Average life span of a client?

[florence2004]

Hi Geeks
I sat down with a business coach the other day to come up with some new ways to bring in customers and one of the questions he asked me was what is the average life span of a customer? Now I had difficulty answering this as I have only been in business this year but was hoping that some of you seasoned geeks have soem ideas.

Some times we get new customers that come to us for a couple treatments and then disappear and sometimes we get clients that stay with us for a long time, but usually something happens in our clients lives that force them to make changes to their usual routine such as getting their hair or nails done. SO for your regular repeat clients, any idea on average how long they come to you for the same service?

Thanks!

 

[nicolaluise]

7years xx

 

[BeauTea Rooms]

We've been open 2 years, we've had a loyal client base for 2 years.
One of my girls has been in the industry for 14 years & had clients she started in her very first fully qualified job that have followed her career

 

[EmJ]

I've still got clients from when I started 6 years ago x

 

[Annemarie]

I've got some very loyal clients who have been with me for over 13 years.:biggrin:

 

[eternalscot]

I have loads of people I have done 16 years and now it's added to through their children who were very young when I started out and now regular and just as loyal. In fact unless it is permanent make up or a recommendation of a client I feel I can't say no to. All my clients are from the last century!

 

[Redduck]

I'm the same, I have many clients from when I began 18 years ago. In fact, I recently had a Saturday where 5 of the 7 clients booked in had come to me in my first week of trading.

I also have clients who come for around half a dozen treatments, don't come for a while and then suddenly rebook. It usually transpires that some event in their lives has made it hard to visit.

 

[nicolaluise]

7yrs isn't my average it's the industry average.

I have been hairdressing nearly 16 yrs and have a lot of clients who have been with me from the get go xxx

 

[Elaine Armani]

I have only been in business for 4 months but from my self I would have to say that I was with my hairdresser for 5 years, but when I was qualified I starting doing everything myself. Xx

 

[Elaine Armani]

I also agree with Redduck, I was with my HD for 5 years and usually I would go every 4 weeks but then was abit financially unstable and started going every 2-3 months but got everything done

 

[squidgernetball]

I have just had a client come back to me after 2 years away. She mainly had Reflexology with me, and was a good client. I first did her a treatment when she was pregnant with her daughter. She told me on returning that she didn't like my last premises (in a golf club) and that was why she has stopped coming - I think she found it a little intimidating! She then told me that her daughter is starting secondary school, so we're looking at about 12 years. I have many others the same, and some who just come a few times a year! A real mixed bag, but I know they say it is a lot cheaper to keep your current clients and get them in more often/upsell to them, than it is to get new ones through the door!

Vicki x

 

[florence2004]

Wow this is all very interesting. I had no idea clients can be that loyal. I figured a couple years tops! So this really effects how much I am willing to spend to make them my customers initially!

Sent from my SGH-I727R using SalonGeek mobile app

 

[shedunlop]

Clients will stay with you if you treat them well. Mine have been with me since I moved here 13 years ago, just the same when I lived in Bristol. I don't lose many at all and if I do it is always for either financial reasons or they move away.

I have had a bad 3 years with ill health and overall have had a whole year off over the 3 year period, 6 months of that being from June 1012 to February 2013. I lost one client in that space of time but she also lost her job at the same time.

Clients, overall, don't want to change, they like to feel comfortable and secure with a therapist, they like to feel valued too and as long as you can balance that with good pricing they are yours to keep!

 

[Mobile Manicure]

I tend to keep most of my clients too. If I've seen them twice, then I've seen them 10 times at least. I've had some from when I first started 11 years ago and others more recently over the years. I occasionally get the "one off" client who has one treatment and then is never seen or heard from again.

Some are every fortnight, once a month, every 5 weeks, every 6 weeks or only when they go on holiday, say twice a year. The 4,5,6 week interval clients are pedicure clients.