We know your clients have a stellar time when they're in your chair. But what happens when your clients leave your salon? What kind of experience do they have afterwards with your brand?

Do they feel good about their visit? Are they excited to show off their new look to the world? Or do they feel like it was just another appointment that they had to fit into their busy schedule? If it's the latter, you could be missing out on a very lucrative opportunity.

In this article, we'll cover the importance of creating a stellar post-purchase experience, why it's so important to your bottom line, and tips for how to leverage your social media to make it happen.

What is a post-service experience?

A post-service experience is the feeling or set of emotions that a customer has after they've left your chair and go out into the world to show off their fresh look. This could be anything from the way they feel when they leave your studio to the way they interact with your brand online.

The goal of creating a post-service experience is to make sure that your customers remain loyal, but that they're also excited about it enough to talk about you online.

Why the post-service experience is such a great opportunity

There are two main reasons why the post-service experience is so important:

The first reason — it's a great opportunity to turn one-time clients into lifelong customers. If you can make someone feel amazing after they've left your salon, they're much more likely to come back and see you again. 

The second reason is that it's a great opportunity to get effective, free marketing. If you can make your clients feel so good about their experience that they want to tell all of their friends about you, that's worth almost as much as the service fee you charged them to sit in your chair.

Tips for creating a post-service experience:

There are a few key elements that go into creating a post-service experience. By working some, or all of these into your overall customer journey, you're making your customers want to do some of your marketing for you unprompted:

Making sure your clients are happy with their service

We know you've got this part down so we won't dive too deep into this one. Just remember that going the extra mile with extra touches and add-ons can really set your experience apart and make it brag-worthy — meaning your clients will want to brag to all their friends about how amazing you and your services are.

Sending a follow-up message

A quick thank you message goes a long way in making your clients feel appreciated. You can even throw in a discount for their next visit to really sweeten the pot.

You can also use this time to ask them for permission to tag them in any of the photos or videos you took during their appointment on your social media so they have the opportunity to share with their followers.

First post-appointment social media post 

Once you have their permission and you've thanked them properly, this is your chance to really show off the amazing work you did.If you are planning your content in advance, which you should, keep the best photos for a full post down the road, and post some of the other good ones on your stories.

Make sure you use high-quality photos or videos and tag your client so they can share with their followers but, like we said earlier, be sure to keep a few saved in your back pocket - more on this later!

If you're a salon that does more than one service, like hair and makeup, be sure to post both so your clients can see the full transformation.

Remember, the goal here is to make your clients look and feel their best so they can't wait to tell all their friends about you!

Send a 1-week check-in message

A week after your clients' service, check in with them to see how they're doing, if they're happy with their look, and to reach out to you for any after-care questions they may have.

This is also a great opportunity to ask for a review or testimonial that you can use on your website or social media.

If you don't hear back, don't be afraid to reach out again. We know everyone's busy but a little follow-up goes a long way in making sure your clients feel valued.

Schedule a Client Appreciation post

Remember those photos and videos we told you to keep in your back pocket? Now is your chance to really show off how much your clients mean to you.

Using an app like later.com or Facebook’s post scheduler, schedule a post a of your client on social media and write a short paragraph about why they're amazing. Be sure to use the hashtag #ClientAppreciation so they can easily find and share your post.

And finally...

Invitations to VIP events or first-looks

This is your chance to really make your clients feel like VIPs. If you have a big event coming up, invite them to be the first to see it or get their hair or makeup done for it and then remind them to tag you in photos and videos they take.

If you're launching a new product or service, give them the opportunity to be the first to try. Feeling exclusive is a surefire way to get them to post about you and your services unprompted.

The final word on the post-service experience

A post-service experience is a great way to show your clients how much you appreciate their business and turn them into raving fans.

By following these simple tips, you can create an experience that will have them bragging about you to all their friends on social media and beyond.

What are some other ways you like to show your appreciation for your clients? Let us know what we missed and we'll cover it in a follow-up soon!