Finally, we have a fitness center of 1,000 square feet where we offer
personal training. With this service, John Robert’s has entered the wellness industry. It’s safe to say that no other salon has so many unique amenities. We finally have the physical facility to complement the unforgettable customer service that built our business. Our Secret Service
system has dramatically increased our growth and sales. Figures 1–2
and 1–3 document our annual growth in our first eight years (through
2001) in employees (from 2 to 130), in revenue (from $150,000 to $4
million), and in percentage of increase in sales (32% in 2001). We have
12 Secret Service
$4,500,000
$4,000,000
$3,500,000
$3,000,000
$2,500,000
$2,000,000
$1,500,000
$1,000,000
$500,000
$-
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001
83% 40%
65%
43%
54%
84%
38%
31%
Figure 1–2. John Robert’s annual sales, 1993–2001.
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Figure 1–3. John Robert’s employees.
won nearly every award possible in our first eight years, including “Top 200 Salons in America” five years in a row; “Fastest Growing 100 Companies in Cleveland” five years in a row; and “Top 99 Companies to Work for in Northeast Ohio” four years in a row.

Do the Small Things Right
This is Secret Service at its best. It’s the small surprises that impress
our clients and do more than anything else to increase our client retention dramatically. Complimentary extras increase loyalty. For example, Lube Stop allows customers to stop off any time between
regularly scheduled oil changes and have their oil topped off at no
charge. Car maintenance companies could also send a postcard or
an e-mail reminder that it’s time to make another visit. To send a
reminder, the shop would simply have to identify the customers
who were in three months ago, print labels, and send postcards once
a week. That’s a little work invested for a potentially large return.
Other examples of great value added are free alterations of some
high-end clothiers at any time—even a year after you purchased the
garment.

The things clients enjoy most about coming to John Robert’s are
the scalp massage they receive before the shampoo, the hand-and-arm massage during the haircut, the makeup touch-up for women, and the minifacial for men during the shampoo. (Every hair station has a jewelry cleaner so clients can have their jewelry cleaned during the hand-and-arm massage.)

Clients also appreciate the free bang trims and clean-ups we offer
any time between visits. Men find this especially helpful when they
have an important appointment or interview for which they need to
look their best. Women find the free blow-dry lesson helpful in showing them how to duplicate the look they received at the salon.

We offer all kinds of surprising little extras. For example, in the 2 weeks before Mother’s Day we sell thousands of gift certificates,
mostly to men who would then run to the nearest drugstore for a card. We eliminate the need for that errand by having a selection of Mother’s Day cards to choose from. It’s a small thing, but it contributes to a positive experience at John Robert’s.

Taken from : Secret service Hidden systems that deliver