Gone are the days when parents have to shell out adult-prices for little Johnny’s first trim at grandpa’s barber.
Offering a no tears and a great fun alternative, privately-held Snip-its is leading a newly recognized and lucrative sector of the hair care market with a children’s focused franchise concept that just marked its 52nd store opening in Cortlandt, New York.
“For parents and children, visiting a Snip-its is unlike any other salon experience,” said Joanna Meiseles, Snip-its president and mother of four, who founded the company in 1995.
Meiseles Offers These Lessons to Entrepreneurs
1. Brand Your Product. Brand loyalty starts at a young age and the larger-than-life Snip-its cartoon characters are the equity. Meiseles’ Snips and his hair care friends (Curly Comb, Flyer Joe Dryer and the Clip-ette Sisters) help associate the brand with grooming. The characters appear in the salon interior, in videos and games, on products and in the waiting area. Soon Snip-its will launch its own book club.
2. Understand Your Customer Needs. Children feel more comfortable with their parents beside them. At Snip-its, each styling station has a cushy parent’s chair next to the child to ease all involved in the cut from the little customers to the stylists.
3. Provide Incentives So Customers Return. At the conclusion of each haircut, children receive a prize from the “Magic Box” in exchange for a lock of hair and loyalty card customers are awarded a 9th haircut for free.
4. Apply Customer Service Principles. Customer’s brand perceptions are shaped by every interaction with a company from the front desk to the website. As Meiseles knows first hand, “Customers return if treated right.” Snip-its fine tunes processes that don’t work and trains its franchisees to reflect its founding principles: quality haircuts, positive interactions and sanitation.
5. Bring the Experience Home. Snip-its offers a line of self branded all-natural, tear-free shampoos, body washes, styling products and brushes that kids can call their very own. The cleverly packaged product line outsells early forecasts at more than 1,000 bottles per week, sold at salons and online.
6. You Can’t Be All Things To All People. Stick to your core product and focus on one or two items that your company does very well. Don’t compromise your quality or the brand. For example, Snip-its only cuts children’s hair, not adults.
Photo by Snip-its.
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