This week, Rush salons have announced that they will be offering free WiFi in all 66 of their salons. It's the first UK salon chain to offer such a service, (although there are independent salons that have been offering free WiFi for ages...mine included) and it got this geek thinking: how much do clients value those 'extras' and are they worth it?

I get my hair and my nails done in different salons. Both of them offer free WiFi, both offer those little extras. I can get a glass of champagne, or a green tea with a brownie on the side. At one of them, I can even get breakfast from the fancy restaurant across the road if I get a (very!) early appointment. Not surprisingly, I don't do that very often. There are individual iPod touches available for customers to use at each station...it's really quite indulgent and, if I'm honest, a little pricey.

But I still go. I enjoy the extras and for me, as a client, it's worth it. While I'd love nothing more than to be able to disengage from the WiFi world while I have my hair and nails done, sometimes, it's just not feasible. Sometimes I really need to be accessible. Of course, if there is an opportunity for me to not be contactable, I just turn my phone off but it's nice to have the WiFi option there for me if I need it.

What do you think? Do you offer those little extras? Do you find that they work in retaining custom? Do you notice that clients appreciate it? Do they mind that it inevitably pushes your prices up a little more? What about WiFi? Many feel that the salon should be a work free, WiFi free zone and resist the WiFi option because of that (honestly, sometimes having your hair done is the perfect opportunity to catch up!).

And of course, in-salon WiFi means you can keep up to date with Salon Geek all the time. That's got to be a good thing right?

Until then...geek on!

The Ed.

Definately, especially when having a hair colour done.

Some colours take up to an hour to develop, and in this day and age magazines do not always cut it.

If I have an hour to burn and the option is there to connect via my phone then I am down with that