Authentic client reviews are one of the best forms of marketing. Client reviews can establish your reputation as a stylist, build trust with potential clients, and provide you with important feedback. Not only can great reviews encourage new clients to book, but they can also encourage your existing clients to spend more. While gaining a long list of reviews can feel like an uphill battle, we’ve outlined three easy ways to ask your clients. 

1. Ask in Person

The most effective way to capture a review is to ask your clients while you have their undivided attention — in the chair. At the tail end of your appointment, your client has just enjoyed your services for an hour (or more) this is the perfect time to ask.

Bring up reviews early on in the appointment so it’s fresh in your client’s mind throughout their service. Remind them that your goal is to make them feel amazing and you’re going to do everything in your power to earn a five-star review from them.

Luckily StyleSeat makes it easy for clients to pay and leave a review in minutes. If clients are logged into their account, they can go to My Appointments, click on their appointment with you, and leave a star rating and written review. These reviews are posted directly to your profile for all potential clients to see. Plus, we’ll automatically send your clients an email that prompts them to leave a review after each appointment.

2. Ask in an Email

After you wrap an appointment, reach out to your client to thank them for coming in, drop any maintenance tips they should follow, and include a link where they can leave a review. You can also use email to identify past clients who have never reviewed you and send them a personal email with step-by-step instructions. You can make it even easier for your clients by sending a sample review that they can edit or tweak as they wish.

3. Ask Your Best Clients First

Need reviews on your page ASAP? Prompt your best clients. They’re easy to talk to and you’ve already won them over, meaning they will happily provide you with a great review. Plus, you can take the opportunity to treat them to an add-on service, a free product, or an upgrade during their next appointment. This will get your clients on the books for their next appointment and fill your profile with glowing reviews.

Don’t Stress a Bad Review

Make it a habit to ask all new clients for a review after their service. You can even use the Client Notes feature to keep track of clients who have already left you a review and make sure to show them your appreciation.

Don’t stress if all of your reviews aren’t 5 stars. Potential clients are skeptical of profiles that only display perfect reviews. As long as most of your reviews are positive, a few outliers will only make your reviews more trustworthy.

Have a questionable review that you need to address? Learn how to respond to client reviews — both positive and negative — here.