Even as an established tanning provider in an affluent area near Los Angeles, Jon Enke is always looking out for the next big thing that will generate additional revenue. The outlook has served Tan L.A. Day Spa well over the years, from being an early adopter of automated sunless booths, to airbush tanning, a variety of diversified services, and the latest craze that has energized the business and complemented their tanning services: cryotherapy.

Deciding how to evolve and improve the business certainly involves research and other considerations, but Jon relies most on simply staying in tune with his clients interests and experiences.

“Listening to the customers is the single most important thing,” he says. “Hearing their feedback, engaging with them and seeing what else they’re doing elsewhere – I was talking to customers about cryotherapy, just telling me to try it out personally, and that was what got me interested.”

Jon is well suited to pick up on these ideas because of his general focus on customer service and two-way communication. He works the counter at the salon 50 to 60 hours a week. In the rare times he’s not there, his manager of eight years, Sean, is ensuring every client will encounter a familiar face and someone they know has the experience and know-how they can trust, with every interaction.

“Customers love the stability of seeing the same two people when they come in,” Jon says. “You feel comfortable, have rapport, tell stories and connect personally, so that’s a big aspect. We always have one or two bed runners here as well, so we can focus 100 percent on the customer coming in the door.”

Click here to read the entire article in the latest issue of Smart Tan Magazine online.