Now that you're going to be working for yourself, more than ever before you'll be fully in control of the quality of your clients' experience. The biggest realignment you're going to have to make is to stop thinking like an employee! That persona is gone for good and you should develop an entirely new way of relating to everyone you meet within your range of business relationships.

To get used to the idea, write out a standard policy for customer service. Customer service is simply another aspect of marketing you and your new salon and it services. The more impact you can make and the more unique you can make each of your salon customer service touch points will ensure you stand out from the competitor. It will also assist you in delivering a clear and consistent marketing message and guest experience each and every time.

Compiling the policy will require some creative effort but you can have some fun with it too. Remember, it's going to outline your entire business ethos and salon culture, which will be fully visible and felt at every level by your clients, peers and everyone taking the step into your new environment.

If you need help, brainstorm with a few close fiends, you'll need to come up with the answers to some of these items listed below before you get started:

o Who are my current clients?

o What will they think of my new business, and do I care?

o Do the clients I want differ from the clients I have?

o What will you offer while the client is at the basin?

o Will you offer a café menu?

o What will be the style and quality of beverages offered?

o What kind of client records and history files or data will you collect and/or keep?

o Will your clients have access to email, the web, and faxing?

o Will you be a paperless environmental salon or beauty salon?

o Will you be the colourists or is there someone else performing those services on your behalf?

o Will you offer consultations at no charge?

o Will you offer fringe/bang trims at no charge?

o Will you offer gift vouchers and if so, how will you present them?

o Will you have fancy gowns or robes for your clients to use to protect their cloths?

o Are you going to be able to run errands for your clients if they need them?

o What standard of magazines will you provide?

o What styles of music will you play and will the client have access to make their own changes or bring their own iPod?

o Will you have a make-up counter or display and offer touch ups post services?

o Are you going to offer a fancy mini bar with an assortment of beverages and snacks?

o What are the parking facilities and benefits, if any?

o Are you gong to offer reminder calls, and if so, when and how?

o What will the extent of your specials and discounts?

o What will be your guarantee policy?

o What will your written service guarantee policy contain?

o What will be your verbal guarantee policy scripts?

o How are you going to manage your complaints and their procedures?

o What account payment choices are you going to offer?

o What will be your policy on refunds for unsatisfactory product purchases or hair services?

o Will you exchange a client's retail purchases if they're unsatisfied with them?

o Will you accept a product for return if it's already been opened and used?

o What time limit will you put on the return of products/service complaints?

o What will be your policy on credits or refunds?

o Will you require proof of purchase to issue a credit or replace product a client wants to return?

o What will you do for the client if the product is faulty?

o Will you offer clients loyalty incentives and, if so, how will they earn points. When will they not earn points, when can they trade their points in for services or products, will there be a review process in place to increase the number of points awarded, and when would a client possibly be denied club or loyalty benefits?

o Will you have a policy on compensation and formal apologies in the event you've really goofed up?

o Will you ever give away retail as part of your compensation policy?

o Will you sell retail on recommended retail prices, higher or lower than your competitors?

o What are you willing to ever give away as complimentary services/products?

o What's your policy on garment replacement if you've caused damage?

o What will be your policy on paying travel or courier expenses if you've inconvenienced a client?

o Do you have policy in place with your insurance company in the event a client suffers an injury as a result of your work? (Ah, that's a no brainer and illegal if you don't have it).

o What will you offer if you damage a client's hair?

These are all very confronting possibilities and the only thing that can make you a total pro is to have a well written customer services policy in place for some of those best and worst case scenarios. As you can see, when it comes to customer service there's a lot to think about! Its not about serving a nice cup of espresso! However, this is just the beginning. Get together with a friend and really flesh out the entire scope of what you're customer services policies are going to look like and what you have to offer.

One major consideration is to be mindful of your target audience. If you're salon is in a high end area you better be ready to woo them over with as many fancy touch points as you can muster up. You should find an additional 20 to 50 considerations when putting your list together.

Remember, keep your offerings as unique as possible, its the only way your business is going to stand out in the crowd. Make sure there's always a twist to ensure the client remembers you and don't forget that everything you offer becomes an aspect of marketing your salon or beauty salon.

Good luck.

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