Q&A

Building loyalty

Marike Dette, owner of Blue Mango, tells us how she grew a loyal client base, the power of multi-treatment appointments and how training with Skin Rocks Pro has opened the door to a new wave of clients

You opened Blue Mango in 2007. How has the business evolved since?

“In 2007, I’d just arrived from South Africa with two suitcases and a lot of determination and grit, and my tagline was always: failure isn’t an option.

“I started out working in pubs and I was shampooing for hairdressers to get clients to let me do their nails or their eyebrows. Then I secured a little spot in a council leisure centre. I started in December 2007 and was there for five years until I was bursting out of the seams. I went to my second venue for six years and then I opened the mothership, where Blue Mango is now.”

“When I first opened, I was 21 and my clients were my age. Now, I’m in my 40s and we’ve grown together. I focus so much more on skin rejuvenation, sleep, vitality, rest and restoring the nervous system, and so do my clients. Everyone is complaining about hair loss, too. So, my treatments evolved to address what I’m experiencing with my clients.”

How do you ensure repeat business?

“Every person that walks through the door, I get them to be a regular. You come in for a one-off Christmas treat and then you’ve got 12 appointments in the diary.

“I don’t see anything in the salon environment as a treat; it’s a lifestyle. You have to incorporate these things into your life so that you can take care of yourself. Even if you’re having a rough day, your eyebrows look fantastic, so you feel like you’ve got it together.

“The team are always cross-selling. There’s eight of us and everyone works with the same ethic as me. You should never assume a client doesn’t want anything else done; you have to tell them what’s available. If someone’s in for nails, we’ll look at their history and see they haven’t had their brows done in a year, or if they’re in for hair we’ll speak to them about their skin.”

Your “octopus treatments” are a talking point. How do they work?

“I would do your nails, one of the hairdressers is packing your highlights, then when your highlights are developing you’re on the bed for a facial. While I’m doing your facial, one of the other therapists might do your feet.

“So, we’re basically doing eight hours of service in four hours, because no one has time but everyone wants everything.

But we can only do that when we work like a synchronised Olympic team. People think it’s bougie but it’s saving you time and allowing me to hit my targets.”

You were one of the first salons to take on Skin Rocks Pro. What drew you to the brand?

“I’m very brand loyal and I research my brands. I’ve worked with Dermalogica for years but have been thinking about bringing in a second brand for a while. I really respect [Skin Rocks founder] Caroline Hirons. We have the same no-bulls*t approach to skincare. What really hooked me, though, was that their products integrate with all modalities. I said, ‘I’m happy to use Skin Rocks if I can amp it up and bring in microneedling, laser and LED’, and they said, of course you can. That was my hook – I was in.

“I also love that Skin Rocks is therapist-first. They are trying to get people into the treatment room, not take them away from it, and that really resonated with me.”

How was the training experience?

“If I was a new therapist, I would’ve automatically thought it was the best training in the world. But because I’m a seasoned therapist, I was like, ‘how are you going to capture me?’

“Caroline started off by saying, ‘I’m not here to show you how to do a facial – you all know how to do a facial. I’m here to reignite your passion.’ And that was everything. I said to her, I need someone to ignite me because I’ve been doing this so long and I’m tired from being the fire for everyone else.

“The methods are very hands-on and no-nonsense. It’s super easy to understand, so even if you’re not science-heavy, you can transfer the information to clients.”

Has Skin Rocks Pro brought a new type of client into the business?

“It’s done exactly what I hoped it would do. I've already had about 70 enquiries on Instagram and email for people wanting a Skin Rocks facial who are not clients of my salon.

“Caroline is pushing her followers into professional spaces, telling them ‘find your nearest salon, stop trying to do everything at home, go and get a treatment’. She’s giving us work and watering the industry, and that’s exactly what we need.”

What are your future plans for Blue Mango?

“We’re upping our advanced treatments – bringing in more modalities and more advanced light therapy to really focus on people with autoimmune conditions, eczema and psoriasis.

“It’s about a full-circle situation: supplements, treatments and homecare. And getting clients out of the mindset that going to the salon is a treat. It’s not a treat, it’s maintenance. It’s a lifestyle journey.”