Owning a martial arts school in a small town has been part of my life for almost 10 years. When the business started off with just a handful of students, it seemed simple enough to listen to requests and find a way for everyone to be content.

Fast forward to now and it can be a little harder to stay on top of what my clients want and figure out how to say yes to them. If I have learned much of anything in this decade of customer service, it is the new spin on the old saying that the customer is always right.
Don Gallegos, president of the King Sooper’s retail chain says it best: “The fact is the customer is not always right, but they are always the customer. Wrong customers spend money, so what is it you want to win: the argument or the customer? So many times, organizations think they are providing a good service simply by providing a product. But often, their competitors have the same products, so why are some companies more successful than others?”

“The truly outstanding customer-service establishments are more successful from the rest because of their capability to effectively bridge any gap between their company’s performance and the client’s expectation.”

The truly outstanding customer-service establishments are more successful from the rest because of their capability to effectively bridge any gap between their company’s performance and the client’s expectation. Simply put, when companies provide more quality customer service than others, they stay in business longer.
Mastering this art is crucial to service-based industries like aesthetics. While a service is being provided, there is much room for interpretation from the client on how their expectations should be catered. In my experience, there should be a goal to reciprocally achieve satisfaction between the client and provider.
In this month’s issue, licensed aestheticians and successful spa owners, Douglas Preston and Catherine Kooiman, have great tips for handling customer service in the spa. Turn to page 80 to read about the importance of customer service, then continue on page 86 and learn how to set the tone and be consistent and exceptional with it.
Remember, while the customer is not always right, they are always the customer.

Amanda Strunk Miller
Associate Publisher