Not All Salon & Clinic Clients Are Created Equal
Contrary to popular belief, not all clients are created equal!
Your client list can be organised in many ways. One of the most popular ways of categorising them as A level, B level, C level and D level clients.
What this means to you will be different depending on what you want the most out of your clients.
Your specific idea of an ideal A level client will be different to anyone else’s but for arguments sake, lets just say that your ideal client:
- Books in 2-3 appointments in advance
- Provides you with at least 2 high quality referrals each month
- Pays full price for all their purchases and appointments
- Purchases the retail items you suggest and then uses them in the manner you advise.
If this is the case, your B level client is still a valued one but perhaps they don’t rebook but just call up a week or two in advance to book their appointment. And they don’t actively refer their friends and colleagues to you but will tell people if they remember.
Your C level client only books appointments every now and again, hardly purchases anything and sometimes tries to haggle prices with you.
Your D level clients are obviously your least valued clients. They are the ones that your stomach sinks when you hear their voice on the phone. They are the ones that will without fail expect a discount, the ones that never do as you ask, who are always late, who speak snappily to you, who you generally just wish would go away.
Your D level clients are the ones that take up the most of your time but give you the least money.
In contrast your A level clients take up the least of your time but give you the most money.
Have a think about the clients in your clinic, spa, beauty business or hair salon. You might have different qualities you value compared to the ones I’ve just suggested but the result is the same. You will have clients who are wonderful and then ones that are a pain in the neck.
The idea behind this ABCD client concept is to get you starting to think about what type of client you want more of and what type of client you want less of.
As soon as you’ve finished reading this article, there is an exercise I would like you to do.
Get a piece of paper and divide it into 4 sections. Put A in one box, B in the next one, C in the next one and D in the last one.
Then list all the qualities in the A box that your A level clients have. Then list all the qualities in the D box that your D level clients have. And then do the same for B and C. It is easier to start with A and D by the way. B and C will then just follow.
The next step is to imagine what your business (and your life) would be like with just A clients. Imagine how much you would enjoy what you do. Imagine how easy it would be. Imagine how much you would just love seeing each and every client.
Then brainstorm. Brainstorm where your A clients hang out. What they do during their days, what they do during their free time. Where you and your marketing needs to be to get more of them.
By the way… if you do this and then you realise you have some E clients. Fire them. Next time they try to book in, you are busy. Give them the name of another business in the area that they could try to book with, but unfortunately you are fully booked.
Don’t be scared to turn E clients away and as you get more A clients, your D clients as well. If they are really that bad, then they will take up so much of your time that you will be making a loss on their appointment. Which means there is no point.
If you don’t enjoy dealing with them AND they take up lots of time AND you are making a loss on their appointment because of it, then stop taking their bookings. You are in charge.
And remember… what is your D client, is someone else’s A client. Everyone runs their business differently. Everyone has a different personality. How some clients behave with you will be completely different to how they behave with someone else. So let them go find a business where they are valued.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Rebecca Kepple specializes in helping business owners massively increase their client base and profits. To get instant access to her free insider secrets report ‘The Top 7 Secrets for Massively Increasing Your Client Base’ visit: http://www.wellbeingbusinesssecrets.com/freebiebook.
© Copyright Rebecca Kepple 2008
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