Client Care and Communication in Beauty Related Industries [PDF]

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BEAUTY THERAPY – ASSIGNMENT SIXTEEN Client Care and Communication in Beauty Related Industries T102 There are many methods of communication the therapist may need to adapt to in order to suit their client and their needs. To adapt to a client, the therapist must work in a professional manner. The therapist must use positive body language, follow the salon rules and codes of conduct. They must try and encourage the client to ask questions so they understand what the client is thinking. The therapist must be supportive, respectful and extra sensitive to the client and their privacy and personal details. Avoid engaging in inappropriate conversations. The therapist should focus on building a relationship with their clients by focusing the conversation on them to make them feel special. The therapist must not interrupt the client but listen and be patient. Some clients may be nervous, therefore need reassurance. The therapist must always respond appropriately and must never pass judgement. The therapist must always check their client understands the information provided to them. Consultation communication can also help to suit the client and their needs as it helps the therapist to understand more about their client before carrying out a treatment. Such as the clients expectations, contra- actions, visual, manual, verbal, non verbal, questioning and listening. The term ‘professionalism’ when related to beauty industries means the therapists behavioral conduct, integrity, trust and respect for others. Professionalism is about how the therapist projects who they are to others, their genuine self. It has everything to do with their approach and commitment. It is important the therapist respects the client by giving them a reasonable amount of personal space when carrying out any part of a treatment. This is so that the client is comfortable, this can be done by leaving a functional amount of space between the therapist and the client, suitable covering of the client (gowning), a suitable location for consultations, client privacy and unobtrusive behavior. If the client is uncomfortable, they won't return.



Table 1 Customer and Client Care



Customer Care Many organisations have a customer care statement, which outlines the standards of service customers can expect. Clients want to enjoy their visit to the beauty salon and they are paying for a service. It is important that during each visit they are made to fell relaxed and comfortable Client Care Remember that each client has a different personality and different treatment needs, requiring an individual treatment approach. A client can be made to feel intimidated, uncomfortable or ignored – and this can happen without you saying anything! Even without speaking you communicate with your eyes, your face and your body, transmitting some of your feelings. This is called no –verbal communication, how you look and how you behave in front of your clients’ is important.



Positive relationships with clients On meeting a client, always smile, make eye contact and greet her cheerfully – however bad your own day is! As you communicate you can: 



promote yourself, and gain the client’s confidence in your professional and technical expertise







develop a professional relationship with the client







establish the client’s needs







promote services and treatments



Verbal communication occurs when you talk directly to another person, either face to face or over the telephone. Always speak clearly and precisely and avoid slang. It is important to be a good listener, this will help you identify the client’s treatment requirements and understand their personality. You can then guide the conversation appropriately Non-verbal communication is also referred to as body language. Interpreting body language is an important skill; learn to notice how the client is behaving, including their voice, their eyes, their body and their arm and hand movements. An instinctive ‘feel’ for customers’ behavior can be developed with experience. Noticing client behavior will help you to recognize the client’s different needs and expectations. You must be able to adapt to these. When approaching potential customers in a situation, such as a client who shows an interest in a product on a retail display, be aware that conflicting signals may be given. For example, a person may smile and nod as if interested but may, in fact, not be. On the other hand, if the customer makes the first approach then they obviously have an active interest



already. Initially the customer may be formal and may even have a stiff body posture and a reserved manner.



Figure 1 Combination Uses To Our Salon Clients



As they become more interested, however, their posture will relax; they may begin to lean forward. It will become obvious at this stage that they are interested, and they then will go on to nod and agree, and to listen actively. You must use your own body language to good effect. You must be relaxed but attentive, and listen actively – nodding and shaking your head, and smiling in agreement. Use relaxed, gentle hand movements; do not twitch or turn away from the customer. If the customer is not agreeing with you, or is not interested, they may look bored, tap their fingers, fiddle with their shopping, look away, or even look at their watch. If these signs are evident, go back to the beginning and try to find out why they are not interested. This is important when selling. Perhaps they do not want the product you have recommended? Or perhaps it is too expensive? Suggest alternatives and see whether you can get their interest again. When the customer has decided to buy, smile – help them to feel that they have made an excellent decision. They should leave feeling proud to have purchased the product. Some dissatisfied clients will voice their dissatisfaction; others will remain silent and simply not return to the salon. This situation can often be prevented through good customer care and effective communication.



Table 2 Avoiding Client Dissatisfaction



Always ensure that the client has a thorough consultation before any new service.



Regularly check the client’s satisfaction. If there is any concern, it is possible to make any changesthroughout the service, for example, during a manicure.



Inform the client of nay disruption to service – do not leave them wondering what the problem may be.Politely inform them of the situation, for example ‘I’m sorry but we are running ten minutes late – are youable to wait?’ if your salon has facilities, you may offer them a drink. Inconvenience caused by disruption to service can usually be compensated in some way. It is important toresolve problems and keep clients satisfied.Customer care is vital: clients provide the salon’s income and your wages. The success of the business depends upon satisfied clients.



It is important the therapist uses suitable consultation techniques to give the perfect treatment to the client. Consultation communication again is important to establish the clients requirements- for example; if the client wanted a full face of makeup treatment, using consultation communication allows the therapist to find out everything they need to know about their clients skin type through the correct questions. If the client had oily skin and regular breakouts, the therapist knows in the next part of the consultation, what products they can and can't use. Finding the clients requirements such as age, background, special needs etc is the next step and can really help to give the therapist more background. For example, the client could be of a young age, indicating their hormones could be the cause for their oily skin and breakouts, once the therapist has found their clients requirements, they can decide on their therapists needs, this can be confirmed by assessing the client's suitability, client agreement, realistic outcome, cost, duration and frequency of treatments and any additional services. For example, a client wanting a makeup treatment with oily and breakout skin, the therapist may decide to go for a matte, full coverage look to minimise appearance of breakouts and to prevent excess oils. After every treatment, the therapist must give aftercare and recommendations. They can do this by explaining the treatment to the client, advising the client with the most suitable treatment for them and further treatments needed. Client care and any questions from the client. For example, a recommendation could be to get a facial to prevent breakouts and to top up with a setting powder throughout the day to prevent excess oils. It is important that the client has a clear idea of what their treatment is and consists of and that they have been recommended the most suitable treatment for them. The client should have aftercare advice, how to prevent contra- actions. If the client cannot have the treatment they wanted, the therapist should recommend another treatment that they could have, recommend products for them and have good knowledge when they make



recommendations. The therapist must talk clearly when giving advice to ensure the client understands. It is important therapists adapt to the retail sales techniques to meet client requirements as sales techniques include the performance of body language, verbal and nonverbal communication, testers, samples, links to treatment, product knowledge, benefits, listen to clients needs, record cards and lifestyle factors. These all help the therapist to deliver a successful treatment so it is important that they adapt to these methods effectively. To improve own working practices, SWOT analysis can be used to look at different sectors. Also looking at the performance of sales, productivity and analysis can show where to improve. A more interactive way to find improvement is to get feedback from clients, mystery shoppers and peer assessments. All these can show where to improve working practices. All client complaints must be dealt with in a polite and professional manner, this is good client care. Any complaint should be passed onto a senior therapist/ receptionist or manager to be dealt with properly and to resolve the situation. Good communication, eye contact, facial expressions are used at all times. The situation is dealt with calmly and there should be methods of recording complaints.



Daftar Pustaka: 1. https://www.cosmetic-couture.academy/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Client-care-andcommunication-in-beauty-related-industries-1.pdf 2. https://www.nextstepbeauty.co.uk/blog/insights/effective-communication-with-clients/ 3. https://www.lockhart-meyer.co.uk/salon-body-language-tips-that-give-the-rightimpression/