By John Toston, Tan-Link

It’s that time of year again: the time where you notice that your tanning salon, which was once bustling with motivated new tanners, has begun to revert to its previous state of mostly “the regulars,” and members start to cancel their packages or memberships.

The tanning season likely brought a surge of new memberships, and while your regular members are probably grateful, they don’t have to wait for tanning beds or be put on a waiting list anymore. You’re getting nervous about all the new members who seem to have jumped ship.

So, what can your salon do to not only attract new tanning members but also keep them for as long as possible? Below are four excellent membership retention ideas to help you keep your members satisfied, successful, and coming back for more.

Personalize the experience

It all starts with your front desk staff. Your members have done the majority of the work — they’ve committed to tan at your salon and are active members. Now it’s your job to make sure your members walk right back out the door.

Make sure that your front desk staff is ready to greet members and guests with a smile when they come in. Make sure your team can learn members’ names which helps make the member feel a part of the salon. Creating a welcoming and comfortable atmosphere lets your members know that you care about them and are invested in helping them.

Reach out at the right time

In the world of tanning salon marketing, timing is everything — especially when it comes to retention.

Take personalizing your tanning salon a step further and utilize your member data inside your software to reach out to them at the right time. Be sure to collect data such as check-ins, purchases, goals, and milestones that can help you hone in on when members might require a little extra encouragement or possibly a push to upgrade their package.

Has your staff noticed that a particular member has not been coming to the salon lately? Send them a friendly email or text encouraging them to get back in the groove — you might catch them before they decide to cancel. Also, allow your software to send automated text messages to your members for different reasons. For example, Happy Birthday, Expiring Package, and much more!

In addition, take notes of when a member seems more committed than ever. If a member shows up more than usual, purchasing more products, etc., take advantage of that increased interest. Ask if they’d like to sign up for an upgraded package or service, and remind them about your referral program at your tanning salon.

Create a simple loyalty program

 To help increase member retention at your tanning salon, start implementing a loyalty program with in-store account money that your members can redeem for products or upgrades. Entice members to sign-up for an EFT membership package to obtain more rewards and a percentage off of purchases.

Utilizing a rewards program at your tanning salon provides your members in-store account money back for specific tasks, actions, or milestones members complete. Your members will think twice before canceling because the amount of money they have accumulated for reward money will entice them to keep their membership.

Collect member feedback

One of the best ways to find out what members want out of your tanning salon is to ask. Using a traditional paper survey (or a more sophisticated digital survey on your website or sent via email or text) can help provide insight into areas where you need to improve.

It could be that your salon needs more variety of beds or services, or that the music is way too loud, or that your salon does not offer times that accommodate various schedules.

Start repeating the survey several times throughout the year at your tanning salon to ensure that your tanning salon provides the best experience possible. Please don’t be shy about following up personally with those who give you feedback, letting them know you appreciate it and are working to address their concerns.

Increase Your Tanning Salon Retention 

Start implementing these four strategies to help improve retention at your tanning salon. Using an all-in-one tanning salon software can help you, and your staff keep track of member data and quickly implement better techniques to help your salon improve retention.