To Groupon or Not Groupon

The Groupon for hair salons, to me, signifies the death rattle of this industry, but more importantly, it is the death rattle of your salon. It signifies the last gasp of trying to keep your doors open. If you feel that your service is so deficient that you have to offer discounts in order to encourage new customers.

Your participation in a Groupon-like service is of great concern, and you must consider the impact it will have will on the reputation of your salon, your employees, and our entire industry. Are we going to become an industry full of discounted services. What if your doctors, cabbies, or surgeons were giving you 30% off coupons?

Would that prompt you to stay with them, or would you run for the hills?

If you are thinking about Groupon or another social coupon services, seriously consider the reputation of your salon and the impact your participation will have on the income of your employees.

It is very difficult to eke a living out of the hairstyling industry, so by discounting your services, you will lose talented employees to higher paying entities. It would behoove you to invest in your talent, your salon, and your overall reputation, rather than banking on short-term gains by discounting your services.

Quality clients are not looking for friends when they come to the hair salon, and they are not seeking bargains on services. A discerning client is not interested in discounted services. Clients pick a salon for far more than just a haircut or a color. That is their take-away, but the lasting impression will far out-weight the cut and color: so make sure it is worth their buck.

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