SMALL CHANGES, BIG GROWTH
With a strong focus on client retention and retail, Tonya DeRose, owner of Amity Salon in Clarksville, Tennessee, grew her business during the pandemic with consistency in all areas of her business.
Currently, Amity has a 74-percent new guest retention rate (Aveda’s benchmark is 35 percent of guests returning within 12-16 weeks).
After learning about new guest strategies at Serious Business, DeRose decided to tweak the ideas to work for Amity.
Amity Salon Owner, Tonya DeRose
“We’re located in a really competitive area,” DeRose says. “I constantly have to think of new things to make us stand out.”
So after her stylists send a handwritten thank-you card to new clients, DeRose follows up with a phone call herself.
“Every Tuesday, I call new clients to see how their experience was, and they’re always shocked and pleased to hear from the owner,” she says.
Amity clients also get a product basket filled with stylist recommendations after each appointment—every time they visit. This consistency has resulted in an average retail per client ticket of $32.80 (Aveda’s benchmark is between $13.50 and $16.50).
