We were lucky to catch up with John B. (JT) Thompson recently and have shared our conversation below.

John B. (JT) , appreciate you joining us today. Taking care of customers isn’t just good business – it is often one of the main reasons folks went into business in the first place. So, we’d love to get a conversation going around how to best help clients feel appreciated – maybe you can share something you’ve done or seen someone do that’s been really effective at helping a customer feel valued?

Appreciating customers doesn’t have to be a big thing you do for them, it is really about how you treat them as a regular patron of your business. Remembering what a customer has going on in their life and asking about it or remembering their birthday or an anniversary goes a long way. I have several long term customers that I have seen deal with several big life events and just being there to listen is huge. While we all have rules, routines, etc sometimes I will break those for someone who I have that relationship with. I will stay late or come in on an off day to make sure they are taken care of. I would not be where I was without my customers trusting me and being loyal to me so I do my best to remember that even if it means doing more without reward.

John B. (JT) , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

When I was a kid and I got my haircut, the barbershop was always a fun place with an exciting vibe at the center of it, Guys cutting up or talking about movies or current events and always a lot of laughter. There were a couple people who got to be in that setting every day and make a living out of it. I wanted to be one of those guys.
Despite my dream, I went to college and meandered through different majors before finally graduating. After several years of disappointing dead-end jobs I decided to go back to trade school and learn to cut hair.
I knew the transition from a stable career working for someone else to the uncertainty of working for yourself would be hard but I was not prepared for just how hard it would be. Perseverance pays off though and after several years getting on my feet, I am now a successful barber with busy shop and am stable and happy in a very rewarding career. It is never to late to chase your dream.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Being consistent, friendly and easy to work with has gone a long way towards solidifying a positive reputation.
Keeping track of customers and how they like their hair cut not only cuts down on consultation time but it also means I can give them the same style every time and it also gives them a sense that they are remembered and they matter.
Genuinely enjoying my customers and interacting with them gives them a positive feeling about our relationship. The people are the best part of my career and being real in that relationship is something that people can feel. As a people person, it is a great fit for me.
Having a website where customers and potential customers can see my availability makes booking very easy and automated texts from my booking system make rescheduling, cancelling, etc simple. Being difficult to reach or schedule with is a real barrier. People want speed and ease so I do my best to give it to them.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

Social media is a necessary evil. In the modern age, it would be hard if not impossible to be successful without it. I use my social media channels as a way to stay in front of customers and disseminate information. I do post the occasional haircut photo or before and after but I also just stay in their feed with funny posts that are topical or communicate my message in an entertaining way. Not every post is about what I do, some are about me or something go on at the shop or in the community. It is a great way to show a little bit of yourself to people in a way that is controlled and unobtrusive. People are inundated with messaging so I try and stay away from being too aggressive with it. I put it out there and people can digest in their lives as they like.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jtthebarber.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jtthebarberdotcom/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jtcutshair
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/jt-the-barber-hoover-2

Image Credits

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