By Michael Nikolas   I have asked hundreds of service providers – including stylists, nail technicians, estheticians, massage therapists – if you had 100 new guests in your chair, how many of them will still come to you one year later? Most of them reply that 80-100% would return.  THEY REALLY BELIEVE THIS! In reality, the average percent of guests that are being retained in the salon is 30%. Meaning, 7 out of 10 guests will not come back! Picture this in another way. Right now your salon average retention is 30% and you get 100 new guests per month: 30 of these new monthly guests would stay. Multiply this by 12 months and you have 360 new guests per year. If you could increase your guest retention rate to 50% of the guest count per month, you would have SIX HUNDRED guests per year! This is in addition to all the return guests you already have. Quite a difference! The gap between how many guests that a service provider sees and how many turn into a request guest is staggering. So, why is the average retention rate only 30%? The answer lies in the quality of experience that a guest receives at the salon. Service providers need to give the guest more than what they expect, every visit. They need to make that visit their Highlight of The Day. This may sound easy to some, but it is really a talent. Many service providers think that that they are already going above and beyond their guests’ expectations. They say: “I really listen! I am nice! I am a good technician!” While these are all good things, it is not enough, because the service providers at the other salon down the street ALSO listen, and are nice, and good technicians. Above and beyond means going way past what is standard. It isn’t always clear to find out what it takes to exceed guests’ expectations. Many service providers need assistance to see how they are treating each guests, and how to ensure that they approach them in a truly helpful manner. Highlight of the Day Let’s start with the idea of their Highlight of the Day. You want every guest to leave your salon amazed by the treatment they received . . . so much so that they tell everyone they know. And no one should ever leave your salon without plenty of the service provider’s business cards. Unfortunately, often service providers will give guests a business card but not tell them why. It is important to be specific at this point. Here is an easy script for after you are finished with your guest’s service: “Your hair looks great! You’re going to get lots of compliments! When you do, would you mind handing out one of my cards?” In a similar vein, when your guests mentions a friend, their office or club, stop them and ask: “Do I do their hair”” And when they say no, tell them that you would love to, and hand them a business card.  It is very hard for many service providers to ask for business! With guidance, practice and time, everyone can find their own voice and a way to pass on a business card gracefully and effectively. And this leads to higher guest counts! Simply put: Service Providers need to create Raving Fans. What is a raving fan? It is a guest that doesn’t want to leave the salon after their visit. It is a guest who is SO EXCITED by the outstanding experience they had, they tell everyone they know about their fabulous visit at your salon. Creating this exemplary service has nothing to do with the size, shape or location of your salon; treating guests with the outmost respect is inexpensive, while the benefits are enormous. And if outstanding experiences were a part of your salon’s daily objective, you might not even need a referral program! A salon owner must teach these principles and techniques to the staff with authenticity and sincerity so that each service providers understands that guest retention is in their best interest too. When I