Warm Welcome

Loyal clients are a catch for every salon, so why not snag them when they’re fresh on the scene? Introducing salons to their potential regulars, Welcomemat Services mails promotional packages to newcomers in a community, using data from more than 35 sources to locate their addresses. New residents receive personalized gift certificates from area businesses, such as a free haircut from the local salon. Each certificate is encoded to provide tracking and informational reports, helping salons determine their demographics and rate of redemption. Based in Charlotte, NC, Welcomemat services clients in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, and plans to expand nationwide.

The service offers six-month contracts in which monthly packages are sent to hundreds of residents. At 69 cents per household, Welcomemat often yields substantial rewards. “It’s worked pretty well,” says Peter Evans, owner of Stella Nova Spa and Salon in Charleston, SC, who employed the service for two new changes. “The key is having a bounce-back program, so we can monitor the redemption rate.” Since joining the service last November, Stilla Nova has gained some 124 new clients, a redemption rate of 25 to 30 percent. While the salon initially offered discounted services, it now recommends the most widely used promotion, a free haircut. And to further increase business, the salon chooses to set an expiration date. “Some people will take a while to come to your salon,” Evans says. “You should establish a three-month time limit so people take advantage of the offer.”

Welcomemat is, of course, only a gateway to loyal clientele; the true test lies with the salon. “It’s up to them to find a client, send an offering and get them in,” says Evans. “But it’s up to us to retain them.” Even so, as new residents are statically more likely to become loyal customers, it’s certainly the beginning of a beautiful friendship.