A surefire way to turn that new client into a repeat client and maybe even a lifer?

Take the time to get to know them.

If you’re in the service industry, repeat clients are your bread and butter.

They help boost long term business growth and — fun fact! — they’re 50% more likely to try a new service or product.

That’s why it’s so important to take the time to get to know your new clients and understand their needs. 

This is where a new client questionnaire comes in!

Like the classic get-to-know-you game 21 Questions, a good new client questionnaire breaks the ice and gives you the insight you need to ensure your client has a great experience.

To help you build your new client questionnaire (and build more repeat clients!), we’re showing you how to create your questionnaire and giving you some of the best questions to ask your clients — broken down by industry. 

In this blog:

How to Build a New Client Questionnaire That Actually Works 

A new client questionnaire may seem like a small thing, but from your client’s perspective, a questionnaire tells them you care about them and their needs. 

There’s also more in it for you than might meet the eye. You can think of this questionnaire as a research tool — or a “get-to-know-you” tool.

To make the most of it, you’ll want to include specific questions that give you information about your new clients and how you can best help them.

Whether you’re a massage therapist or a hair stylist, here are three key points each industry will want to keep in mind for their questionnaire. 

1. Keep It Short

As you start drafting up your questions, think about how long clients are actually willing to spend filling out a questionnaire.

The platform SurveyMonkey found that people will only spend about ten minutes on a questionnaire, no matter how long.

So, the fewer questions you ask, the more time people will spend on each question, giving you more thorough responses. 

2. Be Specific

Your questionnaire is an opportunity to find out exactly what clients are looking for.

You want clients to tell you their specific goals for the appointment and possible future appointments, so make sure you’re giving them the chance to tell you what they expect.

What are you hoping to get out of this class? Or What are your exercise goals?

3. Make It Easy

You don’t have to be a web developer to build your own questionnaire to share with clients.

There are a ton of platforms out there these days to help. We love using Typeform here at Schedulicity.

You could also try websites like SurveyMonkey or Jotform to find the template that matches your business needs. 

Pro Tip: Speaking of easy… With Schedulicity, you can easily add a questionnaire link to an email marketing message, so you can share your questionnaire with your whole client list or choose particular clients.

Sample Questions to Include In Your New Client Questionnaire

5 Questions to Ask Massage Clients 

Asking the right questions of your massage clients lets you know their preferences and any prior injuries to be aware of before the appointment.

Whether the client has a specific issue they’d like you to address, or they’re just looking to relax, knowing what their goals are will help ensure you provide the kind of massage they have in mind.

  • What are your goals for today’s massage? 
  • Do you have any prior injuries I should be aware of?
  • What physical activities are you involved in during the week and are they causing any stress/pain in areas you’d like me to focus on?
  • Do you have any allergies I should be aware of, such as aromatherapy oils or massage lotions with essential oils?
  • Do you have any music or aroma preferences for your massage?

10 Questions to Ask Salon or Barber Clients

For hair stylists and barbers, we’re breaking things down into two categories: questions to ask before a client’s appointment and questions to ask after. 

Before the Client’s Appointment

  • What do you love about your hair?
  • What would you change about your hair?
  • How often do you wash your hair?
  • Do you enjoy styling your hair or does it feel like a chore?
  • Are there any celebrities who inspire you with their hairstyle?

After the Client’s Appointment

  • How did you find out about our salon/barbershop?
  • Was the scheduling process easy?
  • Were you recommended any products or tools to use at home?
  • Did the appointment meet your expectations?
  • Were you prompted to book your next appointment?

Pro Tip: Make booking a breeze for both you and your clients! With Schedulicity, clients can easily book (and rebook!) online. Plus, you can take advantage of Schedulicity’s marketing tools to keep those clients coming back!

6 Questions to Ask Fitness or Personal Training Clients

While you want to gather as much important and meaningful information from fitness clients as you can before their appointment or class, you also don’t want to bog them down with too many questions or make the questions too detailed. 

  • Have you had a regular workout routine in the past?
  • What are your fitness goals? (Both short and long term.)
  • Any past or current injuries related to exercise that I should be aware of?
  • What kind of job do you have? How many hours do you work each week?
  • How many days per week are you able to commit to exercise?
  • What days of the week would you like to workout?

6 Questions to Ask Yoga Clients

Clients take yoga classes for a variety of reasons, and not every client is going to have the same goals.

So, the more you get to know each client, the better you’re able to work through where they’re coming from and what they’re hoping to achieve.

  • How often do you practice yoga? (Daily? Weekly? First timer?)
  • What draws you to yoga?
  • What do you hope to get out of your yoga practice?
  • Do you participate in any other physical activities?
  • What kind of exercise do you enjoy most?
  • Have you had any major injuries in the past that could affect your yoga practice?
  • Do you currently have any pain, discomfort, or diagnosed injury I should be aware of?