How to Gain

clients (and keep

them coming back!)
A guide to building your client
base through customer service
and marketing.
Contents
02 Introduction
05 Research & building a client base
07 Research
09 The ‘Leaky Bucket’ Theory

1 1 T h e i m p o r ta n c e o f c u s t o m e r s e r v i c e
13 You can’t please everyone!
14 Top Tips for complaints

1 5 I m p o r ta n t P o l i c i e s
16 Policies to have in place /Non-Refundable booking fee policy
17 24/48 hour cancellation notice policy
19 Client lash hygene policy
20 Early/Late Policy / No audience policy
21 Infilling another technicians work policy

2 2 E l e vat i n g y o u r c u s t o m e r ’ s e x p e r i e n c e
23 Great customer service decreases problems / Atmosphere
24 Client consultation
25 Pricing / Booking service / Habits
26 Creating a positive environment
27 Other things to consider

2 8 I m p o r ta n c e o f w o r d o f m o u t h
31 How to build word of mouth

34 Promotions & Offers

35 Refer a friend
36 Reward loyalty / Offer discount

3 7 B u i l d i n g c l i e n t L o ya lt y
38 Contact / Welcome feedback
39 Personal touches
40 Client Facebook groups
41 Manage expectations
42 Aftercare

4 3 R e l at i o n s h i p b u i l d i n g & E n g a g e m e n t
44 Relationships and why?
45 Engagement

4 6 C o l l a b o r at i o n s
47 Working with clients / Sponsoring events
48 Collaborations

49 Conclusion
2
Introduction
If you’ve been following us for a while, then you’ll
know that education is at the forefront of everything
we do. We want to help you in all aspects of your lash
career (not just the lashing part). We have blogs, a
YouTube channel, eBooks and of course Instagram
and Facebook.

Our eBooks provide a deep dive into a range of lash

related topics. We get a lot of questions at LashBase,
and we love to help every single one of you!

However, we do like to go into detail! We could talk

forever about lash education, products and social
media but sometimes it’s easier to have all the info
in one place so it’s easy to access. Since the lash
industry reopened and lash artists returned to work,
we’ve seen one question in particular pop up across
the lash forums…

“How do I get more clients?”

The bad news is, there’s no simple answer to this.
But the good news is we have loads of tips and tricks
to share, which will help you gain more clients. We
understand that after multiple lockdowns and lash
artists being out of work client retention may be
difficult.

This eBook is perfect for anyone who’s just starting

out in the industry and is looking to build their client
base, or for anyone who has returned to lashing and is
struggling with booking clients in for lash treatments.
Introduction
Hopefully, we will teach you some things you may have
not known before and explain why customer service,
good word of mouth and marketing is essential to
build a loyal client base.

We’ll also teach you some ways you can gain more
clients without being ‘pushy’ and how you can keep
clients coming back for return appointments.

So it’s time to grab your notepad and pen, let’s get

started…
Researching & building a client base

5
Building a client base
If you’re new to the lash world, the first question you’ll
probably have is ‘how do I start building a client base?’.

It’s rare that you’ll have a long list of clients when

you’re just starting out, building a client base takes
time and patience, so remember don’t put too much
pressure on yourself!

If you’ve just completed your lash training, start

by working on friends and family at a significantly
discounted price while you’re learning. The more
lashes you can get your hands on, the more practice
you will get. Friends and family are great people to
start on, because you’ll feel more at ease and they’ll
be more patient. A mannequin head will not give you
the real-life experience you need nor will it pay you.
Just aim for covering your costs at this stage, you can
update your prices later down the line once you’ve
built your speed and technique.

If you’ve been lashing for a while or have a salon, you’ll

probably already have a steady client base, however
you’ll need to combine great lashes, marketing and
passion to ensure those clients keep coming back.
Research
Research where your clients are
If you want to find clients, you need to do your
research. To put it simply, if you’re a lash artist and you
want to make money by doing clients’ lashes then you
need to be seen by people that are looking to book in
for lashes. So, you need to focus and grow an audience
of people that can benefit from your business by
making you money.

You need to put yourself in the clients shoes,

if you were looking to book a beauty treatment:
• What would you look for?
• What would gain your interest?
• Where would you search?

If you want to get clients then you need to use

language that your potential clients will understand
and engage with and you also need to be speaking
to people in your local area.

If your target audience is likely to use Instagram,

then make sure when you post on Instagram you use
the ‘tag location’ function and be sure to tag your
local location. This will help people in the local area
discover you.

As a lash artist, you may think that having thousands

of followers on Instagram should be the goal. But
that’s where you are wrong. You want to aim to have
a smaller, more engaged group of people that can
provide you with income vs thousands of followers
from across the world.

It’s all about understanding that Instagram for

business is not a popularity contest but instead
a tool to help you make money.
Research
Alternatively if your clients are using other social
media platforms more frequently, you’ll need to
focus your efforts on these platforms. If your clients/
potential clients use Facebook, it may be worth
investing some money into Facebook ads, so you
can target this specific client base. In addition to
Facebook ads, you can get involved in Facebook
groups, offer your services and engage with potential
clients.

In addition to this, if your clients are interested

in lashes, it’s likely that they’ll be interested in
other beauty treatments too. Therefore, you can
advertise your lash business in local tanning salons/
hairdressers (anywhere that doesn’t already offer
lashes) and reach new clients this way.

We’ll go into some more detail on this technique later

in this eBook.
Why client r et ent io n is
be tter than aq u isit io n
You may think that acquiring new clients is more
important than retaining the clients you do have,
however understanding the concept of customer
relationship management will help increase customer
lifetime value.

This is where the ‘Leaky Bucket’ theory comes in. If you

haven’t heard of this before, the below analogy should
help:

The theory uses a bucket that has several holes in the

base and its walls. A hose is put into the bucket and
it is filled with water. Some of the water will run out
the holes. In the analogy, water going into the bucket
represents new customers being acquired and the
water flowing out of the bucket represents customers
lost to the firm. The amount of water in the bucket
represents the total customer base of the firm at that
time.

New customers

Lost customers
Why client r et ent io n is
be tter than aq u isit io n
The ‘Leaky Bucket’ Theory
As there is a constant flow of new clients and a
consistent loss of existing customers the size of the
total customer base constantly varies - sometimes
upwards and sometimes declining depending on the
water flow into the bucket, and the number of holes
that water can flow out of.

This analogy is designed to highlight that the firm has

two approaches:
• Increasing the water flow into the bucket
(increasing the number of new clients)
• Reduce or plug some of the holes in the bucket to
reduce water loss (concentrate on client retention)

This theory is the challenge that lash artists face

when it comes to marketing their business. Whether
they should focus on gaining new clients, or focus on
retaining existing clients.

To keep the bucket topped up you need to acquire new

customers or stop old ones leaving. Acquiring new
clients is harder, so therefore it’s worth putting your
efforts into client retention. We’ll be explaining some
ways in which you can improve client loyalty later in
the eBook.

But first, we want to explain the importance of

customer service…
T h e i m p o r ta n c e o f c u s t o m e r s e r v i c e

Customer
s e r v i c e i s v i ta l
to running a
successful lash
business and to
keep your clients
coming back.

11
T he impo rta n ce o f
c usto m er serv ice
H o w y o u t r e at y o u r c l i e n t
before, during and after their
l a s h a p p o i n t m e n t r e a l ly i s k e y.

Working in the beauty industry, means you get to

know our customers a bit more personally. Customer
service is important because it is a great way to build
relationships with clients. By simply listening to
your client, you can learn a lot about their needs and
preferences.

Good customer service keeps old clients coming back

for the same or different services. These clients make
up a large part of your business’ sustainability. While
good customer service preserves customer loyalty,
it also promotes customer conversion. Customer
conversion refers to the ability to convince new clients
of the efficiency of the professional service providers.
Some customers may visit a lash artist/salon and
leave if they do not feel welcomed so it’s worth
keeping this in mind.

If you have set guidelines, policies and boundaries in

place and you can communicate that with your client,
then you’ll build a loyal customer base. You need to
consider every stage, not just the lashing part.

So how do you provide great customer service?

We’re going to go into more detail…

T he impo rta n ce o f
c usto m er serv ice
Remember you can’t please everyone!
Before we explain how you can offer great customer
service, it’s important to remember you can’t please
everyone.

A big part of good customer service is dealing with

complaints. No one likes to deal with complaints
but remember it’s not personal. Whatever the
client is upset about will be something to do with
your business, whether that’s retention, or the fact
they couldn’t book in with you, because you were
busy. Whatever the problem is, remember it’s not a
reflection on you. However, the way you deal with the
issue will be a reflection on your service and business.

Remember:
You are the authority, the client comes to you
because you have the answers. Use your expertise
and knowledge and help the client uderstand the
issue.
T he impo rta n ce o f
c usto m er serv ice
If you’re not sure how to deal with complaints,
here are some of our top tips:

• Do not blame someone

It doesn’t matter whose fault it is, no one likes to be
blamed. So don’t blame the client, this will only make
them defensive.

• Do not brush off their concern as

non-existent
• To the client the issue that exists, is important. So if
you try to brush it off, it will only make the problem
worse and the client will feel they are not being taken
seriously.

• Ta k e e a c h c u s t o m e r s e r i o u s ly
Even if the client’s complaint seems ridiculous, you
need to remain professional and take them seriously,
no matter how big or small the issue is.

• E m p at h i s e w i t h t h e c l i e n t
You need to understand the issue from their point
of view and understand what they are feeling. Put
yourself in their shoes and work with them to find the
solution to the problem.

• G e t a s m u c h i n f o r m at i o n a s p o s s i b l e
To help resolve the issue, gather as much information
from the client as possible. Ask for a step by step, and
ask questions. If you gather as much information
as possible you’ll find the reason why the issue is
happening a lot quicker.
I m p o r ta n t p o l i c i e s

15
P ol i ci e s to have in place
One way to crack down on complaints is to set clear
policies and guidelines. Before you start booking
clients, you need to put some policies in place.
Policies set standards, and let the client know what’s
expected of them and what you expect too.

The below policies will help stop no shows,

cancellations and therefore help client retention. If you
don’t have these in place already, you should definitely
think about introducing them. As always, sometimes
it’s not all black and white, and you can take clients
on a case by case basis.

Non-Refundable Booking Fee Policy

No shows are extremely frustrating. You sit around,
twiddling your thumbs, waiting for a client that is
never going to turn up. This means that you end up
losing out on valuable time and money. Clients never
think about the fact that you are running a business
and that you need money to live and why should they?

This is why a non-refundable booking fee is great. If

you take a small amount of money from the client
when they book in, we guarantee your noshow rate will
drop massively. It also means that if you ever do get a
noshow, you will still have made a little bit of money
to compensate you for your wasted time.

You may think that asking for some money up front

will scare clients off, but think of it this way... If a client
is 100% going to get their lashes done with you, what’s
the difference in paying it now or after? The clients
that refuse to pay are the ones that are most likely to
be a no-show anyway. So it’s a win-win.
P ol i ci e s to have in place
If you don’t know what to write or say, here’s an
example you can use for your policy:

“ To secure an appointment, I require a non-

refundable booking fee. This fee will be
discounted off the cost of your treatment.
Payment is made when you initially book,
either by PayPal or bank transfer (if over the
phone/online) or also in cash in person if
you prefer.

2 4 / 2 8 H o u r c a n c e l l at i o n n o t i c e p o l i c y
Moving on from no-shows to the equally as frustrating
clients that cancel just hours before an appointment.
In your clients head, there is nothing more they could
have done. They have called/messaged and let you
know the moment they knew themselves that they
couldn’t make it. But that doesn’t help the fact that
you are now stuck with an empty slot and no client to
fill it.

This is where having a 24/48 hour cancellation

policy comes in. If you don’t know what a 24/48 hour
cancellation policy is then, in short, if a client cancels
their appointment with you under 24 or 48 hours (you
pick the timing) before the actual appointment, you
still get a percentage (if not all) of the treatment price.
If you make your client aware of your policy when they
book, you will notice that clients will start to give you
more notice when they cancel or if they can’t, they will
have no choice but to accept.
P ol i ci e s to have in place
One thing we have found that doesn’t work is having a
cancellation policy where you ask for 50% or even 100%
of the treatment cost. If the client doesn’t care enough
to give you the correct amount of notice, they certainly
aren’t going to give you any more money for it. This is
why taking the booking fee is perfect. It then becomes
your leverage for cancellations as you already have the
money from them instead of asking for it even though
they aren’t coming.

Again, here is a ‘free to use’ example of a 24/48 hour

cancellation policy wording, which you can add to the
booking fee policy text:

“ I require at least 24/48 hours notice for any

clients that need to cancel. If you cannot
provide this notice it will result in the loss
of your booking fee. This policy is set as I
would not be able to refill the cancelled slot
in under 24/48 hours.
P ol i ci e s to have in place
Client Lash Hygene Policy
It’s always frustrating when a client turns up with
dirty lashes. Unfortunately, it’s not your clients fault if
you haven’t made them aware that wearing makeup
is a no-no and that it only wastes time. So make sure
you have a very clear no eye makeup policy in place.

This will ensure that your client will turn up with fresh,
clean lashes and lids, ready for being lashed. It also
works the other way, if they turn up with a face full of
makeup, they will already be aware they are wasting
their own time as you will need to spend part of their
allocated slot to lash prep and cleansing.

This one isn’t really that awkward to implement, so

mentioning it during the consultation is fine. However,
to cover your own back, here’s an example that you
can use on your website or policy documents:

“ I’d like to give every available minute

possible to applying your lashes. So please
arrive at your appointment, whether it is for
an infill or full set, with NO eye makeup on.
Eye makeup can affect lash extensions and
removing it takes up time and eats into the
slot you have paid for.
P ol i ci e s to have in place
E a r ly / L at e P o l i c y
Whether a client is early or late, it can negatively
affect your day. Clients may think they are doing you
a favour by turning up early, completely unaware that
those 10 minutes are sacred. Clients will also turn up
late, thinking that being 15 minutes late won’t affect
anything. What they don’t know is it means less time
for lashing, it means you’ll be more rushed, resulting
in poorer work and neither of you wants that. So a
simple early/late policy solves both issues.

No Audience Policy
Most lash rooms can fit 2 maybe 3 people in. So
when a client turns up with their friend, Mum, child,
dog, sister, auntie and 3rd cousin twice removed, it
can cause unneeded distractions. You don’t want
to spend your time entertaining an audience whilst
attempting to master something as precise as a
set of lashes, so make sure your clients are aware
that additional guests are not permitted, unless
prearranged, of course.
P ol i ci e s to have in place
Infilling other technicians work Policy
This one is up to you but we think you should
seriously consider taking this policy on board.

The reason for this is because other technicians use

different products and may not have the same quality
and care for their work. If you start mixing products
and clearing up the other technicians’ mess, you’ll
only waste time and the outcome won’t be ideal. This
may then result in clients being unsatisfied with you,
not their previous technician.

If you can implement all of these policies, we promise

you will see a positive change in the attitude of your
clients and also your reputation.

You may lose a few clients to start with, but they really
aren’t the clients you want to build your business on.
E l e vat i n g y o u r c l i e n t ’ s e x p e r i e n c e

22
Cu s t ome r E x perience
G r e at c u s t o m e r s e r v i c e
decreases problems
We know that problems and conflicts are inescapable
in every business. However they can be more
common in the lash industry as you’re provided a very
personalised service. Good customer service reduces
problems and prevents them from overwhelming your
lash business. When clients feel their opinions matter
and they can always voice any complaints, it becomes
easier to handle conflicts. This way, if you provide
great customer service, problems in your business /
service will be reduced and both you and your clients
will feel more comfortable.

Now we’ve discussed policies and how to deal with

complaints, let’s talk about some ways you can
provide great customer service…

Atmosphere
Lashing isn’t just about the end result, it’s about
the client experience. This is why creating a good
atmosphere is essential. You need to put yourself
in the clients shoes, if they are spending money on
getting their lashes done, they want to be comfortable
and relaxed. It is best to have a quiet room where
the client can relax while they get their lashes done.
You can play some relaxing music, offer a blanket for
comfort and let the client just lie back and relax.

All these things combined will help you offer the best
treatment possible, and the client will be still, allowing
you to focus on the lashes.
Cu s t ome r E x perience
C l i e n t C o n s u ltat i o n
As we’ve mentioned previously, you need to take care
of your client, before, during and after their treatment.

A client consultation is key to providing good

customer service. Talk to your client to determine
what it is that they want to achieve from their visit. Is
the treatment just routine or for a special occasion?
Do they have specific ideas or requirements that need
to be taken into account? This not only enables you to
provide them with the service and finished result they
are after but often leads into a two way interaction
which can help support the positive experience.

Clients want to come to you and have a great

experience. What you offer in experience will make
the client remember how they felt during and after
the treatment. Then they’ll be more likely to tell others
about their experience. Whenever you provide a lash
treatment for a new client your reputation is on the
line. No one wants to become known as the lash artist
that doesn’t listen to their customers or what they
want. For example - a bad haircut or the wrong beauty
treatment can leave customers feeling awful and they
will likely tell other people about their experience.

Take the time to listen to all your client’s needs,

whether they are brand new or your most loyal
customer. It is essential that clients feel valued, it will
ensure they stay loyal to your lash business which will
maximise their customer lifetime value to you.
Cu s t ome r E x perience
Offer a competitive price
This may seem obvious but many people charge a lot
for lashes. People may splurge once for extensions but
you want them coming back. Infills need to be priced
so that people will be able to justify spending the
money every month.

Research what other lash artists are charging in your

area and try to be competitive. Make sure you don’t
set your prices too low. Remember to know your worth
and factor in your treatment time, product cost and
expertise. If you’re not sure on pricing, we have a
podcast all about price setting which you can find on
Spotify.

A u t o m at e y o u r b o o k i n g s e r v i c e
Continuing on from booking, you want to make it
easy for your clients to schedule or reschedule their
appointments. Using an online booking system allows
them to instantly book or change their appointments
without waiting for you to text or call them back. If
you’re not sure what booking system to use, here are
our favourites: Booksy, Fresha, Shedul.

Build habits
Before your clients leave, have them book their next
appointment.

Encourage them to book multiple appointments at

once. You can create a recurring appointment at a set
interval to make it easy on your calendar and theirs.
Cu s t ome r E x perience
C r e at i n g a p o s i t i v e e n v i r o n m e n t
All lash artists are different, and the service provided
will be different. Eyelash extensions should look
natural and the client should not be able to feel them
AT ALL. Remember one bad extension job can put
a person off from extensions for life.

Make sure you’re investing in high quality products

from a trusted supplier. Practice with family members
and friends to continue to progress your skills, and
technique. An easy way to build customer loyalty is to
simply be the best out there. There are so many lash
artists out there, who are all great at what they do,
but clients just can’t justify the cost of going to all of
them, which is why you need to stand out.

If you’re just starting out, then feeling good about

your work and building your confidence may be hard
but have faith in yourself and believe in your work.
Take lots of photos of your sets, share your work and
showcase what you can do.

You need to provide polite, cheerful, efficient service.

If something happens that makes the client not
happy with the service, offer a discount. Saving money
makes everyone happy. It’s better to lose a little
money now and keep the client coming back.

You could also provide extra service for your regulars.

If a regular client needs to reschedule or is going to
be late for an appointment try to be as flexible as
possible. If a client refers someone to you, give them
a discount on their next fill.
Cu s t ome r E x perience
Other things to consider
Here are a few other top tips:

• Send reminder texts

Send a reminder to your client the day before their
appointment.

• Remind clients
Be sure to remind the client what they need to do
before they come to an appointment i.e. no makeup,
etc.

• Get an email address

Ask the client for their email address and send them
an email after the appointment describing how to
care for their lashes.

You want the client to love their lashes and feel like
they got a good value for their money. If you offer great
lashes, reasonable prices and great customer service
then clients will definitely keep coming back to you.
I m p o r ta n c e o f w o r d o f m o u t h

28
W or d of mouth
Good customer service will help
g e n e r at e w o r d o f m o u t h .

We say this so often but word of mouth is the most

effective form of marketing. It’s more effective than
any social media. If your clients tell one person each
about your service, imagine what that can do for your
business.

The aim for the appointment is to make that client

go and tell someone else about their experience. You
have to put yourself in the client’s shoes and think,
what would make that client go and tell someone else
about their experience.

Good word of mouth creates a buzz around your

business. Consumers trust their friends. This is
why word of mouth marketing is the most valuable
source of marketing. You may have a good number
of social media followers, but you have to establish
a connection with those followers to generate any
tangible benefit.

If your audience is not interested in you/your

business, they’re not likely to help you grow. Word of
mouth can help you generate real supporters and loyal
clients.

The more passionate your clients are about you and

your business, the more likely they’ll tell their friends/
family about it. Passing information through word of
mouth is powerful at influencing others. You want to
make sure you have real supporters.
W or d of mouth
Word of mouth is one of the biggest business
creators which can be massively beneficial or severely
detrimental.

If you have a client telling everyone about their terrible

experience, that will affect future referrals.

So, remember to always be professional and happy

when around your clients.

To help spread the word of your lash business,

you may want to consider the following:

• Give your clients something tangible, such as a refer

a friend card whereby they may get a small discount
when they refer a friend to you.

• Have a talking point. For example, take before and

after photos in front of a flower wall, which you post
on Instagram that your clients then re-share.

• Create a hashtag for your clients to use so that

others can browse more photos from your clients.

• Ask for reviews and ask them to share on their social

media pages. If you don’t ask, you don’t get.

• Surprise and over deliver. Give a premium service,

you could even hand out giftsat each appointment,
this doesn’t need to be expensive.
h o w to b ui ld Word
of mouth
You can build word-of-mouth advertising in many
ways. But one of the best ways is by getting positive
customer reviews. A majority 90% of people read
reviews before deciding whether or not to visit a
business, and 72% will only push through with a
purchase after reading positive reviews. Plus, good
reviews help build your brand’s social proof and boost
your online reputation – both terrific ways to gain
exposure and get even more people talking about you.

Customer reviews also allow you to expand into other

channels and platforms. Say, someone writes a review
about you on Facebook/Google. That review can then
be searched and shared across other channels, as
well. You can share some of the best reviews on your
own social media accounts, or even post them as
testimonials on your own website.

Remember to effectively use social media

to drive word of mouth marketing, you have
to be active and engaging. This means
providing valuable information, responding to
comments and questions, and even sharing
some of your clients user generated content.

The more connected you are to your followers, the

more likely they will become true fans and supporters.
And what do true fans usually do?

Share your brand with others and increase word of

mouth in new markets you may not have been able
to reach otherwise.
h o w to b ui ld Word
of mouth
Another top tip to remember with driving word of
mouth is that emotional attachments are one of
the biggest drivers. If people feel strongly about a
business or service, they are not likely to drop it, even
if a more logical option comes along. People respond
more to emotions, as well. Whether it’s something
happy, sad, funny, or otherwise, they instinctively
want to share it with others. So, if you can create
experiences that result in positive emotions, your
word-of-mouth efforts can go a long way.

Social media is a great tool to drive word of mouth. If

your clients have a positive experience, they are most
likely to recommend a friend or family member and
most of the time this will be through social media.

Word of mouth is a free form of advertisement (just

one of the reasons it’s so important). It’s shared by
customers and triggered by an event the customer
experiences.
h o w to b ui ld Word
of mouth
This is how it all links together:

Exceptional Experience

+
B u i l d i n g R e l at i o n s h i p s

=
H a p p y c l i e n t s who will keep coming back
for more and will tell all their friends and family
about you and the service you provide.
Promotions & Offers

34
Promotions & Offers
Promotions are a great way to generate some
business and to get you and your business out there.
However, there is a fine line between good promotions
and promotion overload. If you are always running a
deal or discount, then it will cheapen your image and
could make you look desperate for business.

Here are our tips on how to run a successful discount/

promotion:

1. Refer a friend
When you are with a client and you’re applying their
lashes explain to them that if they can refer a friend
or up to x amount of people then they can have a free
set or money off their next treatment. New clients
can then approach you and mention the name of the
person that sent them to you. You can then make
a note of that person’s name and offer them a free
appointment once they’ve hit their referral. This works
really well because not only will you get 5 new clients
all paying full price, but your client will be happy to
receive a set for free. Then, if those 5 clients go on
to refer 5 friends each, your client base will build
rapidly. This way your clients are technically bringing
in clients for you, and this saves you the leg work and
will help you generate more word of mouth.

Refer a friend
You can do this in person or send a promotional
text out to your client base.
Promotions & Offers
2 . R e w a r d l o ya lt y
This is a simple one, if the same client comes back
to you 3/5/10 times (you can choose the number) in
a row you can reward their loyalty. What this does is
cement you a paying client for a prolonged length of
time because they will want that free/half price set
for being loyal. Whether you offer this in the form of a
card with stamps or just note it down in your books or
PC it’s up to you!

3. Offer discount
This is another easy one. Offer a cheaper rate for
the days that you are quieter. Don’t offer cheaper
rates at the weekend as this is when you know you’ll
be busiest. If midweek is the quietest then offer a
discount for a midweek appointment. Even if your
weekend client wants to move to the midweek
because it’s cheaper then that’s great. This is
because you know it will be easier to fill a weekend
appointment with another full price client anyway.
B u i l d i n g C l i e n t L o ya lt y

37
C l i e n t L o ya lt y
C o n ta c t
It needs to be easy for your clients to contact you in
order to form and maintain a relationship with them.
We’re not saying you need to be available 24/7 but
have your replying hours (maybe pop these in your
bio) and stick to them! You can get an automated
message on your social media which replies to the
client and lets them know when they can expect
a reply.

Make sure you have a range of contact options for

different clients. It’s unlikely your more mature clients
will message over Instagram, so have a business
email and provide a contact number to ensure you
can cater to everyone.

By having multiple contact options, you can attract

a wider variety of clients.

Welcome Feedback
Whether it’s good or constructive, feedback is so
important. Constructive feedback can be even more
valuable than positive feedback. A great way to
manage and encourage feedback is to message all
the clients you’ve seen that day when you get home
from work. This is a great way to check if they are
happy with treatment and you could also provide
them with a link to your Facebook so they can leave a
review. Good or constructive you can always learn from
feedback and you can use the advice to improve your
clients experience with you.
C l i e n t L o ya lt y
Personal touches
Adding a personal touch to your service is such an
important part of running a business and something
that clients will pick up on quickly and remember. As
we mentioned earlier in the eBook, people respond
to emotions and like to feel valued. So if you can
incorporate this into your service then clients will
definitely return to you.

An easy way to do this is to keep a blank page in your

client records so that if they mentioned something
important like an upcoming holiday, a job interview
or that a member of their family is going to hospital
you can note this down. This way you can make sure
you can ask about it when you next see them. With
your regulars this will just come naturally, but this
can be helpful with new clients or people that come
in occasionally. It will make them feel special and it’s
also a great conversation starter.

Another idea is to send a birthday text message

to a client, or offer them a birthday discount on a
treatment or some money off their service.
C l i e n t L o ya lt y
Client Facebook Groups
Another way to build relationships with your clients
is to create a client Facebook group. It’s a great way
to update your clients and keep in contact with them
between appointments. A Facebook group can be a
little more informal, and you can post your treatment
availability, discounts and special offers. A Facebook
group offers a direct line to your clients, and will help
you build strong long lasting relationships therefore
increasing client retention.

If you want to improve your relationship with your

audience, the best thing to build is a sense of
community, where it’s not only business talking to
users, but also users to users. Building your own
Facebook group means you can grow your own
community. Most importantly, the conversations keep
going and the community keeps growing.
C l i e n t L o ya lt y
M a n a g e E x p e c tat i o n s
Another way to build good client relationships is to
be realistic and manage expectations. We’re sure
that most of you have experienced a client who has
arrived with very thin, sparse or damaged lashes and
has come in and shown a photo of the longest and
thickest lashes ever – not possible.

Remember you are the professional, so before you

start make sure you explain to the client why they may
not be able to achieve this look. It’s so much better
to speak up and be honest with the client rather than
them opening their eyes at the end of the treatment
expecting something else. Don’t be afraid to be honest
with your clients to achieve better results, they will
appreciate it.

You want to aim to turn every first-time client into a

loyal one and if you continue to exceed expectations
and provide a perfect service – you will do just that! Of
course, you’ll have those clients who come once a year
for their birthday or come every so often, but these are
still loyal clients who are choosing you each time and
supporting your business. You are your own brand, and
a brand is SO much more than just the products you
sell or treatments you provide. You must go further
and go above and beyond in every aspect that you can.
C l i e n t L o ya lt y
Aftercare
Make sure your client fully understands the aftercare
procedure. If a client looks after their lashes correctly,
they will last longer, and therefore make you look
better. If they don’t look after their lashes, and they
start to fall out, it’s almost certain that the client will
blame you (and they’re unlikely to return).

Great aftercare advice is a key part of customer

service, it not only helps the client but it also helps
you. Provide your clients with an aftercare kit that has
instructions and a few mascara wands for brushing
the lashes. This little gesture will cost you around £3-
£5 and provide your client with that extra bit of service
which makes a huge difference when it comes to a
client wanting to return or not.

You can also retail the aftercare kit to make a little

extra profit per client. Win-win!
R e l at i o n s h i p B u i l d i n g & E n g a g e m e n t

43
B u i l d i n g R e l at i o n s h i p s
Social media is the new front line for customer
service, and it provides you and your lash business
the opportunity to actively listen for positive feedback.
This means that you not only need to have a social
media presence, but you need to be actively listening
and engaging with your Instagram community as well.
Building relationships with your online community is
key.

Why? Because it builds trust, makes your business

more human and adds a personal touch.

If you actively build relationships with potential

clients, you soon convert these people into paying
clients.

At LashBase we pride ourselves on having a tight

knit and supportive community. We’ve built our
community in different ways such as engaging with
our followers, collaborating with influencers and
other brands, and running competitions and reward
programs. We have built an authentic relationship
with our followers and you need to be doing the same.
If done correctly, your followers will then share your
lash business with their community which will make
your online presence grow.
Engagement
We talk about the importance of engagement a lot!
Focus your efforts on engaging with potential clients,
not other lash artists. Remember lash artists are not
the ones paying your bills, so focus on engaging with
the people that will.

Important points to remember with this tactic:

1. You must target the right people. If you want clients,
focus locally.
2. Your comments must be genuine and relevant to
the post.
3. It feels weird and intrusive at first, but remember,
posting positive comments is not a bad thing.
4. You must schedule in time to do this consistently
once a day for anywhere from 10 minutes to 1 hour.

To put this tactic as an analogy, it’s like you going

around your local area and sticking your business
card to all the lamp posts. If you leave enough
genuine comments, then the person’s post that you
have commented on and all of the people that also
come across that post will see your name and your
business.

And in a game of numbers, you may comment on

100 different peoples posts and even pick up 30 new
followers, but it only becomes a success if you get 1
new paying client from it, which you will. If you do this
consistently and have your Instagram bio and page
set up correctly, when those people finally make their
way to your account, you will be 10 times more likely to
have them book in with you.
C o l l a b o r at i o n s

46
C o l l a b o r at i o n s
W o r k w i t h c l i e n t s w h o h av e a l a r g e ,
engaged audience

One way to build relationships with others is to reach

out to clients who have a large, engaged following.
This could be someone in your area or lives nearby.
Instead of waiting for a bigname client, you could
approach one yourself. Remember collaborations are
a two-way thing, so make sure you’re getting enough
out of the collaboration.

If there’s an influencer/blogger in your area, reach out

to them and offer them a free treatment. Many people
with large followings may be eager to receive free or
discounted services in exchange for social media
promotion or your link on their blog. It doesn’t hurt to
try and can have a huge impact on your business if
you approach the right person. Just make sure that if
you take this route, you’re getting enough out of the
collaboration.

This way you can reach a lot of people, gain some

business exposure, and gain new clients.

Sponsor a local event

Sponsor an event at the local college and provide
a flyer explaining what eyelash extensions are.
Universities and colleges are full of women in your
target market, who will be looking for a local place
to get treatments. You could even offer a student
discount to persuade them to book in with you.
C o l l a b o r at i o n s
C o l l a b o r at e w i t h a l o c a l b u s i n e s s
Another brilliant way to build relationships and find
clients for your business is by collaborating with
businesses like local tanning salons or hairdressers.
If a local business around you does not offer lash
extension services, reach out to them and discuss
some collaboration ideas. This could be a referral
scheme, or you could offer a discount to any of their
customers.
Conclusion

49
Conclusion
Right, you have made it to the end! We know that this
is a lot of information to take in, and if you’ve read the
entire thing from start to finish with no breaks then we
salute you.

We hope this eBook has inspired you, taught you

something new and given you some tips and tricks on
how to gain new clients. We’re confident that by using
all these tips you can gain new clients, build a loyal
client base and provide an amazing service. We hope
that we’ve shown you that word of mouth, customer
service and effective marketing is key to growing your
lash business.

This is just one of many eBooks in our series, we’ve

covered lots of different topics including Instagram
and new lash artist marketing. So if you need some
help in other areas of your business, be sure to check
out our eBooks section on our website and we’ll do our
best to continue to provide educational content and
advice so you can get the most out of your business.

As always, we are here to help, so if you have any

questions at all about anything in this eBook
then feel free to drop us a message on Instagram
@LashBase_UK and we will be happy to help.

We hope you have enjoyed reading!

Team LashBase x