3 steps for a new nail salon to get the first 5-star review

If you are a new nail salon owner, perhaps the first thing you think of is: “How can my salon get its first 5-star review as soon as possible?”. Because 87% of customers today read online reviews before deciding to purchase a service, a 5-star review is not only a compliment, but also the most powerful marketing weapon for your nail salon in the initial startup phase.

With experience in consulting and implementing digital marketing solutions for hundreds of SME businesses in Vietnam, DPS.MEDIA has found that: The first 3 reviews are the “trust signals” that make Google’s algorithm and review platforms prioritize displaying your salon over competitors.. To help you achieve this as soon as possible, here are 3 simple – but extremely effective – steps to get your first 5-star review for your newly opened nail salon:

Step 1: Invite the right people at the right time
Start with those close to you, such as friends, family, or the first customers during your grand opening week. But don’t just invite them to leave a review, but also give specific instructions on how they can write a detailed, personalized review. Google and Facebook value reviews with real, vivid content more than just a few words like “very good”.

Step 2: Create an experience that exceeds expectations for your first customer
Early customers are potential brand ambassadors. Make sure everything – from the scent in the salon, the way staff talk, to the small gift after the service – makes customers exclaim “Wow!”. A surprising experience is exactly the reason that motivates them to share positive reviews without any reminder.

Step 3: Systematize the review collection process
After each customer visit, proactively send a thank you message along with a link to the review page (Google Maps or Facebook). You can also integrate it on the receipt, a QR code at the payment counter, or an automated chatbot.95% of customers say they are willing to write a review if reminded in the right way.

Understanding customer psychology and combining systematic thinking in experience care is the fastest way for a new nail salon to break through in the early stages. DPS.MEDIA believes that, as long as you follow these 3 steps correctly,the first 5-star review will not only come early, but also spread – starting a chain of loyal customers and sustainable revenue growth.

Understand the true importance of 5-star reviews for newly opened nail salons

A 5-star review is not just a number – it is a “credit of trust” for the nail salon

In the digital age,5-star review is not simply a reward from satisfied customers, but the first “certificate of trust” that any new nail salon needs to have to survive and compete. According to Harvard Business Review (2021), just a 1-star increase in average rating can help small business revenue grow by up to 9%. In the beauty industry – where trust and experience drive purchasing decisions – positive reviews are the most powerful form of natural marketing.

From the perspective of DPS.MEDIA, the scariest factor is not complaining customers, but “silent” customers. That’s why new nail salons need to proactively create their first 5-star review instead of waiting. Some direct benefits from positive reviews include:

• Increased trust92% of users read reviews before deciding to book a beauty appointment (BrightLocal, 2023).
• Improve search rankings: Google prioritizes displaying businesses with many good reviews.
• Build a loyal community: A satisfied customer can refer at least 3 others (according to Nielsen).

The impact of reviews on the customer conversion funnel for nail salons

Case study: Hoshi Nail Salon – 7 days, first 22 five-star reviews

Under the consultation of DPS.MEDIA, Hoshi salon in Thu Duc City launched the “Touch of Cuteness, Touch of 5 Stars” campaign just one week after opening. Instead of passively asking for reviews, Hoshi actively invited customers to check-in and experience a free artistic nail shaping service if they left a genuine review. Through a gentle and skillful process, after just 7 days, they had 22 high-quality 5-star reviews on both Google Maps and Facebook, a number sufficient to help the salon break out of the “anonymous” zone and increase online bookings by 351% in the very first month of operation.

Building customer experience as a foundation for positive reviews

The first experience determines long-term impressions

The psychology of customers when entering a nail salon for the first time always contains a sense of hesitation. According to research by Harvard Business Review, 80% of consumers make a review decision after just a few minutes of interacting with the service. For newly opened salons, creating a meticulous, cozy, and personalized first impression is the key factor for customers to give 5 stars.

DPS.MEDIA recommends small but highly effective implementation steps:

• Call the customer's name as soon as they walk in to create a personalized welcome feeling.
• Remember small details such as the type of drink the customer likes, nail color preferences, or previous appointments to reconnect.
• Proactively ask for feedback after finishing the first finger – both to adjust technique if needed and to show care.

Synchronize the quality of experience from the atmosphere to the technicians

According to the “Moments of Truth” model in customer experience management, positive emotional transformation occurs when a service exceeds expectations—not in its core, but in the way it is delivered. For nail salons, this is closely tied to synchronization: space, music, scent, and technicians.

Below is a suggestion from a real-life case study implementation:

Listen proactively and respond quickly to create a positive feedback loop

From experience working with many SMEs in the beauty industry, DPS.MEDIA has found that positive feedback appears most frequently after the salon handles small suggestions well. This could be adjusting the armrest position to make the customer more comfortable, or changing the type of polish according to their personal wishes.

Customers tend to appreciate the service more when they feel they play a co-creative role in the experience. The team should be trained to:

• Proactively ask after completion: ”Are you satisfied, or would you like any adjustments?”
• Record feedback via the app or customer logbook and respond within 24 hours if there are any complaints.
• Invite to review on Google after each successful experience via personalized QR code.

Building experiences is not about a big budget, but about the ability to understand – design – iterate those moments that make customers want to come back and leave compliments for you.

Leverage social networks and review platforms to spread the first review

Turn social media accounts into channels for generating social proof

Research from Harvard Business Review shows that customers are 12 times more likely to trust reviews from real users than advertising messages. Therefore, when a first-time customer has a good experience, encourage them to share their feelings on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok. Take advantage of content suggestion algorithms – especially on Reels and TikTok – which can help the first review video reach thousands of views without advertising costs.

• Content review suggestions: Record the nail process along with genuine feedback from customers.
• Attach a local #hashtag: For example, #nailThuDuc or #tiemnailquanhday.
• Tag or mention the salon: Create conditions to make it easier for others to find you.

Build a strategy to collect reviews on trustworthy platforms

According to a 2023 survey by BrightLocal, 87% of users read reviews on Google before choosing a local service. DPS.MEDIA once implemented for a nail salon client in District 5: simply by printing a QR code linking to Google Reviews and sticking it at the cashier counter with a “free nail polish” offer for the first customer to leave a review, the number of 5-star reviews increased by 300% in just 2 weeks.

Create minigame & local influencer campaigns to amplify reviews

Another tip from DPS.MEDIA: collaborate with micro-influencers – those with fewer than 20,000 followers but who interact closely with the local community. Offer a free nail set worth 300,000 VND in exchange for an honest review. At the same time, organize a minigame like “Tag 3 friends to receive a nail care combo” on Facebook, helping you both attract traffic and discreetly spread reviews effectively.

• Choose the right influencer: clean aesthetics, well-crafted content, approachable.
• Should use UGC (User Generated Content): This type of content achieves a conversion rate 28% higher according to Nielsen's report.

Encourage customers to leave reviews without being intrusive

Be proactive yet subtle: Gently suggest at the “golden” moment”

According to research from Journal of Consumer Psychology, the moment when customers feel positive emotions right after using the service is the best time to suggest they write a review. DPS.MEDIA advises: don't wait until the customer leaves the store – choose a natural “touchpoint” right before they stand up, for example when the staff hands the mirror to the customer to check the finished nails.

• Use a gentle invitation such as: “If you are satisfied, we would be very happy if you could leave us a review on Google.”
• Prepare in advance QR code at the checkout counter or at the end of the POS so customers just need to scan to go directly to the review link.
• Apply positive communication phrases combined with friendly body language, avoiding pressure.

Turn reviews into micro rewards

Customers like to be recognized. A successful example is the “Nail Me More” salon in District 4 (consulted by DPS.MEDIA) which implemented the “Thank you for your compliment” program. Customers write reviews naturally and sincerely all receive a 20,000đ discount voucher for the next visit – no need for a 5-star review, just share your experience.

Create a service experience that makes leaving reviews a natural reflex

When the service is well personalized, customers will voluntarily share their experiences as part of their emotions. DPS.MEDIA always emphasizes in workshops with shop owners that: “Reviews should not be the goal, but the result.” The more you focus on building excellent experiences – the less you need to “ask for reviews”, because customers will write them themselves to preserve good feelings.

Smart strategies for handling negative feedback

Negative feedback is an opportunity for nail salons to increase credibility

Negative feedback should not be seen as a failure, but as a “golden data zone” for newly opened nail salons to adjust their services, thereby creating a positive word-of-mouth effect. According to research by Harvard Business Review, 68% of customers value businesses that know how to listen and respond skillfully rather than being perfect from the start.

• Do not delete negative feedback: Deleting it can easily make customers lose trust because they think the shop is hiding something.
• Early feedback, right to the point: Respond within 24 hours to demonstrate professionalism; admit fault if necessary, but also tactfully explain to avoid setting a precedent for “blackmail reviews”.
• Turn dissatisfied customers into loyal ones: Offer discount vouchers for the next time combined with a sincere sharing call to help customers feel cared for.

Apply the SERVQUAL model to improve service through feedback

Factors in the SERVQUAL model: Tangibles, Reliability, Responsiveness, Assurance, Empathy can be used to code the negative feedback system into internal improvement information.

Case study: Lumi Nail Salon & the lesson from turning a “1 star” into 5 stars

Lumi Salon, a new brand in District 7, once received a 1-star review for being 20 minutes late to serve a customer without an apology. After consulting with DPS.MEDIA, within just 48 hours, the manager sent an apology message, offered a free hand skin detox voucher, and filmed a behind-the-scenes video of the sterilization process—demonstrating safety. The result? The customer removed the old review and replaced it with a 5-star rating along with praise for professionalism. This is proof: handling negative reviews is not just about “troubleshooting” but is an emotional marketing strategy—building trust through every interaction.

Turn satisfied customers into reputable brand ambassadors

Encourage customers to share their experiences through positive reviews

When you have a satisfied customer, don’t let them leave the salon without being encouraged to give feedback. According to BrightLocal 2023 research, 76% customers are willing to leave a review if asked. Therefore, new nail salons should build an automated follow-up process—for example, sending a thank-you message with a Google or Facebook review link right after the customer leaves the salon.

• Use a QR code placed near the checkout counter that leads to the review page.
• Give a discount voucher for the next visit if the customer leaves a review.
• Send a friendly reminder message or email after 24 hours.

Turn loyal customers into potential KOLs

In the first months, instead of heavily investing in expensive influencer marketing, DPS.MEDIA encourages nail salons to leverage their own reputable existing customers. We successfully implemented this at a nail salon in District 7: inviting 5 regular customers with 1K–5K Instagram followers to join the “VIP Customer Share & Save” program. After just 2 weeks, there were over 40 stories mentioning @tiemnail and 17 five-star Google reviews recorded.

Reuse feedback to boost credibility across multiple platforms

5-star reviews shouldn't just sit idle on Google Business. Use them as “trust credits” to persuade potential customers. DPS.MEDIA suggests some ways to apply:

• Quote reviews with real images on the fanpage or Instagram with the brand hashtag.
• Use a plugin to automatically display reviews in the website footer or sidebar.
• Edit customer feedback videos to run retargeting ads.

According to Professor Robert Cialdini – author of Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion (2001), the principle of social proof is an important catalyst that helps increase the conversion rate from hesitant customers. By presenting reviews creatively, you are turning satisfaction into a natural—and extremely effective—marketing campaign.

Measure effectiveness and optimize review strategies over time

Set KPIs by cycle to read changes in customer behavior

According to research by BrightLocal 2023: over 84% of users said they evaluate a service shop like a nail salon based on reviews posted within the last two weeks.This places great importance on measuring reviews in real time instead of just by month or quarter.

At DPS.MEDIA, we often set weekly KPIs for newly opened nail salons — for example:

• Number of new 5-star reviews each week
• Frequency of technician mentions in the reviews
• Emotion keywords (emotion keywords): “gentle”, “clean”, “safe”, etc.

This measurement helps shop owners clearly understand how customer perceptions change at each stage of opening the shop, and easily identify bottlenecks in the service if any.

Use comparison tables to spot highlights and repeat success

If week 2 is the peak of positive reviews, DPS recommends you should specify the factors that contributed to the success — for example, was it the first week you changed the lighting tone of the space? Or did you launch the loyal customer program “Check-in to receive detox water”?

Recreate positive touchpoints and A/B test new tactics

Unlike traditional marketing, reviews are where customers recount their journey of using the service from their own perspective — and the positive touchpoints within that need to be intentionally recreated. intentional recreation.

A nail salon in District 3 working with DPS conducted an A/B test with two types of customer table decor: one with white linen fabric, and one with light brown reflective glass. The result: the glass table received more positive emotional feedback (“luxurious energy”, “beautiful Instagrammable corner”). As a result, the number of new customers increased by 171% in just 2 weeks.

Key pointTake reviews as the emotional map of your customers. When you learn how to read that map, your service strategy will no longer be guesswork — but an optimizable, measurable equation. And that's where DPS.MEDIA accompanies you.

Shared by DPS.MEDIA

Starting the journey to conquer 5-star reviews is not just a goal, but also a way to build lasting trust and credibility for your nail salon. Three simple steps – from creating a professional first impression, optimizing customer experience to proactively collecting and managing feedback – are the foundation for asserting your position in a highly competitive market..

Applying these steps not only helps your salon make a good impression on first-time customers, but also opens up opportunities to maintain a loyal customer base in the long run. Every small, consistent action contributes to building a professional and trustworthy brand image.

At DPS.MEDIA, we believe that success in marketing doesn't just come from a big budget but also from the right strategy and skillful execution. As a close partner of many small businesses in Vietnam, we understand the challenges of getting started and are always ready to accompany you on your journey to sustainable business development..

If you are interested in brand-building strategies for the beauty industry, creating engaging digital content, or optimizing ads on digital platforms, keep following DPS.MEDIA for useful professional insights.

We look forward to hearing your feedback and experiences when applying these steps – leave a comment or join the creative business community discussion below!