Patti and Ken Yeo, California Tan

Established in 1988, California Tan has stood as an ambassador of moderate exposure and the power of base tans. Now enjoying its second generation of family ownership, the salon thrives by keeping things simple and maintaining a friendly atmosphere. Current operations manager Penny Hubbard explains how these two elements have led to success:

I think a big part of the reason people come back is the family vibe of California Tan. People are amazed when they come into the salon, even if it has been years after their last visit, and we remember their names. It’s a very down-to-earth place.

We also do what we can to take care of our customers. In addition to having all of their information on the computer, we still have a hard copy record of their sessions that they have to initial. This way we don’t have people utilizing someone else’s sessions. Sure we have had competition, and people will go to check out the new thing in town, but people come back because of the service they get. Some people will be attracted to the flashy thing in town, but they really do end up missing us when they have to deal with cutthroat sales tactics.

We have also done some pricing changes to make things clear and simple. Some people have had experiences with complicated contracts and hidden fees in the past, and it left a bad impression. We wanted to make sure our pricing wasn’t confusing. We also freeze EFT accounts with no charges for three months. We also have monthly packages that don’t require a commitment. No one wants to feel lied to or overstretched, and I don’t want people to think we are doing that to them.

Because our pricing incentivizes people to stay for a longer duration, we are usually able to get people on a yearly contract. We also have a six month contract with no initiation fee, but if you make a commitment less than that, we do have a fee just to protect the company from people who abuse the memberships to get a good deal.

To learn more about the salon, visit www.califtan.com.