I rang the bell. Few minutes later a staff presses a button under her desk and the front door is open. I am standing at the storefront of Witika, a laser removal parlour close to Bernabéu. It’s a small business with a Número de Identificación Fiscal (NIF), a Business Name as called in several African countries.
I am here to speak with Teresa on the trend in laser hair removal, its safety and the equipment used for laser hair removal. Teresa walks me through the parlour distributed with an entrance and a hallway with eight cabins, four to the left and four to the right. There is not much more space to see. So we walk back to the entrance where four individual sofas await customers.
Teresa hands over a flyer. Nothing impressive. But, seamlessly I understand Witika has thirty three centres distributed across the country, its laser removal method is pain-free, twenty doctors oversee treatments, and Witika caters to one hundred and fifty thousand satisfied customers. The centres offer two services being these pressotherapy and laser hair removal. I am here to gather knowledge on laser hair removal before any possible conversion on this service. Therefore, Teresa and I move on to a Q&A session.
What are the alternatives?
Well, the people who approach us have tried wax, creams and silk-épil to no avail. Laser hair removal is an advanced method to hair removal on chest, legs, body and other hidden areas.
The franchise has thirty three centres, how does the business operates?
Our franchise stores are located in areas similar to this one. On a high street. Or in a mall. Where there is foot traffic. They are all of the same size and the distribution is very similar (if not exact), a break out area and the cabins. The services take place in the cabins, where we provide customers with dedicated and personalized treatments designed to fulfil specific wants.
On medical appointment a doctor oversees the quality, safety and effectiveness of our treatments. An appointment with a medical practitioner is part of the service delivery. The medical practitioner ensures effective progress and at the same time ensures customer satisfaction through the journey.
What products are used to deliver laser hair removal?
Our SMARTDiode laser machine is a state of the art equipment. We purchased it when we moved in. This machine, when used properly, ensures hair removal faster than traditional laser hair removal.
The SHR technology uses an incremental heating process with low energy consumption and is less painful than traditional laser hair removal. SHR uses a lower energy level at a high repetition and a longer pulse duration making it safe for all skin types, including melanin and tanned skin. The technology targets the hair follicles in a gentle yet effective manner providing a pain free delivery method.
Four hundred and thirty [coins] is expensive. What are the guarantees?
We undergo proper training and certification before operating any of the equipment. Still, laser hair removal requires more than one session before satisfactory results. Furthermore, Witika staff often have the added benefit of owning and commercially operating the device they provide service on, giving us a unique first-hand practical expertise and knowledge of our products in action.
An effective communication with clients is a step forward to understanding when their hair removal goals have been met. We ask them to monitor results and communicate any safety hazard to us.
Does Witika benefits from promotion?
Indeed, we benefit from advertising. Our TrustPilot reviews are shown on Google. Online advertising efforts have increased our client base by thirty percent, proving that online advertising works for Witika.
Before hiring someone for an online presence we were depending on foot traffic and branding to get clients through the door. Then, data collection was key to success. But with new regulations, the GDPR, we had to adjust things a little bit. Now, our operations do not focus so much on branding and data collection but on customer satisfaction and in improving the customer journey/feedback.
I am convinced with Teresa’s answers. And with our Q&A concluded, I head back to work to research on other laser removal technologies and their pain-free guarantees. I couldn’t stop thinking that Teresa was right about being on the high street. This is how I found her in the first place. However, I wasn’t surprised to hear how Witika found online advertising useful to growing client base and increasing income. Witika has taken the steps of growing from a traditional beauty store to harnessing the benefits of an online presence. In fact, we have seen that businesses that use online channels see increasing sales and convert clients quicker through the sales funnel.
Fashion and modelling has empowered me to be expressive, be playful and try new things. But why wasn’t laser hair removal calling me daring? At the meantime, I decide to continue with my old fashion silk-épil through my summer holiday.
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