Consumer survey heralds interesting results!
At the end of March, BABTAC commissioned a survey of 2,000 British consumers who visit a Beauty Therapist at least quarterly. Run by independent firm OnePoll, the impartial survey aimed to capture insights from your potential client demographic on everything from the regulation of the beauty industry to the popularity of treatments. Based on the criteria of regular Beauty visits, the survey was answered by 1,581 women and 419 men, between the ages of 18 and 65, across the whole of the UK.
INDUSTRY REGULATION...
As you know, BABTAC is driving for mandatory self-regulation of the industry, to gain the respect and reputation that your professionalism deserves. We asked consumers for their opinion on industry regulation . The results....
SCARY FACT - Only 38% of the consumers that took the survey knew that the industry isn't regulated!!
WHEN ASKED ABOUT THEIR CURRENT THERAPIST
...Being trained and qualified to carry out the treatment
1,509 SAID YES
146 SAID NO
345 DON'T KNOW
That means that one quarter of consumer haven't asked if their therapist is qualified and trained to deliver their treatments!
...Being insured
1,118 SAID YES
169 SAID NO
713 DON'T KNOW
That means that 44% of consumers visit therapists without checking that they are insured, but it also means that the awareness campaign is being heard as 56% have asked their therapist about qualifications and insurance.
FREQUENCY OF TREATMENTS YOU SHOULD BE AIMING FOR
Its great to know the average number of times a client visits, to make that a target for encouraging repeat custom and how much clients are spending when they do visit. If your already hitting these heady heights, kudos to you!...
How often do you visit your therapist for the following treatments?
Basic Treatments - nails, waxing, lashes, manual facials...
1,277 CONSUMERS VISIT UP TO ONCE A MONTH
555 CONSUMERS VISIT EVERY 3-6 MONTHS
23 CONSUMERS VISIT UP TO ONCE A YEAR
115 CONSUMERS NEVER HAVE THESE TREATMENTS
Massage and electrical treatments - spa days, aromatherapy, anti-ages, electrical facials, electrolysis...
645 VISIT ONCE A MONTH
616 VISIT EVERY 3-6 MONTHS
153 VISIT ONCE A YEAR
423 NEVER HAVE THESE TREATMENTS
Advanced treatments - skin peeling, microneedling, laser, semi-permanent make-up, radio frequency...
175 VISIT ONCE A MONTH
311 VISIT EVERY 3-6 MONTHS
110 VISIT ONCE A YEAR
950 NEVER HAVE THESE TREATMENTS
INSURANCE COMPLIANCE - CONSULTATION CARDS
We asked the consumers, how often their therapist goes through a consultation card...
31% Have a therapist that uses consultation cards and updates them every visit
32.35% Have a therapist who uses consultation cards but but does not update it every visit
36.75% Have never seen their therapist use a consultation card
Luckily BABTAC members are well aware that as part of your insurance provision, it is essential that you keep good quality consultation cards with detailed client updates on them. This best practice, protects both the client and the therapist should the unforeseen happen and your client be injured in some way, the consultation card will be instrumental in supporting your case.
WHAT IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE MARKETING METHOD?
We all want to know the most effective method of marketing to potential clients, so we asked them to indicate their method for finding a therapist. Word of mouth remains the most important avenue, so it is essential that you focus on techniques to encourage referrals like introducing a friend scheme and happy client testimonials.
1,036 SAID WORD OF MOUTH MARKETING
358 SAID ONLINE REVIEWS
248 SAID SOCIAL MEDIA
95 SAID ADVERTISING
91 SAID GOOGLE SEARCH
126 WEREN'T SURE
46 SAID OTHER
DO CONSUMERS ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT REGULATION?
There are strong arguments for mandatory self-regulation, not least ensuring therapists meet minimum standards and helping to ensure the professionalism of all therapists and not just those who are committed to doing a good job already, however consumer opinion should also be a factor in whether self-regulation is important. We asked them to rate their level of agreement or disagreement with the following statements...
...BEAUTY THERAPISTS SHOULD BE TRAINED AND QUALIFIED IN ORDER TO PRACTICE IN THE UK
Only 18 people disagreed with this statement with 1,331 strongly agreeing and 413 agreeing with the statement. That's an overwhelming 87.2% of consumers who believe that the industry should be regulated!
...A PRACTICING THERAPIST SHOULD HAVE A LICENSE WHICH PROVES THEY HAVE THE NECESSARY QUALIFICATIONS TO PRACTICE
85.85% of consumers agree that there should be some form of licensing in place as proof that therapists are fit to practice.
...THE BEAUTY INDUSTRY SHOULD BE REGULATED
1,641 people agreed with this statement; that's 82.05% of those surveyed. 314 did not have an opinion either way and only 45 people disagreed with the statement! That represents overwhelming support for regulation!
