How to Attract Repeat Customers to Your Tanning Salon | 9 Strategies

Jan 30, 2024

Person lying in tanning bed with UV lights illuminated during indoor tanning session.

Running a successful tanning salon takes more than having the latest beds and the best bronzing lotions. Quality equipment matters, but it won't build the loyal client base that sustains a thriving business.

The tanning industry has a natural advantage: clients need regular sessions to maintain their glow. Unlike one-off purchases, tanning is inherently recurring. But that recurring need doesn't automatically mean recurring visits to your salon—clients can easily go elsewhere.

Building a base of loyal, returning clients is essential for revenue stability, reputation growth, and long-term success. Loyal clients become advocates, recommending your salon to friends and family. They're more forgiving when things occasionally go wrong. They spend more over time and cost less to serve than constantly acquiring new customers.

So how do you ensure clients keep choosing your salon over competitors? This article covers nine proven strategies to attract and retain repeat tanning salon customers.

1. Deliver Exceptional Customer Service

Outstanding service is foundational—everything else builds on this. Your tanning sessions might be identical to competitors, but your service can be distinctly better.

Go Beyond the Expected

Small touches create lasting impressions:

A complimentary lotion sample to brighten their Monday
A refreshing towelette after their session
A cold water bottle on hot summer days
Helpful tanning tips displayed in your salon

These gestures cost little but create positive associations that keep clients coming back.

Create Consistency

One great experience followed by a mediocre one damages loyalty more than two average experiences. Clients need to trust that every visit will meet their expectations.

This means documented standards, regular training, and attention to details that might otherwise slip: cleanliness of beds, temperature of rooms, quality of supplies, and friendliness of greeting—every time. This reliability is what makes loyalty programs for service businesses so effective — clients who trust the consistency of their experience are far more likely to engage with rewards that encourage repeat visits.

Make Clients Feel Valued

Clients should feel like valued individuals, not anonymous transactions. Acknowledge regulars. Remember preferences. Thank them genuinely for their business.

This human connection differentiates you from larger chains and creates the emotional loyalty that's hardest for competitors to replicate.

2. Hire and Train Passionate Staff

Your team creates the experience. Passionate, knowledgeable staff transform routine tanning sessions into positive experiences clients look forward to.

Hire for Attitude

Technical knowledge can be taught; genuine warmth and care for clients is harder to instill. Prioritise candidates who:

Seem genuinely interested in helping people
Communicate warmly and naturally
Show curiosity about tanning, beauty, and wellness
Can read client moods and adapt accordingly

Train for Excellence

Ensure staff can:

Remember regulars: There's no better feeling than being greeted by name. Challenge staff to remember preferences—preferred bed, lotion choice, skin sensitivities.
Make recommendations: Knowledgeable suggestions (a new lotion, a different bed type, aftercare products) add value and demonstrate expertise.
Explain your loyalty program: Staff enthusiasm is the biggest driver of program signups. If they're excited about it, clients will be too.

Create Accountability

Staff should understand that client retention directly impacts the salon's success—and their job security. Regular check-ins, customer feedback reviews, and recognition for excellent service reinforce the importance.

3. Launch a Tanning Salon Loyalty Program

Given that acquiring new customers costs roughly five times more than retaining existing ones, investing in loyalty makes financial sense. Research suggests that increasing retention by just 5% can boost profitability dramatically.

A loyalty program gives clients tangible reasons to return to your salon specifically, rather than trying alternatives.

Why Digital Beats Paper

Traditional paper punch cards have served tanning salons for years, but digital loyalty programs offer significant advantages:

Convenience: Clients don't carry physical cards. Their smartphone—which they already have—tracks progress and stores rewards.

Never lost: Paper cards end up forgotten in handbags or thrown away during cleaning. Digital cards persist indefinitely on clients' phones.

Communication channel: Digital programs enable push notifications—promoting special offers, reminding clients about expiring rewards, or re-engaging those who haven't visited recently.

Client insights: Digital tracking reveals patterns—visit frequency, preferred times, spending habits—that help you serve clients better and market more effectively.

Professional presentation: A polished digital experience reflects well on your salon. It signals modernity and attention to quality.

Designing Your Tanning Loyalty Program

Structure options:

Stamp-based: "Every 10th session free" — simple, immediately understood
Points-based: Earn points per pound spent — rewards bigger spenders proportionally Many of the same principles apply across the beauty sector — practical hair and beauty salon loyalty program tips around reward design, staff training, and client engagement translate directly to tanning environments.
Package-based: Pre-purchased session bundles at discounted rates

For most tanning salons, stamp programs work well. The recurring nature of tanning sessions aligns perfectly with stamp mechanics.

Reward ideas:

Free tanning sessions (the obvious choice)
Free upgrades to premium beds
Complimentary lotions or aftercare products
Discounts on packages
Birthday treats

Perkstar's platform supports all of these approaches. Wallet integration means clients save their card to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet—no separate app to download. Push notifications let you communicate directly. Automated birthday rewards trigger without manual effort. For a deeper walkthrough of programme structure, reward tiers, and launch strategy, a comprehensive digital tanning salon loyalty program guide can help you avoid the most common design mistakes.

The 14-day free trial lets you build and test your program with real clients before committing.

4. Build Your Social Media Presence

Social media isn't optional for tanning salons—it's essential for visibility, engagement, and staying top-of-mind between visits.

Content That Works

Before-and-after photos: With client consent, showcasing transformations demonstrates your results better than any description.

Behind-the-scenes: Show your clean, inviting space. Feature your team. Highlight new equipment or products.

Educational content: Tanning tips, aftercare advice, product explanations. Position your salon as the expert source.

Promotions and offers: Announce specials, loyalty program bonuses, and seasonal deals.

Platform Focus

Instagram and TikTok are natural fits for tanning content—visual platforms where results speak for themselves. Short videos showing your space, your process, or client testimonials perform well.

Don't neglect your Google Business Profile. Keep photos current, respond to reviews, and ensure hours and contact information are accurate. This is often the first impression potential clients have.

Community Building

Social media lets you build community beyond transactions. Engage with comments, share client posts, respond to messages promptly. This accessibility and responsiveness builds relationships that keep clients loyal.

5. Maintain Consistent Operating Hours

Few things frustrate clients more than arriving to find your salon closed when online information said otherwise.

Keep Information Current

Over 75% of consumers check online before visiting a business. Your Google Business Profile, website, and social media should always reflect actual operating hours.

When hours change—for holidays, renovations, or any reason—update all platforms immediately. Communicate changes to loyalty program members via push notification so regulars aren't caught off-guard.

Be Where You Say You'll Be

Consistency builds trust. Clients should be able to rely on your salon being open when expected. If you're struggling to maintain certain hours consistently, it's better to adjust your posted hours than to occasionally disappoint clients who show up.

6. Offer Convenient Booking Options

Tanning often fits into busy schedules—a quick session during lunch, after work, or between errands. Making booking easy and flexible respects clients' time and removes barriers to visiting.

Appointment Flexibility

Online booking: Let clients schedule anytime, not just during business hours
Walk-in availability: Accommodate spontaneous visits when possible
Express options: Quick sessions for time-pressed clients
Extended hours: Early morning or late evening slots for those with rigid work schedules

Special Events and Promotions

Give clients exciting reasons to visit beyond routine maintenance:

Seasonal promotions: "Pre-holiday glow" packages before major events
Themed days: Double stamps on slow days, birthday month specials
New equipment launches: Invite loyal clients to try new beds first
Package deals: Limited-time bundles at special pricing

Push notifications through your loyalty program are perfect for promoting these events directly to your most engaged clients.

7. Partner with Local Businesses

Collaborating with complementary local businesses expands your reach and creates win-win opportunities.

Partnership Ideas

Hair and beauty salons: Cross-promote services—discount on tanning with any hair service, and vice versa. Hair salons in particular make strong partners because their clients already prioritise appearance — and salons working to attract and retain hair salon clients face the same loyalty challenges you do, making cross-referral programmes mutually beneficial.

Gyms and fitness studios: Package deals combining fitness memberships with tanning sessions.

Spas and wellness centres: Comprehensive beauty packages spanning multiple businesses.

Bridal shops: Pre-wedding glow packages for brides and wedding parties.

Event venues: Partnerships around prom season, graduation, and formal events.

Making Partnerships Work

Approach with clear value propositions for both sides. Track referrals so you can measure effectiveness. Start small—a trial promotion—before committing to long-term arrangements.

These partnerships introduce your salon to new audiences while providing added value to existing clients.

8. Actively Seek and Use Feedback

Client feedback is invaluable for improvement—and the act of asking builds loyalty itself.

Why Feedback Matters

Research shows that over 75% of consumers view businesses more favourably when they actively seek and respond to feedback. Asking demonstrates that you value client opinions and care about improvement.

Gathering Feedback

Direct conversations: Train staff to ask "How was your session today?" and actually listen to responses.

Online reviews: Encourage satisfied clients to leave Google reviews. Respond to all reviews—positive and negative—professionally.

Surveys: Periodic surveys can surface issues clients might not mention spontaneously.

Loyalty program integration: Perkstar's Google Review rewards feature lets you incentivise reviews, building your online reputation alongside your loyalty program.

Acting on What You Learn

Gathering feedback only matters if you use it:

Identify recurring themes (multiple clients mentioning the same issue)
Make visible changes based on suggestions
Close the loop—tell clients when you've acted on their feedback
Thank clients who provide constructive input

9. Expand Your Services and Products

While tanning is your core business, complementary offerings differentiate you from competitors and meet broader client needs.

Service Expansion Ideas

Spray tanning: Sunless options for clients wanting alternatives or variety

Skincare services: Facials, body treatments, or related beauty services

Wellness additions: Red light therapy, cryotherapy, or other trending treatments

Product Offerings

Tanning lotions: Premium bronzers, accelerators, and specialty formulas

Aftercare: Moisturisers, tan extenders, and cooling products

Related beauty: Skincare, body care, and complementary products

Cross-Selling Thoughtfully

Suggest products that genuinely benefit clients rather than pushing sales. A recommendation for the right aftercare product creates value; aggressive upselling creates annoyance.

Your loyalty program can reward product purchases alongside services, encouraging clients to explore your full offering.

Bringing It All Together

Attracting repeat tanning salon clients isn't any single strategy—it's the combination of everything working together:

Exceptional service creates positive experiences worth returning to
Passionate staff build relationships that competitors can't replicate
A loyalty program provides tangible incentives and communication channels
Social media keeps you visible and builds community
Consistent operations build trust
Convenient booking removes barriers
Local partnerships expand reach
Feedback drives continuous improvement
Expanded offerings meet broader needs

Start where you'll see the quickest impact. For most tanning salons, launching a digital loyalty program delivers measurable results within weeks—returning clients earning stamps, push notifications driving visits during slow periods, data revealing patterns you didn't know existed.

Perkstar's 14-day free trial lets you build and test your program with real clients. Wallet integration means frictionless signup. Push notifications mean direct communication. Multiple card types mean flexibility to evolve as your business grows.

Start your free trial at Perkstar →

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