Guest Retention for Cosmetology Students

Guest retention is a fundamental skill in both the beauty industry and business world. Guest retention for cosmetology students and licensed cosmetologist alike, the goal is the same: do your best work and create genuine connections with guests that keep them returning.

Mastering the skill of guest retention will benefit you by enhancing guest loyalty, boosting your reputation, and accelerating your career.

Guest retention consists of turning a one-time guest into a long-term fan — someone who’s excited to return to your chair time and time again.

As the service provider, it’s your responsibility to provide such an incredible salon experience that your guest has no doubt whether or not they’re coming back to you; their next appointment is already booked!

Read on to learn how to build a loyal guest base from day one in cosmetology school and achieve success in the salon world after graduation.

1. Get Personal with Guests

While you’re still a student, start treating each guest as if they’re a regular guest. People love to feel like a regular, as it offers a sense of inclusion and community.

Greet your guests by name and ask open-ended and specific questions throughout their consultation to get to know them and understand what they want done with their hair.

Maybe they have a big event coming up, or maybe they want a style refresh to amp up their confidence. Whatever their goals, connecting on a personal level makes a lasting impression.

A warm, engaged stylist who remembers details about their life makes guests feel valued, special, and understood. We are only human, after all!

Learning what makes your guests tick when it comes to hair care and beyond builds trust, and increases your chance of a guest rebooking with you.

Pro tip: Make notes on each guest’s preferences and interactions, so you’re prepared when they visit again. Personal touches, like remembering that a particular guest loves the smell of a certain hair product or really enjoys scalp massages, can be the difference between a one-time guest and a loyal guest.

Use Names: Remember their preferred name and use it naturally.
Ask Questions: Find out what they love about their look or what they’d like to try. Discover what they do for a living, their hobbies, if they have children/grandchildren/pets/etc. Also, don’t forget to check for any contraindications!
Take Notes: Jot down key details for future appointments.

2. Educate Guests

Every guest loves leaving the chair with a fresh look, but what keeps them coming back is knowing they’re set up for success between visits.

Share simple, practical tips for maintaining their new style at home, like how to keep their color vibrant or style their cut.

Educating your guests goes a long way!

By providing them with professional knowledge, you establish yourself as a go-to resource. If they’re satisfied with the results between visits, they’re more likely to trust you with their future beauty needs.

Pro tip: Suggest specific products they can purchase from your school to support their look and hair needs. Whatever it is, back your choices with product knowledge to assure your guest that they’re getting the top recommendations based on your expertise and experience. Don’t doubt yourself — you got this. You’re almost a professional — act like it!

Hair Products: Recommend individual products for their hair type and goals (shine, volume, frizz control).
Care Instructions: Give a few easy steps for maintaining their style and how to use the recommended products.
Frequency of Visits & Consistency: Emphasize how regular services, like frequent trims or touch-ups, paired with consistent at-home hair care, such as using a weekly hair masque, are important for maintaining their style.

3. Pre-Book Appointments Before Guests Leave

Pre-booking is a friendly way to keep your guests’ look fresh, in addition to being a fantastic strategy for guest retention.

Make pre-booking a part of your closing ritual with each guest. If it feels like it’s the norm, people will be more comfortable with it and be inclined to do it.

Explain to your guests the perks of keeping a consistent hair schedule. Point out that it not only makes it easier to secure their preferred time slot, but it also helps them stay on track with maintaining their style. No grown-out roots on your watch!

Most guests love the idea of having their next session set in advance because it saves them the hassle of booking later. Anything to make life easier — promote it.

Pre-booking gets you a loyal guest, and gets them a reliable hairstylist they can count on.

Pro tip: Use a reminder system or offer to send a quick confirmation closer to the appointment date so they don’t miss it.

Reminder Alerts: Whether it be a call, text, or email, offer your guest some sort of reminder for pre-booked appointments.
Quick Scheduling: Keep a notebook or scheduling app handy to quickly book in the chair. So much less scrambling around!
Promo Perks: Mention any upcoming promotions they could take advantage of if they pre-book. Keep your guests in-the-know as another means to grow trust and authentic relationships.

4. Deliver an Experience for Guests

From the moment they make eye contact with you, make each guest’s visit feel special. Beauty services are an act of self-care, an escape, a luxury — people want to feel pampered.

If you can, offer a quick, free add-on like a scalp massage or styling lesson. These small gestures elevate their experience, making each visit memorable.

The more they enjoy being in your chair, the more likely they’ll want to return to relive that feeling.

Pro tip: Think of ways to personalize their experience based on their mood. If they seem tired, keep the conversation relaxing. If they’re chatty, engage and make them feel heard. When it comes to gauging this, your intuition can be extremely useful.

If your intuition is feeling cloudy, you can always politely ask your guest if they’re in the mood for conversation, or if they’d prefer a quieter appointment, to better meet their needs. Don’t be shy — they’ll appreciate your question and feel a deeper connection with you because it shows you truly care.

Complimentary Scalp Massage: Including a scalp massage is a relaxing touch that guests adore.
Styling Tips: Teach guests how to recreate their salon style at home, or how to use a new styling tool.
Product Samples: Supply a sample of the shampoo or styling product you used or recommended for them to try more of at home.

5. Engage with Guests on Social Media

Developing a relationship outside of your chair is as valuable as in-person connections. Make it known that your guests are welcome and invited to follow your social media profiles, where they can stay connected with your work and stay in touch with you between visits.

Having guests follow you on social media gives them the chance to keep you in the forefront of their minds, see your growth, learn beauty tips, and try new services or products you market.

They might even share your posts, bringing new potential guests to you through word of mouth. Let your guests know that their showing support on social media is a free, easy way to give back to the beauty industry.

Pro tip: Show appreciation to your guests by engaging with their posts. Liking, sharing, and commenting on their content continues to heighten your connection and remind them that you’re thankful for their support.

It’s another excellent way to network as well. Their friends might stumble upon you by seeing interactions between you and your guests on social media. It’s a small world and we’re just living in it.

Guest Shout-Outs: Post a photo or video (with permission) of their new style and tag them.
Before-and-Afters: Showcase transformations to highlight your skill and inspire future visits.
Beauty Tips: Share unique content about hair care or styling tricks to keep followers engaged and informed.

6. Encourage Feedback from Guests

Ask your guests how they feel about their services, and be receptive to feedback — the good, bad, and the ugly.

There’s no need to be intimidated; constructive criticism is a gift. It gives you an opportunity to adjust, adapt, and refine your skills to meet (and exceed) your guests’ expectations.

Moreover, it establishes that you think highly of their opinion and are dedicated to giving them the greatest possible experience.

Pro tip: Offer guests a feedback card or digital form to make sharing easier and encourage them to be open. You can even offer the option to make feedback anonymous. Assure guests that all feedback is welcome. Let them know you’re hoping it will drive improvements and enrich guest satisfaction.

Feedback Cards: Offer a quick form or link for them to share their thoughts.
Online Reviews: Suggest leaving a review on Google, Yelp, or social media. This is when a Linktree (one link to share various links with guests) comes in handy!
Follow-Up Message: A week or so after their appointment, send a quick check-in message, thanking them for the review and responding accordingly.

7. Offer Loyalty Perks to Guests

Consider ways to reward guests who return or refer friends to you with loyalty perks or loyalty programs. Offering discounts, free add-ons, or early access to new services really amps up the loyalty factor.

Even a little gesture, like including a free hair treatment in addition to their service, can make a guest feel like they’re getting the royal treatment, further growing their connection to you.

Pro tip: Work with your school to set up a referral program or check if they have an existing program you can commit to. While this is typically out of your control in cosmetology school, it doesn’t hurt to ask or confirm. Just being aware that guest loyalty perks are a thing will immensely help you stay ahead of the curve in the workforce.

Referral Discounts: Offer discounts for guests who bring or refer others. The more the merrier, right?
Milestone Rewards: Celebrate their fifth service with a free full-size product, or their 10th service with a 25% off discount.
Birthday Specials: Gift them a discount or bonus service during their birthday month.

8. Stay Consistent with Guest Follow-Ups

Following up with a guest after an appointment reveals you genuinely care about how they’re doing and how they’re liking their hair.

It doesn’t need to be long — a brief, “How are you liking your new cut?” message can make a big impact.

They’ll feel appreciated and will likely be happy to rebook when they’re ready for a touch-up (if they haven’t already)!

Pro tip: Personalize your follow-up messages by referencing specific details from the guest’s last visit. Mention something you talked about, or a particular request they had. This will show you’re attentive, on top of your game, and make the guest feel even more valued and remembered.

Timing: Send a message about a week after the appointment. You want to give them some time to get used to their hair and get a feel for it, but not so much time they think you’ve forgotten about them.
Content: Ask how they’re enjoying their hair and if they have questions.
Reminders: Mention upcoming availabilities, promos, new products, etc.

9. Prioritize Continuous Education

While continuous education isn’t directly linked to guest retention, it most certainly is indirectly linked.

Your ongoing development can be a reason for guests to stay loyal. When you’re pumped to learn and try new things, your guests benefit from your expanding knowledge.

Clue them in when you’re receiving new certifications, learning new product lines, taking speciality classes, or attending workshops. Be proud of your accomplishments!

Invite guests to be part of your journey. They’ll see you as an evolving stylist who can educate them on the latest trends and techniques. In their eyes, you’re a hair guru, and they rely on your expertise.

Pro tip: Offer special pricing for guests who help you practice new skills. This gives them a unique experience and positions you as a dynamic, constantly improving stylist.

Portfolio: Create a visual portfolio of your progress to showcase your new skills and techniques.
Update Social Media: Post about continuous education workshops or classes you’ve taken on various platforms.
Be Transparent: Share with your guests your commitment to learning and being the best hairstylist you can be.

Guest retention for cosmetology students involves cultivating a series of impressionable interactions that make each guest feel appreciated and look forward to their next visit.

By focusing on connection, personalization, consistency, and professionalism, you can’t go wrong.

Even in cosmetology school, you can start building a loyal guest base that will support your career in the beauty industry both now and years to come.

Interested in giving guest retention a whirl yourself? Apply to our 9-month cosmetology program!

Want to see if our students can get you to re-book with them? Book an appointment!