recommend a friend?

[helenlovesnails]

Hi.

Im looking to get some recommend a friend cards printed on them.

I was thinking if you introduce a friend to me, you get £5 off treatment. Do you think the 'friend' should get some incentive as well? or just my exisitng clients for recommending?

thanks!

 

[hippy-chick]

I did these cards a while ago, made them up myself and even personalised them.
The client got £5 off their treatment, the friend got 10% off.

I think about 5 clients took up the offer and none of the clients that were recommended returned. I resented the fact that I had to do a treatment for £5 cheaper!!! So can't say I would rush to do it again.

 

[lizzie27]

well ithink its a good idea if you do a good job you will get the repeat custom...
the salon i go to gives these out, the new client doesnt get a discount, but the recomendee gets 50%!!!
i think this is better because your not losing out on a new client you may never see again, but rewarding your loyal clients that have done the hard work for you.......
whilst making the 50% back from her friend, that you might have for life!
worth it in the long run.
i bought a gift voucher for a friend just to get the discount!:lol:
the bigger the reward the harder they will try lol....
good luck xxxx

 

[Warwick Wendy]

This is what I do at the salon. Sounds quite a lot off but it works well for me.

copied this over from my website



Reward Voucher Scheme

Wendy's of Warwick operates on a reward voucher scheme which allows you to receive money off your next treatment when you recommend a friend. For each pound your friend spends on their first visit, you receive the same amount in pounds off your next treatment. Not redeemable against special offers or products.


x

 

[aquariushoney]

Work out what a new customer is worth to you say over a year. Assuming half of the new people become regulars (as long as you do an excellent job), they could be worth $30 - $100 to you every month. Work that out over a year...

Then, ask, "What will I be prepared to pay to get a good customer?"
Advertising in the newspaper etc can be costly, so what better ad for your salon, that your already happy and satisfied customers raving about you?

I offer my best clients a referal scheme. (It is only available to my best customers in the hope that their friends are similar in beauty habits, spending habits...) I give my best clients $10 vouchers to give to their friends to use on their first visit. When their friend comes in and redeems their $10 voucher, I post the original client a thank you letter and a $40 voucher for them to use on any treatment that they don't normally have.

It works a treat, and my clients can't wait to start recommending me to their friends. $40 is WAY better than a measly $5 or 10% (who can work that out!), and it is totally worth it to me, as I don't have to advertise for new clients...they are sent to me! PLUS, I don't actually have to pay to find these new clients, just a little bit of my time giving the $40 off a treatment.

 

[blossom]

I give both parties 25% off and it has helped no end to build my business.

I do sometimes wonder if they would have recommended me anyway, even without receiving something back, but there you go. Most of my recommended people have now become regulars and as the 25% is only off their first visit it's no big deal and may tip the balance if the new person is trying to decide who to go to.

 

['chelle]

I have recommend a friend vouchers and they do work for me.

You can operate this scheme by actually giving very little away! My vouchers give the new client 10% off a full set of nails (or Spa mani), and the friend who recommends them gets a free Creative enamel.

Firstly, the new client: Supposing they have a full set of nails at £30, with the 10% off voucher they pay £27, BUT they do need the solar oil pinkie at £3, so they still pay £30. Basically you have got the full treatment price and have given them a free S.O pinkie so you have spent a pound to get that new client in. Also, remember that you will issue this client with a voucher so they also have the potential of getting a free bottle of enamel from you.

Then, your usual client who recommended them. To me there;s no point giving them money off. They are a client, they were going to spend that money with you anyway. Rather than saying that their next treatment will be a couple of quid cheaper, to say that they will get a FREE gift is much more enticing. Also, that free enamel is WORTH £10 to the client but has COST you about £4, so again you are giving away very little. The whole transaction between new and existing client has cost you about a fiver, but they both feel like they've gained more than that.

 

[lizzie27]

I have recommend a friend vouchers and they do work for me.

You can operate this scheme by actually giving very little away! My vouchers give the new client 10% off a full set of nails (or Spa mani), and the friend who recommends them gets a free Creative enamel.

Firstly, the new client: Supposing they have a full set of nails at £30, with the 10% off voucher they pay £27, BUT they do need the solar oil pinkie at £3, so they still pay £30. Basically you have got the full treatment price and have given them a free S.O pinkie so you have spent a pound to get that new client in. Also, remember that you will issue this client with a voucher so they also have the potential of getting a free bottle of enamel from you.

Then, your usual client who recommended them. To me there;s no point giving them money off. They are a client, they were going to spend that money with you anyway. Rather than saying that their next treatment will be a couple of quid cheaper, to say that they will get a FREE gift is much more enticing. Also, that free enamel is WORTH £10 to the client but has COST you about £4, so again you are giving away very little. The whole transaction between new and existing client has cost you about a fiver, but they both feel like they've gained more than that.

personally i wouldnt be that enthralled by 10% discount! or a nail enamel!
my regulars are definately worth more than that for getting bussiness for me,
and to say they're gonna spend the money anyway!!
they dont have to help or reccomend you!
im not that worried about getting my exact price listing back on my investment,
i think they need a decent discount to tell their friends!
if a good job is done the reccommended friend will tell more people, which wiil all create a regular clientelle, at the end of the day its only my time and a small amount of product, on their 1st visit...
well worth it!
you have to spend money to make money......

 

['chelle]

personally i wouldnt be that enthralled by 10% discount! or a nail enamel!
my regulars are definately worth more than that for getting bussiness for me,
and to say they're gonna spend the money anyway!!
they dont have to help or reccomend you!
im not that worried about getting my exact price listing back on my investment,
i think they need a decent discount to tell their friends! Whether you operate a recommend a friend scheme or not, people aren't going to recommend you just because you're cheap. Clients will recommend you if you are good. The 10% is just a bit of a gimmick, the real enticement is the free gift that your client will receive. You would hope that they will recommend you anyway if your work is good enough, but the promise of a free gift just gives them an extra incentive to do this.
if a good job is done the reccommended friend will tell more people, which wiil all create a regular clientelle, at the end of the day its only my time and a small amount of product, on their 1st visit...
well worth it!
you have to spend money to make money But you dont have to spend for the sake of spending when spending half the amount will achieve the same results......

Good luck to you then. My recommend a friend scheme works really well so I'd much rather operate a successful scheme by giving away as little as possible (being that I'm in business, not running a charity), rather than operate a scheme which delivers the same results by spending more.
When it boils down to it, would you pay £10 for something from one store if you knew a different store was selling the same item for £5? Same principle.

 

[mikem]

Hi.

Im looking to get some recommend a friend cards printed on them.

I was thinking if you introduce a friend to me, you get £5 off treatment. Do you think the 'friend' should get some incentive as well? or just my exisitng clients for recommending?

thanks!

We make use of Vistaprint business cards a lot and have a standard front side with the usual gubbins. The recommend a friend cards just have a space for the name of the 'recommender'.

When the new customer comes in they get 10% off their first visit and we attach the card to the recommenders reference card. they get 20% off their next visit.

You need to reward both to make it work (IMO)

Mike

 

[nailzoo]

keep giving recommend a friend card until your book is as full as you want it, the discount you are offering should be considered as part of your advertising budget, you should give every client (old or new) a card, and keep giving them until you are happy with your diary bookings.

If this is working for you, keep doing it ..... many are at their wits end how to get new clients.

 

[MrsR]

I have recommend a friend vouchers and they do work for me.

You can operate this scheme by actually giving very little away! My vouchers give the new client 10% off a full set of nails (or Spa mani), and the friend who recommends them gets a free Creative enamel.

Firstly, the new client: Supposing they have a full set of nails at £30, with the 10% off voucher they pay £27, BUT they do need the solar oil pinkie at £3, so they still pay £30. Basically you have got the full treatment price and have given them a free S.O pinkie so you have spent a pound to get that new client in. Also, remember that you will issue this client with a voucher so they also have the potential of getting a free bottle of enamel from you.

Then, your usual client who recommended them. To me there;s no point giving them money off. They are a client, they were going to spend that money with you anyway. Rather than saying that their next treatment will be a couple of quid cheaper, to say that they will get a FREE gift is much more enticing. Also, that free enamel is WORTH £10 to the client but has COST you about £4, so again you are giving away very little. The whole transaction between new and existing client has cost you about a fiver, but they both feel like they've gained more than that.

I love your idea hun, people like to think they have a bargain if they didn't supermarkets wouldn't always do BOGOF all the time. I think if it finds you new clients then is a positive thing and don't see anything wrong with it x

 

[Blue Rose]

Personally I don't think many of my clients would fall over themselves by getting 10% off their next treatment when they recommend us. A lot only have eyebrows waxed so to save oohhh 67p is hardly going to be worth it. Also, we've found clients aren't impressed with 10% off their 1st treatment either.

However, when we push our referral system, we offer £5 off to each party, which works sooooo much better .

£5 might seem generous but you have to look at the bigger picture & see what they are going to spend with you in the long term.

 

[lizzie27]

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Personally I don't think many of my clients would fall over themselves by getting 10% off their next treatment when they recommend us. A lot only have eyebrows waxed so to save oohhh 67p is hardly going to be worth it. Also, we've found clients aren't impressed with 10% off their 1st treatment either.

However, when we push our referral system, we offer £5 off to each party, which works sooooo much better .

£5 might seem generous but you have to look at the bigger picture & see what they are going to spend with you in the long term.

i agree, its not giving 'charity' as someone put it but making clients for the future...xx

 

[lizzie27]

Good luck to you then. My recommend a friend scheme works really well so I'd much rather operate a successful scheme by giving away as little as possible (being that I'm in business, not running a charity), rather than operate a scheme which delivers the same results by spending more.
When it boils down to it, would you pay £10 for something from one store if you knew a different store was selling the same item for £5? Same principle.

actually i dont offer any scheme! i was referring to a salon i visit, i only operate on advertising and word of mouth basis, but from personal experience the clients you offer a varnish wont be coming for the varnish they wil be coming because their friend said your good or they are looking for somewhere to go anyway....
if these ladies had somewhere they were going that they were happy with anyway, rest assured they wouldnt switch for a varnish, they need more incentive....
you may as well keep the varnishes x