Client feedback is one of the best tools for creating a healthier practice. It’s sometimes hard to hear, but honest client criticism is like a business consultant showing you the error of your ways—for free. The trick is to listen.
Here’s what US consumers have to say about their massage experiences* (it’s valuable feedback to consider):
Clients want you to upsell them to longer sessions.
When asked what could have made their most recent massage better, 24 percent of respondents said “longer session.” That’s an easy fix. When a client rolls off the table saying she wishes she could stay longer, make a note in her file. When she calls to rebook, ask her if she would like a longer session this time. Better yet, talk her into booking that longer session while the massage glow is still fresh in her body (and mind) and before she walks out the door.
Clients want to pay for their services with a debit card (44 percent), not necessarily a credit card (16 percent). That’s actually good news for you as debit cards have a cheaper service fee for businesses than credit cards. Cash came in a healthy second choice (27 percent) for how massage clients prefer to settle their bill.
If 60 percent of clients want to pay with a debit or credit card, let them. Set up a card-reader account you can use with your phone. It’s easy and pays for itself in no time. (ABMP has partnered with CellCharge to offer members a discount on their card-reader service. Log in to www.abmp.com and click on “Discounts” for more information.)
Clients need to be heard. Nearly 20 percent of massage clients surveyed said the intensity of the massage—too deep, not deep enough, too intense, not intense enough—was something that could have made their massage better. Remembering to check in with clients throughout the session can ensure they are at their highest level of comfort and not thinking about how they wish you would leave that knot on their back alone. Communication is key to creating an excellent experience for the client, and a loyal customer for you.
Clients want you to sssssshhh! Of surveyed clients who received a massage in 2012, 47 percent think it’s important that their massage therapist remain quiet throughout the session. This can be tricky, as clients often don’t realize they are the “noise” in the room. If your client is the chatty one, gently remind her that the conversation seems to be holding stress in her tissues so maybe you should focus together on the work at hand. Don’t forget to quietly check in, but do what you can to encourage the client to find her quiet space.
Clients will look for you on the Internet. Do you have a website? You need one. Of the survey respondents, 50 percent said they would look for a massage provider on the Internet. Your website is your digital business card and is mandatory in today’s business world. If you’re not online, to many consumers, you don’t exist.
Have you built your FREE website yet? It’s easier than you might think. Log in to www.abmp.com, go to the Marketing Center tab, and find “Member Website.” Watch a video tutorial or follow our easy, step-by-step directions to get started.
Consider any candid feedback you get from your clients as valuable information. You can grow as a therapist and energize your practice by always seeking to make the customer experience better. And when it’s better, your clients will never want to lose you!
Want more? Read the May/June 2013 issue of Different Strokes for more client communication tips.
Karrie Osborn is senior editor at ABMP.
*ABMP 2013 National Consumer Survey—Statistics courtesy of Harstad Strategic Research, January 2013.