Using an Answer Machine for your Business

Should your salon use an answer machine?

As a client, the first thing you want when calling an establishment is to connect with someone, so that they find out what you called them for, whether it’s information, or more importantly to make a booking.

I call a lot of salons and I would say that over 80% are answered by the machine. Do I leave a message? Sometimes, if I feel comfortable to do so. Other times, no I don’t, I just move on to the next salon.

If I were a client, what might calling another salon mean for your business?

You don’t have to be a genius to work that out.

But let’s look at some statistics here. According to some polls I sourced on Google, 40% of callers never leave a message on an answer machine. Reasons are that they feel embarrassed, uncomfortable, and as another report identified, people are geared now to instant gratification and quick fixes, thanks to technology and how quickly we can access information, so the result is they become impatient and can’t be bothered to leave a message,

The studies confirm that your presence is the primary factor in a client determining if they want to do business with you, or if they are prepared to write you off and seek out your competition.

Studies also confirm that you can experience a 47-60% increase in business when callers are greeted by a real person.

So what do you do?

I know it’s a hard call. Sometimes you are the only one in your salon, and if you are busy with treatments you can’t answer the phone. Or you might have staff, but they are also busy. Do you employ someone to just answer the phone?

That means another expense, and probably what you don’t want to even contemplate right now. But, what if it meant that the increase in business you could have from employing a real person to answer your phone could pay for that salary, or even better, generate more bookings.

You don’t have to be a genius to work that out either.

I also had this dilemma in my salon, and so what I did was train the trainee to also be the receptionist. It gave her more hours, she learnt more about the operations of the salon, and it gave her responsibility that she embraced and felt valued for.

If you can’t afford to do that and still want to reply on your machine to represent your business to new and existing clients there are some things to consider.

1. Create a professional greeting, one that will grab the listeners attention quickly, and tell them what you want them to do.
2. Don’t ramble on about your current promotion meaning that the client is having to wait for 60 seconds to actually speak, this makes them impatient and they will hang up.
3. Do include the name of your business and when you will return their call, and make sure you follow through. There is nothing more off putting than businesses not returning calls.
4. Pre record your greeting and play it back. Would you like it if you were a new client? Does it leave a good first impression of your business? When you are recording, make sure there are no background noises.
5. Make sure you check your messages often throughout the day.
6. Change your greeting regularly to keep it fresh and current.

Doing business is challenging enough, so make sure you take every chance to capture those clients.

Oh, and if you have a comment to make or can add to this blog post, make sure you do so in the space below.

This is Julie Hyne, founder of Business 4 Beauty wishing you salon brilliance and success.

ps: have you registered for my free 5 part video series on how to attract more clients and make more money? You can here.