Comprehensive client consultations help you to understand their goals and expectations and gives them more insight as to what they can expect from this and future appointments. Alyssa McArley, marketing manager at Kitomba Salon & Spa Software reveals how to formalise the process.
Formalising your consultation process using forms can help you and your clients get even more out of this vital part of a client visit. It’s not about using forms to replace personal interaction with your clients, it’s about giving every client a consistent experience. Sometimes it’s appropriate to leave clients to complete forms themselves, but you don’t want it to feel impersonal. Where appropriate, sit down with your clients as you usually would, using paper or electronic forms as a tool to guide your consultation. You may discuss the questions and complete the form on your client’s behalf or support them as they complete it themselves.
Get to know your new clients
One of the most fundamental forms you can use is a new client form. Of course, you’ll be collecting client contact information on a client’s first visit, but you can also use this as a tool to help better serve their needs by getting to know their preferences, goals, lifestyle, appetite for change and how much advice they are looking for. You could even ask about their preference for conversation or quiet time during their visit. Software that allows your client to securely enter their information and automatically updates their client card makes it easy to store, update and access the information. It’s worth checking in with returning clients too, to ensure the information you have is all up to date.
Record consent
Some treatments will require you to obtain consent before you can complete the appointment. Protect your business from legal liability by implementing a standardised consultation process to ensure all required discussion and signatures are completed before treatment begins. Going through this process is important for your business and also helps with building a relationship of trust with your client. It shows them that you are an expert at what you do and that you’re considering all of their individual needs. If you use electronic forms you’ll be able to obtain a digital signature from your client, confirming that they understand the process and any risks involved in their treatment.
Collect and securely store important information
Discussing and capturing your client’s medical and treatment history can also be important. Utilising a medical history form ensures you accurately and consistently collect this information, reducing the risk of missing something relevant. This is important, sensitive information so storing it in your software system can give you and your clients peace of mind that it is secure and safe.
Facilitate a treatment plan
The main goal of your client consultation is to better understand your client’s history and goals so that you can create a treatment plan, whether for a single appointment or a series of appointments. Using a form to record your recommended plan enables you to save a copy of it in your salon and spa software system, along with progress photos if applicable. Attaching the treatment plan to the client card makes it easy to review the treatment plan with the client at the start of future appointments to make sure you’re still on the same page. When booking your client’s upcoming appointments, refer back to your treatment plan to ensure return visits booked at the right time to produce the best outcome for the client. Having a series of appointments booked in advance lets the client know what their treatment schedule is. You can also set up automatic email or text reminders to help to reduce no shows.
Create consistency
Using forms to facilitate client consultations helps to create a system of quality and consistency. Ensuring each and every client receives the same care and attention in the consultation process, no matter which staff member is completing it. Store completed forms in your salon software so your staff can securely access any relevant history, consents or other information you have on file before meeting with a client for the first time, and see at a glance if there are any outstanding forms or consents to be completed. This way your client receives personalised service every time, regardless of which staff member they meet with.
Provide improved aftercare
During or after each appointment, you’ll need to communicate any necessary aftercare advice to your client. Taking into account everything you have learned about your client in this appointment or previous consultations enables you to recommend the most personalised aftercare. The ability to easily refer to records from previous appointments ensures you can offer consistent and considered recommendations and advice, even if it’s been a while since their last visit.
Reduce admin with electronic forms
For all their benefits and necessities, forms can carry with them an administrative burden. Copying information from paper forms into client cards, scanning and saving a copy into your salon software and then filing the paper away is time-consuming. This manual process can also lead to errors such as forms being attached to the wrong client or information being incorrectly entered. All of this paperwork also comes at an environmental and financial cost. Salon software with inbuilt customisable form functionality such as Kitomba Salon and Spa Software can solve these problems by automatically doing much of the admin for you, and letting you go paper-free.
Formalising your client consultation process using forms can help you to provide a more comprehensive, personalised service for each and every client visit. Taking advantage of electronic forms gives you the additional benefits of convenience and security for both your staff and clients.
Kitomba Salon and Spa software has recently released customisable digital forms for client consultations, consent and collecting information such as medical history. Forms can be completed by clients on any device and are wautomatically saved to their Client Card, ensuring they can be easily referred to later. Book a demo to see how Kitomba Salon and Spa Software can help you go paperless and save time.
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