AMI Kappers: Striving for excellent customer experience across 104 salons

AMI Kappers is also one of the most data-driven hair salon chains in the country. From the start, they’ve embraced data. Each salon operates its own dashboard, where entrepreneurs can access key metrics like turnover, discount rates, customer return percentages, upselling stats, efficiency, and the results from Secret View's customer experience studies.

Company: AMI Kappers  

‍Industry: Hairdressing ‍

Locations: 104 salons across the Netherlands (a mix of owned and franchised salons)

Customer since: 2012

Services used: Customer experience research and internal audits

Interviewed: Monique Radius, CEO

In the elegantly designed AMI House, located in the historical center of Deventer, we spoke with Monique Radius, CEO of AMI Kappers. This central hub houses a salon on the first floor, a training center above, and all the specialists at AMI House who provide support to the franchise owners.

Monique shares, “This space is so important to us. It brings everything together under one roof instead of separating elements. AMI started as a family business, and we’re committed to preserving that feeling. Employees from all over the country come here for training, which allows us to maintain regular contact, foster connections, and offer an open-door policy for anyone needing support.”

Why does AMI Kappers choose Secret View for customer experience research?

Monique: “I’ve been involved with customer experience research since day one. We’ve been doing it since 2012, and it’s crucial for us. It includes both external studies using mystery shoppers and internal audits performed by our own employees.”

“We’ve just presented our 2025 strategy internally. Our goal is to become the best in the mid-market segment. We’re already doing well, but we aim for greatness. We continually ask ourselves, ‘How can we elevate our service and quality even further?’ We’ve reviewed everything with fresh eyes. Next year, we celebrate our 55th anniversary—proof of our brand’s strength. We invest heavily every year in recruiting and training new stylists, which is paying off, as intake levels have returned to pre-COVID standards. Service and quality always remain our priority.”

“The customer experience research plays a key role in this. With 104 salons, it’s impossible to oversee daily operations everywhere. These independent feedback moments are invaluable. They truly show us how customers experience the salon and highlight areas for improvement.”

“For us, practicality is key. Our stylists don’t have time to delve deeply into complex reports, but we still need reliable insights. That’s why Secret View is such a great tool—it’s practical and user-friendly at all levels within the organization.”

How is the customer experience research structured?

Monique: “We have three questionnaires for customer experience studies:

• Men’s haircuts
• Women’s haircuts and blow-dry
• Women’s color treatments

The questionnaires are 80% similar, with 20% nuanced differences. For example, color treatment surveys include advice-related questions: does the chosen color suit the client? How do you care for colored hair? Men’s surveys focus more on convenience and speed. Despite these differences, all three studies follow the same five categories in the customer journey:

• Reception
• Advice
• Treatment
• Payment
• Voice of customer

Consistently positive scores—how do you do it?

Monique: “Our average scores range from 70–80%, but our target is 90%. There should always be room for improvement, right? Everyone at AMI shares the same goal: ‘excellent customer experience.’ That’s why Secret Views’ tool is so valuable. We monitor results constantly and use them to inform training at our AMI Academy, focusing on every aspect of the customer journey—hospitality, management, communication, and technical skills. This constant focus is helping us get closer to that 90% target.”

“Mystery shopping isn’t our only source of data. Each salon also has a Power BI dashboard that combines financial data with Secret View’s customer experience and internal audits insights. This data-driven approach is supported by specialists who help us translate data into action.”

How does AMI Kappers use the results at different levels?

Monique: “Let’s start with the salons. Our login rate is high—around 90%. Salon owners check new results almost immediately, and the findings are discussed in team meetings. Each questionnaire is reviewed thoroughly, and learnings are identified.”

“Franchise advisors and regional managers then incorporate these findings into their quarterly analyses. They discuss advice, monitor improvements, and create action plans for structural issues.”

“At the AMI House, we focus on broader trends. For us, the customer experience study serves as a barometer for how things are going across all salons. Personally, I check the results weekly—though I immediately review the results of underperforming salons. While I don’t take direct action myself, I ensure salon and regional managers address these issues.”

“When a salon scores 100%, I always send a congratulatory message and reward them with something extra from the Success Pot. We celebrate achievements, not just perfect scores but also improvements—for example, when a salon’s average score rises from 70% to 80%.”

How do salons respond to the feedback?

Monique: “Initially, feedback was seen as criticism, but that perception has changed. Entrepreneurs now see it as a valuable measure of how customers perceive their salons.”

“The tool clearly shows us where to focus. For instance, we noticed room for improvement in advice. We have a beautiful exclusive product line, and we’ve added training to ensure it receives more attention during consultations. What you focus on grows, and Secret View helps us identify these areas. For salons, it’s a mirror reflecting their customer experience.”

The evolution of Secret View's research since 2012

Monique: “I’ve been a user since day one, back when I worked in marketing for AMI. Back then, results were delivered on paper—it’s hard to imagine now.”

“The dashboard has become much more streamlined over the years. The latest 2024 update gave the dashboard a cleaner look. We’ve also revised the questionnaires significantly, making them more concise and actionable, which has improved results and reduced debates.”

Why does AMI Kappers also use Secret View’s internal audits?

Monique: “We used to have an overly complicated system that wasn’t taken seriously. When Secret View introduced tooling for internal audits, we were immediately interested. Now, all data is centralized, and the audits are quick and easy to complete via mobile devices—a huge advantage for our franchise advisors.”

How do internal audits differ from customer experience research?

Monique: “Internal audits focus on AMI’s core values and formula characteristics. Are the salons clean and well-maintained? Are employees sufficiently trained? Are products displayed prominently?”

“We’ve found that these audits raise awareness for both franchise advisors and entrepreneurs. They’re busy, so some things can slip through the cracks. Since launching this in 2023, we’ve seen tangible results and are refining the process further this year. For instance, we’ll tailor our audits quarterly to align with initiatives like the launch of our new line in March.”

“These two research approaches reinforce each other, contributing to our 2025 goal: delivering excellent salon experiences across all 104 locations. With customer experience studies and internal audits from Secret View, we ensure every detail aligns with that mission.”

What do you want to learn about your target audience?

Secret View’s global network of 65,000+ mystery shoppers is already visiting stores and restaurants like yours. What would you like to know? Explore our case studies or request a free pilot to see how we can help!