How Drybar Styled Forward-Thinking Customer Experience, Q&A With Ali Webb

Maybe you know entrepreneur Ali Webb because she is the vision behind the fast-growth and wildly successful Drybar. Maybe you’ve heard of how she’s completely disrupted the beauty industry by creating a modern update to the hair salon and a line of sought-after hair products and a full digital experience to help women perfect the art of straightening hair. Or maybe you know her from Shark Tank.  

No matter where you’ve come in contact with her, you’ve probably heard her speak about how creating the ultimate customer experience has always been central to her values as an entrepreneur and a key pillar of the Drybar brand. 

Given our mutual focus on exceptional customer service, I was excited to have the opportunity to speak with her about building a thriving business by focusing on the experiences today’s customers expect. Here are some highlights and learnings from our conversation.

Brad Birnbaum: When you initially created Drybar, how did you think about the role of customer service?

Ali Webb: Early on, I learned from my parents the critical role customer service plays in a business. The idea that the customer is always right was branded into me as a kid. When I started Drybar with my brother, I knew that if we didn’t have customer service down, nothing else mattered. We weren’t just selling blowouts. We sold the happiness and confidence that comes with it. Our goal was to create an experience for all of the senses, creating an escape for customers and a bar atmosphere for your hair. In our case, the customer journey became equal parts entertainment, art, theater and delivery of a needed product and service.

Birnbaum: Many leaders struggle to focus as they grow and scale a business. How were you able to stay focused?

Webb: I think it’s critical to stick with what you do best. In my case, I understood blowouts incredibly well and I was determined to stay focused on just that. When we started to take on more private equity partners, many encouraged me to expand into other areas of the beauty industry. Right away I told them, “I hear you, but no.” For me it wasn’t about making more money; it was about staying authentic to my vision. It was about providing the best possible experience for customers, whether it be in the salon or at home. Being able to say no and stay true to what I knew helped me stay focused on my long-term business goals. In addition, I always say to surround yourself with people who are smarter than you. I was willing to acknowledge what I didn’t know about the business and bring in others who had the expertise I needed to succeed. 

Birnbaum: What prompted you to broaden the scope of Drybar and move into e-commerce?

Webb: With 150 stores, we had a solid retail business. But I realized that there were thousands of women who didn’t live near a Drybar but could be important customers. The team was challenged with finding a way to replicate customers in-store experience in the comfort of their own homes through our e-commerce channel. We spent tons of time, money and energy in putting together videos so we can show women how to blow dry their hair with the same products and tools we use in the store. This turned out to be very important when we were forced to shut down for six months during the pandemic.

Birnbaum: How did your strategy evolve during the pandemic?

Webb: It’s so important to change the way you operate in accordance with the changing environment. At the height of COVID, we needed to close all 150 of our stores. To continue connecting with our customers, we communicated frequently, leveraging our extensive library of videos and tutorials to teach women how to do their own hair at home. As we started to re-open our stores we knew that the overall experience would look and feel very different. The social aspect of the experience was essentially gone. But we knew that our customers needed a place where they could feel safe. So we altered the experience, including leveraging processes that were already in place  like virtual check-ins, but also adding  temperature checks and enforcing social distancing, so that customers could continue to put their trust in us. 

Birnbaum: What is your advice to other customer service leaders facing the challenges of connecting with customers in our “new normal?”

Webb: Remember that the customer is your compass. Study the customer and determine how you can identify and eliminate their stress. I realized when we opened Squeeze, we weren’t in the business of providing massages, we were in the business of eliminating anxiety. This was another important lesson for 2020, by the way. We have to be so engaged with our customers that we instinctively know how to serve them. It’s a good idea to always be reflecting, improving and revamping to better meet customer needs, not just after a crisis.

I also advocate businesses embrace transparency. Talking through everything that’s happening helps customers understand what’s going on and fosters loyalty. When we increased the price of our blowouts I told our customers, “we’re raising prices and here’s why.” 

Right now, everyone is on edge. When it comes to customer service, make sure that the people you are bringing on to represent your brand are being sensitive and empathetic to customer needs. This is critical during this stressful time.

My hope is that because we’ve been through this craziness together, we can treat one another with more kindness. There seems to be a “we’re in this together” mentality, which is great. Let’s perpetuate this. We’re grateful now. Let’s keep it going.

As with many growing DTC brands, staying focused on the right customer service strategy will help create the ultimate customer experience. By developing products that meet unique customer needs, brands can build their customer base and expand into additional products and services related to that audience. As Alli says, it’s critical to stay authentic; if not your customers will be the first to call you out.

Interested in hearing more from the discussion with Ali? Tune in to hear her full keynote presentation on at the upcoming KustomerNow Summit.