ETS Tanning Bed Blog

Frequent buyer programs can be a great way to retain customers and keep them coming back. For example, a friend of mine loves coffee. And we all know there are lots of choices for purchasing a cup o' joe.  But... everytime he goes to a particular local coffee shop and buys a coffee, they swipe his rewards card and record his purchase. After purchasing 10 coffees, he gets a free one. He also gets the occasional email coupon thanking him for being a customer and offering him a free specialty drink. It’s an effective strategy and one that keeps him passing up the competition and coming back for the rewards.

Frequent buyer programs work for three reasons:

1. Provide an incentive for customers to return or buy more.

2. Prevent customers from straying to competing tanning salons.

3. Help you identify your best customers and monitor their purchasing habits.

Almost every fitness center, spa and tanning salon or other tanning provider offers monthly membership packages, but have you considered other frequent buyer programs that could promote tanning bed upgrades or tanning lotion sales? Here are some creative frequent buyer program ideas you can use:

Offer Rewards for Product Purchases

For every $50 in tanning lotion purchased by your tanners, give them $5 off their next purchase. Or set up a rewards system that awards “points” for every product purchase - once the client has reached a certain level, they can use those points towards lotion or accessories.

Offer Rewards for Upgrades

Try offering loyalty rewards if a client uses the upgraded tanning beds. For example, 5 upgrades earn the customer a free upgrade. Try a service that manages the rewards for you like StickyStreet.com .

Go Upscale With Swipe Cards

Step it up a notch with plastic loyalty cards. The cards are cheap to print, though you will pay a start up cost to have the swiping mechanism installed. But, once you’re up and running, you’ll find clients will place a higher value on their loyalty cards and your tanning salon than they would with paper cards. A service that has a great selection and description of options online is PlastekCards.com.

Don’t Cheapen Your Product

While loyalty programs are a great way to keep customers coming back, make sure you don’t cheapen your salon’s image or product. Instead, model your rewards on your fitness center, tanning salon or spa's image and the mindset of your market.