How to create an unforgettable client experience for makeup artists.
I’ll never forget my first client that became a friend. Her name is Lois, and her mum booked me for Lois’ wedding in London. It was my first ever London wedding after moving to the city and I was nervous, mainly because I didn’t yet know the city. I didn’t really know how to get around, I didn’t even have a bed yet in my flat! I remember talking to her on the phone sitting on my mattress! I got my kit prepped for her trial and went to her flat, and was immediately greeted by her with a big smile, a hug and kindness. We instantly got on, her mum was there too and we all chatted about being new to the city and where I should go and explore. She showed me her pet hamsters (lol) and after the trial, walked me and her mum back to the tube station, taking me the long way so I could see some cute bars, restaurants and the thames. She promptly told me if I ever needed anything, she would happily take me around. Her wedding day remains one of my favourites, her hamsters escaped and she was baking and decorating her own wedding cake in between getting her hair and makeup done. I stayed all day for the event, and remember having a seat with her guests and even getting a shout out during speeches. Lois went above and beyond as a client, and at this stage in my career in 2015/16, I wasn’t giving nearly as much thought to the client experience. All I knew, is I wanted every client to be a Lois. (Full disclosure, me and Lois remain friends. She has helped me through a breakup, drove me to meet some sausage dog puppies, of which I now own and has shown me much of London in our friendship!).
Not every client is a Lois, but I always thought of that as the benchmark for clients and wanted to do my best by them. I always think to some of my favourite holidays, or experiences. Like when I bought my first Celine bag, they gave me champagne, gave me a tour of the store and just made me feel amazing. I wanted to impart that onto my own clients and make them feel like I did with Lois, to hopefully cultivate relationships as strong as Lois! Giving clients an experience like my Celine one, where I walked away feeling amazing and remembering that experience, probably until I’m old and grey, THIS is what I want to give my clients. So how can we do that? Here are some tips to making your clients have an unforgettable experience.
1) Overdeliver.
I want you to do an exercise right now. I want you to write down an amazing experience you had, maybe at a restaurant, or on holiday. What made that experience special? How did you feel? And what little things made it amazing? I always try to overdeliver with my clients, especially my brides. I give them a tiny little pouch which I have specially made, with my branding on. Inside I give them a premium topup kit. I write a handwritten card, and try to include some personal elements that I perhaps learnt about them in our time together. I try to make every part of the experience lovely. At the trial, I will make sure even the smell of the room is relaxing. I make them coffee, or tea from a selection I have. I am always thinking of ways how I can make the room just a little bit nicer. And I really try and be my most attentive self, reflecting their vibe and ultimately, trying to make them feel amazing when they leave.
2) Make it EASY.
One of my own biggest blocks when it comes to services for myself, all depends on how many hoops i’m jumping through. If the process to booking in is very manual, if I have to do a lot then my client experience is decreasing. I want a quick, easy service because I’m pretty time poor at the best of times. I want it to be efficient AF and I think this rings true for the future. Clients are wanting an easier service, more personalised, but quicker and easier for them. This means automating, this means relying on technology and adapting. Make it easy for them. Easy for them = a better client experience. Harder for them, with more hoops = poor client experience.
3) It’s all in the details.
One thing I took away from the book The Ride of a Lifetime by Bob Iger, former CEO of Disney, is how much the details MATTER. At Disney World, if you have ever been, you will know it is riddled with details. When you enter your room, your name is often on the TV. At the parks, they pump out different smells to add to the ambience. Rides have small hidden details called Hidden Mickeys which are fun to find when queuing. Everything you look at at Disney, is curated and detail orientated and we can utilise this in our own business. I try to keep everything branded, from my contracts, invoices and even my top up kits. Think about the small details in your own business, how can you tie everything together, just a little bit better. How can you improve every step of the journey, with the smallest of details to the biggest of moves. How would YOU want your makeup artist to operate? How can you put just a little bit of Celine, into your own experience?