Creating a loyal salon team for long-term success

“I have yet to find a company that has earned high levels of customer loyalty without first earning high levels of employee loyalty.” – Frederick Reichheld

Team loyalty is critically important for long-term salon success.

If your clients are seeing new faces in your salon every few months they’ll wonder what’s going on. If your team is unsettled and unhappy, your clients will feel the same. They won’t want to be in your salon anymore than your team do and will soon follow them out the door, never to return.

Building a Happy and Loyal Team

Building implies work, and it’s true that team loyalty does require a little thought and effort.

But a happy and loyal team attracts happy and loyal clients, so it’s a win-win.

Keeping your most experienced staff who attract and retain new clients is especially important. If they resign, you’ll often experience a ‘double whammy’ as other employees become unsettled and start to plan their exit too.

Eight-Point Staff Loyalty Plan

Follow our eight-point plan to help ensure your team want to stay with you and help you grow your business into the long-term.

1. Set clear expectations

Make sure all your team know what is expected of them and are clear about their role. Uncertainty and changing expectations will make them unhappy, insecure and less confident.

Don’t impose new duties or transfer any to another team member without discussion and consultation. Make sure everyone’s onboard with any changes.

2. Communicate, communicate, communicate

Have regular one-to-one meetings to provide quality supervision. This is your chance to show your appreciation, find out about your team member’s ambitions, discuss any concerns, and ensure they are clear about their role and career path.

3. Get feedback

Encourage honest input and feedback from your team. Hold regular team meetings to discuss how your salon business is doing and what can be done to further boost your bottom line. Not only will you get some great business building ideas from your team, but you will also make them feel valued, respected and listened to.

Top tip: Make sure everyone has the chance to put forward their views at team meetings. Even the newest apprentice may be buzzing with some great ideas that bring a new perspective.

4. Support and motivate

Motivate your team by taking a genuine interest in each of their individual skills, talents and ambitions.

By supporting and helping them to make the most of their particular abilities – especially those outside of their usual job description – you will inspire their loyalty and benefit your business.

This could mean branching out into different treatments and services or using an employee’s skills in other areas such as social media. Be open-minded and tap into the skills and potential that surround you. 

Top tip: Be flexible. Covid changed many people’s attitude to work and you may need to consider different working hours to suit your employees’ changed lifestyle priorities. Greater flexibility will definitely encourage staff loyalty which is always better for your business.

5. Career development opportunities

Provide a clear path for progression and frequent opportunities for training and development. Without these new challenges, your best and most committed team members will feel they are stagnating and taken for granted and will look elsewhere for a more exciting career path.

GSG Members: Our star rating system celebrates and promotes the outstanding quality of service provided by you so use it to help retain your best players. We all want to work with the best. Displaying your star rating prominently in your marketing endorses you as one of the leading salons in your area and makes employees proud to work in an independently recognised salon.

6. Be transparent

 Treat all your employees equally. Secret bonuses, pay rises and extra holidays will not stay secret for long and will totally demoralise and alienate those who don’t benefit.

 Be fully transparent and fair in all your dealings with staff so everyone knows how things work and what they can expect.

7. Look at the bigger picture

Don’t automatically blame the team for any poor performance. Turn the situation around and ask yourself why your salon business is not enabling them to succeed.

Have a private meeting with them and find out what you can do to ensure they reach their full potential, contribute to your business and become a loyal and valued team member.

Top tip: Make sure your team understand your short, medium and long-term business goals. Encourage loyalty by celebrating and rewarding successes along the way so your team feel engaged, valued and motivated to achieve more.

8. Show appreciation

It’s vitally important to make your team feel valued, appreciated and recognised for their contribution.

Frequently saying thank you is a simple but very powerful motivator. Bonuses, gifts, team outings, extra days off and commission payments are also excellent ways to show your appreciation and encourage team loyalty.

Showcase and celebrate their talents and creativity in your marketing activity, especially on your social media. Shine the spotlight on them and their work. Public recognition is a powerful motivator.

GSG Members: Need some more help? Call our industry experts free of charge for information and practical advice about all aspects of running a successful salon team.