How to Attract Repeat Customers to Your Tanning Salon

Let's be real – running a thriving tanning salon is more than just having the best tanning beds. Sure, offering that perfect golden glow and a range of tanning options helps bring clients in, but there's more to the equation if you want them coming back session after session.

If you’re running a tanning salon and wondering how to attract repeat customers, you’ve come to the right place.

First of all, let’s quickly touch on why retaining tanning salon clients is so important.

Establishing a solid base of loyal clients is crucial for boosting your revenue, enhancing your salon's reputation, and succeeding in today's competitive beauty industry. Loyal clients become advocates, spreading positive word-of-mouth.

Furthermore, having a steady stream of regulars creates a sense of familiarity and trust that makes your salon a preferred destination. But here's the key question: how do you ensure a consistent flow of sun-kissed enthusiasts and beauty seekers choosing your salon time and time again?

In this article, we’ll explore effective tanning salon client retention strategies proven to attract and keep repeat customers, fostering a successful tanning salon business.

1. Focus on Stellar Customer Service

Creating memorable client experiences and delivering exceptional, consistent customer service is fundamental to any successful business, and tanning salons are no exception. To win more repeat clients, your salon needs to prioritize a high-quality and reliable level of service.

As a tanning salon seeking to attract repeat clients, this means going the extra mile to ensure your clients are satisfied and feel valued.

Small gestures like offering a complimentary lotion sample or a refreshing towelette can leave a positive lasting impression.

A great example of this could be offering a sample of a new bronzing lotion on a Monday morning to brighten a client's start to the week.

Or, displaying helpful tanning tips or inspirational beauty quotes on your salon walls can encourage clients as they prepare for their session.

Small touches like these subtly boost your client satisfaction, which over time will increase retention and keep your salon top-of-mind.

2. Hire Passionate and Knowledgeable Staff to Make Your Clients Happy

Hiring passionate and well-informed staff who can engage with clients is essential to any tanning salon client retention strategy, as well as creating a welcoming and professional atmosphere – so it truly pays off to employ the right people who will be ambassadors for your salon.

Emphasize the importance of remembering your regular clients’ names to your staff, as this is one way to make people feel special and encourage them to return for that great service. After all, there’s no greater sound than hearing your own name.

Challenge your staff to recall clients’ preferred tanning levels, lotion choices, and even any skin sensitivities they might have mentioned.

Even something like offering a friendly suggestion for a post-tan moisturizer can bring a smile to a client’s face and make their experience more positive; which for you, can translate to motivated staff and loyal tanning clients.

Also, if you have a loyalty program, ensure that your staff are thoroughly trained on how it works (as staff enthusiasm is the best way to get clients to join). If you don’t yet have a loyalty program, this leads us to our next point…

3. Introduce a Tanning Salon Loyalty Program

Considering that acquiring a new customer costs around five times more than retaining an existing one, it’s safe to say that focusing on building client loyalty literally pays off!  

Studies have found that increasing customer retention by as little as 5% can increase business profitability by as much as 90%. So, when it comes to keeping your clients engaged and ensuring that your salon is their first thought for achieving their desired glow, a client loyalty program can be incredibly effective.  

A punch card loyalty program is a straightforward and highly effective way for tanning salons to encourage repeat business. This is because the concept is incredibly easy for clients to understand and simple for salons to manage.

Except for those living under a rock, everyone is familiar with the punch card concept, regardless of age or technological familiarity. It's a universal loyalty approach.

Traditionally, clients collect stamps or punches on a physical card for each tanning session or product purchase. Once they collect a certain number of stamps, they earn a reward.  

However, there are now loyalty apps like Stamp Me that allow businesses to combine the familiarity of the traditional punch card system with the convenience and benefits of digital technology.  

Benefits of using a Punch Card App for Tanning Salon Loyalty Programs:

• Convenience: Clients don't need to carry a physical card. They can simply use their smartphones to track their progress and earn rewards.
• Always Accessible: Clients are less likely to forget or lose a digital punch card since it's stored on their phones. This keeps them engaged in the loyalty program and your salon.  
• Real-Time Tracking: Both clients and salon staff can track progress in real-time. This transparency builds trust and avoids confusion about punch counts.
• Notifications: Apps like Stamp Me can send notifications to promote special offers, or to automatically re-engage them when they haven’t visited in a while, which encourages repeat appointments.
• Data Insights: Digital systems provide salons with data on client information and behavior.

• Gamification: Digital punch card apps can incorporate gamified elements to make earning rewards more engaging. For example, with Stamp Me, you can run scratch & win campaigns.  
• Cost Efficiency & Easy Maintenance: While there’s an initial cost, digital punch card apps can save money in the long term by eliminating physical cards and administrative tasks. Moreover, adjusting rewards, tracking progress, and modifying the program parameters can be managed effortlessly within the app’s interface.  
• Wider Reach & Sustainability: Punch card apps appeal to tech-savvy clients, especially millennials and younger generations familiar with digital interactions. Simultaneously, they contribute to sustainability efforts by reducing paper waste.  
• Integration: These apps can be integrated with other marketing and loyalty initiatives (like email platforms), enhancing the overall client engagement strategy.

4. Engage on Social Media

Connecting through social media is crucial for any business – this is a tanning salon client retention strategy that you shouldn’t overlook. Showcasing stunning before-and-after photos (with client consent, of course!), highlighting special offers, or featuring your salon’s clean and inviting atmosphere is a great way to attract new clients and engage with your current ones.

Platforms like Instagram and TikTok are ideal for tanning salon content, as you can promote your services with relevant hashtags, emojis, and engaging captions to capture people’s attention.

By establishing your presence on social media, tanning salons can directly interact with clients, provide updates on new equipment or lotions, and send subtle reminders about booking their next session. Social media is also a powerful way for clients to connect directly with businesses without needing to call or email.

In addition to providing subtle reminders and greater accessibility to staff, social media also offers a unique opportunity for tanning salons to build a sense of community, which can help attract repeat clients.

5. Keep Operating Hours Consistent

Nothing frustrates a client more than finding your salon closed when your online hours indicate otherwise. If your tanning salon aims to build a repeat, loyal client base, then you need to be consistent with your operating hours and ensure that any changes are clearly communicated in advance on your website and on your Google Business Profile.

In fact, studies indicate that more than 76% of customers will check online before visiting a physical location, so it’s essential to keep your business’ contact details and hours up to date.  

6. Offer Appointment and Special Event Options

Balancing work, social life, and self-care means many value their tanning time. It can be a moment of relaxation and self-indulgence. That’s why it’s so important for tanning salons to offer convenient appointment options.

Make it easy for people to book their preferred time slot or even offer express tanning options for those on a tight schedule, to ensure their tanning experience is always a positive one.

Furthermore, consider introducing themed days or special promotions around holidays or events (like a "pre-holiday glow" discount). These will create unique reasons for clients to visit your salon and attract repeat, happy customers.

Overall, if clients find it easy to plan their visits and have exciting reasons to do so, they’ll visit more often.

7. Collaborate with Local Beauty and Wellness Businesses

It's a smart move: partnering with complementary local businesses is a win-win for tanning salons! Not only does it help support the local community and foster a sense of collaboration, but it also has the potential to attract a whole new segment of clients.

Imagine partnering with a local hair salon and offering a discount on a tanning session with every hair service. Or team up with a nearby gym or spa and offer a special package deal combining tanning and their services.

The possibilities are endless, and the benefits are clear: more repeat clients and a stronger connection to the community. So don't hesitate to reach out to those local businesses and explore potential partnerships – it's likely to be a success.

8. Encourage and Act on Feedback

When it comes to receiving feedback, whether through online reviews or direct conversations, business owners can react in different ways. However, taking the time to understand the feedback and use it to make positive changes is crucial for long-term success.

By encouraging feedback from your clients, you’re showing that you value their opinions, making them feel seen and heard. This is an important way to attract repeat tanning salon clients, as a significant majority of consumers (77%, in fact) view businesses more favorably if they actively seek and act upon customer feedback.  

You can encourage client feedback on various aspects, such as your tanning equipment, lotion selection, salon cleanliness, staff service, or their overall satisfaction with their tanning experience.

In fact, a loyalty program can be a great tool for gathering feedback, as you can incentivize clients with rewards for completing surveys or leaving reviews.

9. Diversify Your Services and Product Offerings

While tanning is your core business, it’s also important for your salon to introduce complementary services and products to differentiate yourselves from the competition. This is a valuable client retention strategy, as it allows you to cater to a wider range of client needs.

If you want to win more repeat clients, consider offering spray tanning services for those who prefer a sunless option, high-quality tanning lotions with various benefits, after-sun moisturizers, or even related beauty products. Enhancing the client journey with suggested product pairings can also boost sales and satisfaction.

Broadening your offerings shows your clients that you’re staying current with trends and actively interested in providing a comprehensive beauty experience, which will appeal to and attract repeat tanning salon clients.

With a diverse range of services and products, your salon can appeal to a broader clientele and significantly increase your revenue, attracting repeat clients in the process.

Conclusion

In conclusion, attracting repeat tanning salon clients is achievable through a combination of key strategies. By prioritizing exceptional service, building community connections, and continuously innovating your services and offerings, you’ll ensure your salon becomes everyone’s preferred destination for achieving their desired glow. Ultimately, success lies in consistent effort, creativity, and genuine client connection.

‍