Finley’s Barbershop x Mindbody: Elevating the Customer Experience

The idea for Finley’s Barbershop began with a business plan written on a paper napkin.

Scott Finley and Darren Peterson met in the restaurant industry while pursuing their individual long-term goals—Scott was working part-time as a hairstylist and Darren was studying business management. 

When Scott asked his male clients about their grooming routines, he found that most of them usually went to cut and leave barbershops even though they didn’t necessarily expect much. It seemed most men viewed grooming as an inconvenient chore that interrupted their regular schedules and didn’t provide much value. With that in mind, Scott and Darren grabbed a napkin and wrote a business plan for a high-end barbershop that offered more than just haircuts—and the idea for Finley’s Barbershop was born.

How personal experience shapes the customer experience

A powerful backstory helps us understand where Darren’s passion for grooming stems from. He recalls providing his grandfather his last shave after his passing. “From that point forward, I really got into shaving,” Darren said. “The products, the process, why it’s so special versus a guy stepping into a shower and doing it really quickly.”

This experience inspired Darren to encourage other men to embrace each step of the shaving process. Finley’s now offers hot towels and a variety of creams and powders for every shave. It’s with special touches like these that clients of all ages—including teens coming in for their first shave and young children getting their first haircut—can count on Finley’s for a memorable grooming experience.

 
“Getting a haircut was like mowing the lawn—a wrench in their schedule,” Scott said. “We’re at the point where people come in, and they show up early because they want to hang out, grab a beer, and sit in our lounge area.” Finley’s brings the traditional-style barbershop to the modern world and reintroduces their clients to the inherent value of grooming. By offering a creative suite of services, Finley’s has designed an environment that turns getting a haircut from a chore into something clients look forward to. From high-quality haircuts and shaves to face masks and facials, in this catered atmosphere customers can enjoy every step of their grooming experience.
 

Supporting staff with software

Finley’s is committed to treating their staff exceptionally well and cultivating an environment where hairstylists can further their career and offer feedback to their employers. Having formerly worked in a salon as a stylist, Scott knows what it’s like to stand behind those chairs all day, and he and Darren prioritize their staff’s happiness and development. Despite having multiple locations across Texas and Colorado, Scott and Darren are consistently at local Finley’s shops changing light bulbs, replacing air filters, and making sure the staff is comfortable and happy—while asking for feedback on ways they can improve the experience.

Part of supporting and retaining their staff meant ensuring their software was simple and effective, so Scott and Darren subscribed to Booker in 2011. They shared how Mindbody's acquisition of Booker instantly elevated the software and increased efficiency among their staff.

How Mindbody tools capture every lead

Finley’s originally started with two locations and have opened 13 more shops since partnering with Mindbody 11 years ago. They implemented Messenger^[ai], our virtual front desk assistant, earlier this year as a means of customer communication during COVID-19. Messenger^[ai] has helped Finley’s save time and labor costs while ensuring customers get their questions answered and appointments booked at any time of the day or night. In the last 6 months, Finley’s has gained 116 new clients using Messenger^[ai]. “We get a large number of clients calling in after hours,” said Darren. “Our confidence has gone up, and our anxiety about not addressing customer needs has gone down—and that is priceless.” Out of 85,872 messages and 990 missed calls, only 270 needed a live human to assist. “When I wake up in the morning and look at Messenger^[ai], I am amazed at how many people have booked, rescheduled, and asked questions,” said Darren.

Finley’s has also been using Mindbody’s Marketing Suite to send email and text campaigns and manage reviews. Their smart campaigns identify customers who haven’t visited recently, need a beard trim, or are celebrating client anniversaries, for example —and then send them an automated text or email. Not only do these types of messaging drive a high percentage of Finley’s daily bookings, but they also promote staff retention efforts as stylists stay consistently booked. Scott and Darren also use the reviews feature to leverage client engagement and encourage feedback. “It gives a lot of confidence to our clientele,” said Darren. “It gives them an avenue to express their voice.” On the technical side, Marketing Suite allows Finley’s to display reviews on the microsites of each individual location and respond to all reviews before they hit Google or Facebook.

Embracing the Mindbody One Community

Being a member of the Mindbody and Mindbody One communities has been crucial to Finley’s utilization and understanding of the software. Connecting with other business owners and collaborating on best practices and use cases for Booker by Mindbody software has kept Finley’s efficient and adaptive. Scott shared that Mindbody One makes help readily available to him and Darren and their staff. “We feel like we’re part of a family,” Scott said.

Darren recently became a Mindbody Champion after attending last year’s BOLD conference and feeling motivated about Finley’s future. He met other Mindbody Champs at BOLD who spoke highly of the program and their ability to not only help other businesses within the Mindbody One community, but also build relationships with other champs. “It sounded like a community that I wanted to be a part of,” said Darren.
 

What’s next?

As Finley’s continues to use Mindbody to streamline communication and expand to new locations, Scott and Darren plan to create a Finley’s Barber School to offer education for budding hairstylists. As a Mindbody Champ, Darren looks forward to collaborating with other business owners and encouraging them to find creative solutions. Partnering with Mindbody has empowered Scott and Darren to expand their business, retain staff, and keep their clients happy.