—it's great to be in an industry where you believe in what you are selling.

Q: What’s the hardest lesson you’ve learned in the industry?
A: The hardest lesson we've learned is that competition is brutal and no one respects anyone else's territory. A new salon will build right across the street from you, without any regard for your business. In the beginning, we tried to respect other salons’ turf and thought they would do the same for us—unfortunately, it doesn't work that way.

Q: How do you market to new clients? Any advice for others to follow your lead?
A: We advertise monthly and always offer a really great special for new clients only. My advice is to give potential customers a great deal or offer something for free to get them in your store; once they are in there, your educated staff, awesome equipment, great lamps and fair pricing will convince them to stay. We also offer special deals for our loyal customers so they remain loyal.

Q: How have you seen the industry change? Is it for the better or worse?
A: The biggest change I have seen is the huge increase in the number of tanning salons. When tanning was a newer industry, there were very few salons—customers often had to drive quite far to get to one. Now, there is a salon (maybe even two) on every corner. I think it is for the worse because the competition—at least in our area—has driven the price of tanning down.

Q: What do you believe is your salon’s greatest asset?
A: Our awesome staff! We do not experience high turnover, especially not among our managers. We have a manager in each salon as well as a general manager and they have all been with us for a very long time—they don’t want to leave because we pay well and provide a good work environment. They are all Master Smart Tan certified and continue to stay on top of the latest information in tanning. As salon owners, we can put in the best equipment and have the hottest lamps, but a great staff is truly the key to success.

Q: Which of your products and services are most popular?
A: We exclusively carry Australian Gold and Swedish Beauty. Of those, anything with the Dermadark ingredient is extremely popular. As far as our services, we offer five levels of tanning—each is quite popular for various reasons. Of course, entry-level beds are probably the most popular because of the low pricing, but we do have a lot of customers who upgrade to our higher-end equipment.

Q: How has your salon changed over the years to best serve the evolving industry?
A: We seem to be constantly changing to stay at the top of our game. We are always adding a new piece of equipment or remodeling one of our locations. With 11 salons, we are always doing something. Mostly, we do our best to make sure our staff is educated. Tanners are more educated now than they used to be, so we need to make sure we can confidently address all of their concerns.

Q: Why do you enjoy the industry—and how are you contributing to it?
A: We love the industry because, as we mentioned before, it's a look good/feel good industry. We believe in what we are selling, from the products to tanning itself. We are very involved in our salons; yet, at the same time, we can do a lot of our work from home so we can be there for our children.