How about the Singapore Airlines way - “Service even other airlines talk about”
How important is service in our hair salons? How do you know that you are currently providing excellent service to your customers? What does impeccable service really mean?
These are the questions we need to constantly ask ourselves, to remind ourselves that we are indeed in the service industry. That we are not the only salon in Malaysia, that all our customers deserve the best. “The Best” does not necessary mean serving the most expensive coffee, selling the most expensive products, using designer chairs like Philip Stark or even creating a very luxurious ambience. To my personal expectations, it is actually pretty simple and cheap! There are certain formulations to achieving great service - service even other salons talk about.
Formulation 1- Learn how to acknowledge.
We must greet and respect people's effort for walking into our salon no matter what their intentions are or who they are. All we need to say is a very simple “Hello” or “Welcome”; it is a gesture of appreciating their presence in our premise.
I have had an inexpensive learning experience while in Taiwan. I am amazed at their level of service wherever you go, from 7-11, retail shops, restaurants, cinemas, even the taxi drivers. It is a standard service procedure that has been ingrained in their culture. When I first arrived here a year ago, I actually found them annoying. Annoying, because as soon I enter any shops, they would loudly greet me, then speak non-stop, letting me know of their current promotions, suggestions etc. A year later, I am so used to being treated this way that I am actually experiencing culture shock in my own homeland, when I was back at Kuala Lumpur for a short break. I called it “Service Shock”!
The “Service Shock” began when I touched down at KLIA and headed straight to the duty free shop to get my favorite booze - Grey Goose Vodka. I entered the shop and for the very first time in a long time, I was greeted with nothing but total silence even though I was the only one at the shop and there were at least four employees on duty. There were all “busy” with their own work, just standing around the shop, but ironically they were all wearing a “service with a greet and smile” yellow badge. My thoughts returned to Taiwan immediately, and, although annoying, those gestures made me feel that I was at least being recognized and acknowledged as a potential customer.
Before boarding the plane in Taipei, I also went to the duty free shop to browse some liquors that may not be available in KL. Let me share with you that the entire experience was a 360 degrees turn about. I felt the energy and warmth, and that may lead to the impulsiveness to buy, as opposed to the duty free shop at KLIA which was extremely cold, thanks to not being greeted and acknowledged.
Formulation 2 – Use your soft skills
Have you heard that Malaysian graduates find it hard to get employment currently? Research shows that it is not because they are not qualified academically but rather due to a lack of soft skills. Soft skills are skills that we believed in, learn, practice and apply in our daily life, from work to personal time. To be genuinely caring, to have good listening skills, good problem solving skills, good communication, to provide suggestions and being able to express ourselves, debate, and find solutions are very important skills that we can all learn. The education system in schools these days is all about how many A's you can score, which leads to students with a lack of creativity and an inability to think out of the box. You may have a question to ask now right? Where do I learn all these soft skills? Well, you could start by identifying a mentor to learn from. I am sure you would have someone in your circle of friends, family or colleagues who maybe able to help. Mimic the way they speak, act and lead. Your job is to practice and apply it. The next best option is to make use of any salon product company that may have already providing these types of education. I have improved by leaps and bounds from the time spent working with my currently employer. It has helped me in my personal growth, given me thousands of opportunities to developing my career, and allows me to now help other hairdressers to achieve it too.
Formulation 3 – The Singapore Airlines way
There is a reason why Singapore Airlines is one of the most profitable airlines in the world today, and they are indeed qualified to use the tagline “service even other airlines talk about”.Their service concept is “the first”(you could also call it “kiasu”), to go the extra miles and give customers whatever they want.
They are the first airline in the world to purchase the latest A380 aircraft. Apart from that, as a passenger, I am always assured of having my own little screen for my entertainment whenever I fly. I always have doubts when I fly other airlines because some are still using the common screen monitor from the aircraft ceiling or using the portable DVD screen like the budget airlines. They are also the first airline in the world to offer flat beds on first class.
I have a very good friend who is a frequent flyer and he has experienced many other airlines throughout his time in the skies. He however noticed something very interesting at Singapore Airlines. He once said that this airline is the only airline that caters to thousands of special meal requests in each flight. “Special meals” means that you could ask for low fat, low carbs, seafood only, vegan only, white meat only etc. You name it, you have it! Now, that is the meaning of “going the extra mile and giving clients whatever they want”.
I also have a few other things I’ve learned to share with you. In Taiwan, if say you are looking at some clothes or shoes that you like at some shops with many outlets nationwide and you found out that they do not have your size here, they would first apologize and then offer to get stock from another outlet and suggest you to come back the next day. One shop even offered to send my purchase to my home. If this is not “going the extra mile, giving customer whatever they want” then what is? I had the same experience of my size being unavailable in a well known sports shop at The Gardens, but the staff just replied “sorry no stock”, kept quiet, and that was the end of communication.
So the next formulation is, whenever you say no or reject customers, whatever the reason maybe, offer options, suggestions, and solutions immediately. Customers will feel your sincerity in helping them and they will build your business when they talk about how good and professional you are.
Final Formulation – Thank you
This is the most basic lesson in manners that I am sure you have been applying; however, to help build your business, there is one more step that you could apply. Give a few of your name cards to each of your customers and ask him or her to refer some customers to you after you thank them for their business. There is a saying - we do not need to try 5000 different ways to make things work, but rather, practice something that works 5000 times.
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