The easiest way to increase revenue in a salon business is to increase the value of each appointment and sell more to each client. We do that through service enhancements: nail salon add-on options that we can offer clients to encourage them to spend more with us.
Today, we’re going to focus on nail businesses. So, if you have a nail business and want some ideas on what kind of add-ons you can offer to increase the value of each visit, you have come to the right place. Watch our video here or read on for insights from My Erlandsson and John Hallberg.
What Makes a Good Nail Salon Add-on?
My: I think it should either enhance the customer experience or change the result into something different. It’s also very important that it actually brings you more cash flow for less overhead costs.
John: Yeah, and I agree that it should be an enhancement or something that builds on the core service they’re booking. So, we’re not like, “Okay, you’re booking for a service, and then we do an add-on that is completely unrelated.” What people want is just a better result.
Nail Salon Add-on 1: Paraffin Treatments
My: The first idea I thought about directly when considering nail therapist add-ons is paraffin treatments. I’m sure most of you already do paraffin nail treatment — but does your customer know you do it? It should be easy to find on the menu. Maybe label it as something more luxurious, like “softening paraffin bath” or “a wellness bath for your hands,” to make it a little more sexy for the clients to book.
John: Yeah, that’s a nice add-on.
Nail Salon Add-on 2: Salon Snacks
John: Another add-on you could have would be to offer breakfast or lunch. I know I said earlier to do something in line with the service that you offer, but I believe this could be something that enhances the experience.
You can allow clients booking an appointment to select a breakfast bag if the service is in the morning or a lunch option for afternoon appointments. You may have a partnership with a business next door. That improves the experience of the visit and could be a nice add-on to have.
My: I think people today are stressed and want to fit in a lot at the same time. So doing their nails and having lunch at the same time — I think that would be a huge benefit for a lot of people. I would certainly opt for that one.
Nail Salon Add-on 3: Nail Jewelry
My: I also suggest nail jewelry add-ons. Like I said before, some of these things we know that you’re already offering — but how are you presenting it to the customer so that they know it’s an add-on? I think nail jewelry is also making a comeback. The Swarovski crystals and stuff that people can get on their nails — I think a lot of customers would be interested.
Nail Salon Add-on 4: Express Nail Services
John: Another add-on or service enhancement you could consider is to offer an express version of your service. For nail businesses, that could mean having the ability to get both your hands and feet done at the same time. By saving the client a ton of time, you can obviously charge more for that approach to earn a premium. As in the last example, people are increasingly rushing to get things done quickly. This offers an opportunity for you to charge more as well.
My: Yeah, I think a lot of times we only think about charging when a service takes more time. But sometimes we have to think the opposite way — because a lot of customers are actually willing to pay more to get the same result faster.
Nail Salon Add-on 5: Nail Art Services
My: Nail art is also coming back really big. Consider offering this add-on, showcasing different types of art, and allowing customers to add that when they’re making their appointment. They might think, “Oh, I want that special nail art that only I have.” I mean, we’re following that personalized trend — so nail art is really something that is just on you.
John: That could be a very nice option — and potentially quite valuable. Depending on the complexity of the nail art, it could even be of higher value than the manicure itself.
Nail Salon Add-on 6: Hand Massage
John: Something you could do in the nail business as well is to offer a hand or arm massage. This service is also something that clients really appreciate that you can easily add to that appointment. It probably requires a little bit more service duration, but that’s something people would be prepared to pay extra for as well.
My: Yeah, I think especially when you talk about wellness — I think people want to come and be relaxed from their busy life. So when you do the add-on here, you can really get the customers to customize their experience with you. “What do I want? Am I the customer who wants to make the experience longer to sit and relax? Or am I the type who wants quick service?” You really get the customer to personalize their time with you with this type of add-on.
Nail Salon Add-on 7: Wellness Packages
John: I like what you said about wellness and not positioning your add-on as just a technical benefit — but maybe offering more of a wellness package. I know you’ve been playing around with it.
My: Yeah, different experience packages where clients can upgrade their time, for example:
- A luxury package where clients get champagne or a macaron
- A golden package where you finish off with a golden mask for their hands
- An anti-aging package where you have a hand mask that decreases wrinkles
- A wellness package where you offer a more relaxed experience. Clients get herbal tea and maybe some eye patches or a cheek mask. They can sit, relax, and enjoy their own time. You can maybe also offer a massage in this one where clients can choose their own oil or scent.
I mean, you can do so much.
John: I think that’s huge because you’re really selling a benefit versus selling the specific solutions. Your clients might not even know what kind of a specific solution they should have, but they know for sure that they want anti-aging, for example.
My: Yeah, they want to upgrade their experience. I mean, you have a lot of this in other businesses. For example, you can upgrade your experience to get a bottle of champagne in a hotel room under a romantic package. I think we can implement that in our add-ons to increase cash flow and improve the customer experience of your nail salon.
3 Ways to Offer Nail Salon Add-ons
John: How do we do this then? How do we make sure that customers actually book these service enhancements or add-ons when they schedule their service?
Train Your Team
John: Naturally, one way is to train your team. Make sure that your team is aware of the add-ons that you have and who they should recommend. Which service does it make sense to suggest certain enhancements?
Enhance Your Service Menu
My: Maybe have a menu by the nail station with all the different add-ons they can choose from. The customer can easily read it through while they’re getting their manicure or pedicure.
Make the Most of Your Software
John: You can sell add-ons when clients book in for their service. When you can suggest enhancements online following service selection, you won’t need to rely on every staff member to do this. Also, clients can browse add-ons at their own convenience — it’s not a sales conversation.
My: It’s easy for them to just click what they want — they don’t feel stressed about anything.
John: If you can do that during your online booking process, you also make sure you adapt the duration in a way that fits the service.
Not many software systems offer this, though. Something really unique with the Mangomint platform we talk about on this channel is something called Service Customizations — which does exactly this. It basically allows you to add customization options to your services. Clients can choose if they want to make modifications that could extend the time of the service, reduce the time, increase the price of the service, or even reduce the price. You can also book the resources that you need to complete the service.
My: They can easily see what the finished price is going to be when they’ve done their add-ons.
John: The Mangomint software enables all of that. If you want to learn more, the video link here goes into the Service Customizations feature in the Mangomint software specifically.
Of course, if you’re using another software, look at what kind of possibilities are available within the platform that you’re using.
Moving Forward with Nail Service Enhancements
I hope you got some good ideas here today for how to personalize, customize, and enhance your nail services. If you are interested in exploring service enhancements with the Mangomint platform, you can get a double (60-day) free trial when you sign up using our link here to get started!
