What REALLY makes Clients Happy

Short answer? When they feel like they matter.

Longer answer, and the ‘hidden truth,’ that isn’t very hidden? This actually has very little to do with the service you provide. In fact, you can get so lost in the service that you’re providing, you may miss the whole point.

Check out this story of my direct experience. It begins with me as a new stylist, at the very beginning of my career 23 years ago, and a client named Susan…

Susan came to me within the first 6 months of my beginning to serve paying clients. Fresh out of a 2.5-year apprenticeship, I was already fully booked. Since I grew my clientele so quickly, the support I needed to do this as a ‘newbie’ stylist effectively, hadn’t been hired by the salon yet. This was when I first met Susan.?

She was the last client of a fully booked day, and I was running about 30 minutes late. ‘Hello Susan! It’s a pleasure to meet you!’ I enthusiastically exclaim. ‘You’re LATE.’ Susan replies loudly, and irritated. ‘I apologize,’ I respond, having to stuff down my own anxiety ridden experience of the day. I politely offer a choice: a quick shampoo and beautiful blow-dry, or reschedule the appointment. ‘Just get me shampooed and style it.’ Again, loudly and irritated. I bring Susan to the shampoo bowl, and by the time we had finished an efficient and RELAXING shampoo, we were laughing and talking.?

So began a 7 year relationship. Susan was my last appointment, every Thursday, of every week. Do you know any extreme ‘glass half empty’ people? That was Susan. Fortunately, I finally got an assistant, and their mission on Thursdays was to make sure, that no matter what happened during the day, I had to be on time for her.?

Every appointment began -

Me: ‘Hey Susan! How’re you doin’?’ I was, and still am, very enthusiastic.?

Susan: ‘Well, of course on the way in, some jackass cut me off on the highway, and…’?

Me to my assistant: ‘Give Susan the deluxe shampoo! These roads have been putting her through it today!’ or some such related comment.?

Every appointment began this way, and by the end we were both laughing, chatting away, like highways didn’t even exist. I grew to really love seeing Susan every Thursday.

Then came the upheaval of 2008. It was a very challenging time, that saw many of my clients have to move to find or follow work, including Susan. For those of you wondering where I’ve been going with this story up until now, here’s the point.?

When Susan came in for her last appointment with me, it began just as it always had. This time though, when she returned to my chair after the shampoo, things took a turn…

?

Susan: ‘I’m really going to miss you Yureesh.’?

That really hit me, because she wasn’t a ‘touchy-feely’ sort.?

Me: ‘I’m really going to miss you too Susan!’?

Susan: ‘Not as much as I’m going to miss you.’?

Oh wow…?

Me: 'Why would you say that Susan? Of COURSE I’m going to miss you every bit as you’ll miss me!’?

As Susan looked around the bustling salon, she responded:

‘No you won’t. You have all of this, I only speak to someone every Thursday at 5:30.’?

Mic Drop.

All of her appointments flashed in front of me. Over the past 7 years Susan shared that she didn’t speak with her family. She was widowed young, and it must have been very traumatic because she never engaged in another relationship after that. She was in leadership at her job, so she listened a lot, but it would’ve been inappropriate for someone in her position to share back. Her only connection was her dog, which she had with her at most appointments, and apparently, me.

What we do is common, HOW we do it is what’s unique. Susan wanted a weekly blow-dry. What she NEEDED was connection. She could’ve gotten her hair cut and styled with countless stylists, but connection is something different. Feeling like you matter is something different. Missing someone is something different. Now I’m not saying that you’ll be able to give crappy services, provide an amazing experience, and be successful. What I AM saying is that haircuts grow out, an incredible experience can live on forever in the mind. If my sole focus with Susan was the blow-dry’s, I would’ve missed the whole point.

When your business is focused on true connection, and building meaningful relationships, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE! It’s the strong foundation, on top of which everything else can flourish. We all learn so much during the course of our lives, many of those lessons are missed, misunderstood, or never moved from lesson into action. Visit my website www.yureeshstyle.com. I can help you to see your life with fresh eyes, identify all of the lessons within it, and develop systems to put those lessons into positive action to support your business, your team, and yourself! Explore additional insights on my? IG and YouTube channels!