Designing a Grand Client Experience

Lydia Hess’s path to being a business owner started when she and her best friend, Sophie, decided that they wanted to be their own bosses and not work for someone else. “We weren’t 100% sure of how to run a business, as neither of us had ever run a business before.”

Now, three years after opening a beauty clinic in a franchise model, Lydia and Sophie have changed to an independent business model and rebranded as Grand Aesthetics. The studio, located in Hove in East Sussex, England, now has a fresh look and feel—but the same dedication to their clients.

Grand Aesthetics specialises in laser hair removal and skin treatments, allowing Lydia and her team to instantly see the impact their work has in the lives of their customers.

“I enjoy getting to help people and build their confidence, and help people with the problems they have,” Lydia explained. “Our customers are absolutely lovely, so we enjoy seeing them.”

Lydia’s dedication to the service she provides her customers goes beyond her passion for helping them—it helps bring them back to her studio. “The beauty industry is quite competitive and saturated,” Lydia said. “But I think ultimately, if you give people a good service and excellent customer service, then they’ll come back.”

Grand Aesthetics’ focus on the customer experience doesn’t end with the in-studio experience. When looking for a software to help manage her beauty studio, Lydia wanted something that was user-friendly for both her team and her customers.

“We are fully booked and have customers in and out all day, every day,” Lydia explained. “If we mess up appointments, that’s a massive problem for us.”

With Mindbody, Lydia’s team can look at their schedule on their phones and her clients could manage their own appointments. According to Lydia, this streamlined experience allows Grand Aesthetics to stand out in a saturated market. “One of the reasons we went with Mindbody is because we love the app,” Lydia said. “We wanted to set ourselves aside from your traditional beauty salons.”

With this dedication to her team and her customers, Lydia has created a positive experience for everyone who walks through Grand Aesthetics’ doors, including Lydia herself.

“I just enjoy coming to work,” Lydia said. “There’s five of us who work here and we all get on really well. I suppose it’s like coming to work and working with my friends.”