Beauty, Business, communication, Hair Care, health and wellness, Uncategorized, Women

What are you so scared of?

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Today’s tale is for all the stylists out there. Not a stylist? You may continue reading, you may even end up telling your stylist about this blog. It could help her be a better stylist and help you and her other clients like their hair for more than two days after the appointment.

You see, most Salon’s do not put any energy or focus into their retail. Retail meaning selling the products that they use during their services, be it a pomade or a flat iron. Everyday, and I mean everyday I have women coming into our shop saying the exact same thing… “I just had my hair done a few days ago and it looked great but now look at it!!! I don’t know what she (meaning the stylist) used and I can’t do my hair.”. So, this is wear my rendition of 20 questions begins. “What shape was the bottle she used?”. “What color was the bottle?”. “Did it foam up or did it look creamy?”. You get the point.

Something I cannot wrap my head around is this. A stylist has no problem telling their client that their service will cost $185.00 but they cannot muster up the courage to ask the client if she would like to purchase the mousse that was just put into her hair for $10.95. Seriously?!? It’s a win win. The client will be able to achieve the look you have just given them and the time in between each visit, your client will be happy with her hair and in turn with you, her stylist.

I have compiled a little list for all you stylists out there of what a client sitting in your chair should never hear. I mean NEVER.

– when your client asks “What’s that your using?” DO NOT answer “Oh, just some free stuff from my rep.”. Tell her what it is, tell her how to use it, offer to her that she can buy some on her way out.

– after finishing your color service and your client asks “What shampoo should I use?” DO NOT say “Oh, just pick something up at the drugstore”. – Are you crazy? Anything but professional shampoo could fade her color and make her hair look dull and lifeless – and guess what? When that happens she isn’t going to blame the shampoo – she’s gonna blame you.

– when your client asks about flat irons DO NOT answer her with “Oh…these are for professionals only” – come on…it’s not brain surgery…if you can iron a shirt, you can use a flat iron. Besides, it sounds a little rude and kind of belittles your client.

– if your client is currently using a professional hair care line that you do not carry, do not tell her “Oh, that line is crap!”. Now you have not only made yourself look stupid, you have insulted your client. Instead, compliment her choice and offer something similar that you carry. If you are not familiar with the line she uses, keep your mouth shut and after she leaves hop on Google and educate yourself.

If you decide to sell retail (which you should), sell the client the proper product, not the one with the highest commission or profit margin. Greedy will get you nowhere FAST. Think about it, would you like to be sold something that isn’t what you need just so the salesman gets a spiff? (Spiffs are when product has a higher commission put on it because the product needs to be sold).

All the manufacturer’s from A-G to Sebastian offer free product knowledge training for all salon employee’s. They offer awesome promo’s for your stylists and your customers. I have had many of the companies give me free product for a gift basket that my shop either puts in a monthly draw or offers as a donation for local charities.

In recent years the shampoos, conditioners and styling products at the drug stores and department stores have increased their prices and quite honestly, when they are not on sale, they are only $1.00 – $3.00 less than professional salon products. I believe our clients and customers deserve to have a good hair day everyday.

What about you?

Beauty, Business, communication, Hair Care, health and wellness, Uncategorized

The Replacements

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***Original post from September 2012 – Updated for your viewing and hair pleasure August 2016!

 

We have all been there. We have all been her. We have all been the consumer who waltzes into the Salon and heads over to our favorite shelf that holds our most precious product only to drop slowly to our knees while we wail “…They…discontinued…my…hairspray!!!”. For a moment, the Salon falls silent, not in shock but in respect of the loss.

Unfortunately most companies decide to revamp their lines and their products and don’t let the Salon owners, stylists or the public at large know that they are doing so and leave us all hanging, wondering “Does it still exist? Is it in a different bottle? Does it have another name?”.  KMS California is not such a company. In the last year they revamped their line and discontinued some products – put down the torches and pitchforks people, take a breath. KMS California thought of those of us who do not wear waterproof mascara and gave a detailed description of what products are no longer with us and which products would be a suitable replacement. So, since I have it, I thought you would like it too and being me, I have compiled a list for you.

That Girl in the Red Coat KMS

 

– If you were using Hairstay Sculpting lotion – try Curl Up perfecting lotion

– If you were using Hairstay Quick finishspray – try Hair Stay medium hold or Hair Stay maximum hold spray

– If you were using Hairplay Soft wax or Hairplay Hard wax – try Hair Play Design wax

– If you were using Hairplay Texture blast – try Add Volume Root and body lift

– If you were using Silksheen Shaping creme – try Tame Frizz smoothing lotion or taming creme

– If you were using SilkSheen Silk treatment – try Moist Repair Therapy treatment

– If you were using Silksheen Therapy plus – try Tame Frizz de-frizz oil

– If you were using Silksheen Gloss Spray – try Hairstay Anti-Humidity seal **AWESOME

– If you were using AddVolume Gel conditioner – try Add Volume Body build detangler

– If you were using AddVolume Blow dry lotion – try Add Volume volumizing spray or Hair Play messing creme

The complete FlatOut line was discontinued and replaced with the FreeShape line – it does everything the FlatOut line did and more! Here are the big movers from FreeShape at our shop.

FlatOutHot pressed spray – now FreeShape Hot flex spray

FlatOut Anti-Humidity seal – now FreeShape Anti-Humidity seal

FlatOut Straightening creme – now FreeShape Hot flex creme

Some products have not changed….the bottle is just another color and their name has changed…

So there you are. You can wipe away the tears. You can calm down. KMS California has thought of you, the Salon owner, the stylist, the consumer.

 

–

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Tales of Truth…Part 6

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Ladies and gents, it’s that time again…tales of truth. To be clear, yes all the following events have happened to me personally, and no I don’t make these things up…sometimes, more than you know, I wish I did. I checked the calender and the full moon will not be upon us until the 29th. this month so I can only imagine what may be in store in the coming weeks. (By the way…most of the following events happened in one day. Yep. One day…yesterday. It was raining all day so if this is what rainy day people are like guess who will never live in Seattle.)

– Arrived at work by 8:45 a.m.. First phone call of the morning – A customer had shopped at the pet store next to our shop on the weekend  and bought a light bulb there. Then she came into our shop  and my ptg (part time girl) offered to put the light bulb in her bag. I guess once she get home the light bulb was missing. She called to ask if we had it. I told her we did not. I checked our lost and found and it was not there. She proceeded to tell me “well, it’s not in my car. It’s not in my bag. It’s not anywhere to be found.”. I told her that I didn’t have it either. She had a hard time accepting this…again with the Dr. Suess rendition of where is my light bulb. To be clear…we offer many services at our shop/salon…holding light bulbs hostage is not one of them.

– I live in Canada and the Ontario government makes me charge HST on products. I had a customer yell at me about the HST. Not about the government making me charge the tax, that I personally charge the tax and that I am not being fair to the consumer. Did I mention that is now only 9:45 a.m.?

– A woman got quite angry with me, her hands were shaking like she had just found her savior, because Goldwell had changed their packaging and reformulated the mousse she liked. It is now 10:15 a.m..

– At my shop, some of my distributor’s are kind enough to offer us a discount, and we like to pass the savings along to our clients/customers, so our prices tend to be about 10 -15 % lower than at other Salons. I had a woman get mad at me because our prices were lower than at her Salon and I couldn’t tell her why they don’t offer a discount. Time – 11:30 a.m..

– A woman wanted a new hairspray and I asked her what kind of hold does she like, to which she responded “What does that have to do with anything? I am looking for hairspray!”. Give it a minute….there you go. (She was thinking I meant another kind of holding I guess…that stuff is sold across the street).

So, to be clear…I will not hold a light bulb hostage, I did not make the decision to charge HST tax, I didn’t tell Goldwell to change their products or packaging, I do not know why other Salons do not help their clients/customers save money and  the only hold I am interested in is the hold of hairspray.

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Bringing Joico to the masses

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Joico. A name I am sure you have heard before. If you are a child of the 80’s you definitely know Joico’s product  Ice Mist…the reason for all the mile high bangs in every school year book from ’85 – ’89. Fast forward twenty years and Joico is still going strong and JoiFix Firm (Ice Mist’s new name for the new century) is still holding up hair everywhere.

Joico is an awesome product line, plain and simple. It offers something for everyone and for every hair type. You have thick/coarse hair? Joico Silk Result for thick hair is your answer. Is your hair limp and lifeless? Joico BodyLuxe is your new best friend. Dry/damaged hair? Meet Joico KPAK. You are a vegan and only use vegan products? Joico Structure is right up your alley. Joico color codes their lines so it is easy to find your favorite…great for those who tend to be a tad OCD.

I could go on and on raving about Joico and all it’s products. Instead, I have compiled a list of the Joico favorites that fly off my shelves. I must admit, some of them are my favorites as well. What can I say? I was a child of the 80’s.

Joico JoiWhip mousse – an alcohol free mousse that offers awesome volume and great hold. A little goes a long way. Dispense an amount about the size of a small kitchen egg – seriously that’s all you need…a personal favorite of mine for over twenty years. Yes, I said twenty.

Joico KPAK – the entire KPAK collection is terrific and is formulated to strengthen the weakest of strands. Imagine your hair as a puzzle with pieces missing. The KPAK products are those missing pieces. It actually helps to rebuild your hair…and it smells terrific. (gold bottles)

Joico KPAK Revitaluxe – I cannot stress this enough…MIRACULOUS!!!! The newest addition to the KPAK family. This conditioning treatment restores the hair’s porosity, adds moisture, strengthens in between each use and makes your hair feel like it did in your youth. Every customer/client I have given a sample to comes back to buy it. It is that good.

Joico BodyLuxe – a line for fine hair to add volume. I have had women come back and hug me after buying this shampoo. Enough said. (green bottles)

Joico Moisture Recovery – a line for dry hair and is light enough for fine hair and strong enough for thicker hair. (blue bottles)

Joico Daily Care Treatment Shampoo – this baby helps maintain a healthy scalp. Quite nice if you tend to be oily and some clients have found it helped with dandruff. (grey bottles)

Joico Silk Result Iron Smoother – Joico’s answer to a flat iron spray. Lightweight and not at all sticky. Adds shine and protects your hair from the heat of the flat iron. (copper bottles)

Joico Joimist Medium Hairspray – a workable hairspray that doesn’t get sticky and won’t weigh down your hair and is Humidity Resistant!

Joico ICE Spiker – a styling glue – awesome for faux hawks and mohawks. Pair this with JoiFix Firm and your hair will withstand a hurricane.

I could go on and on, however I am a mother and a wife and Glee starts tonight. One more thing I will add is this little known fact about Joico…Joico is committed to the environment. Check out their website Joico.com and you will see the Wind Project, the Carbon Offset Program and their Eco Packaging Plan. An awesome company with awesome products, plain and simple.

 

 

 

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Forget me not

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I hear the familiar chirp of the shop’s door chime and before I can greet my customer all I hear is “I need shampoo for gray hair and Vitae Hairspray.”. So, I take a breath and ask if there is a particular purple shampoo she prefers to which she snaps “I need a shampoo for gray hair! Didn’t you hear me?”. So I apologize and explain that purple shampoo is for gray hair to eliminate the brassy build up. That is when her lip started to quiver. I asked her if she was alright and if I could get her something to which she responded “I am sorry for snapping. I just put my mom in a rest home. She has Alzheimer’s.”. Before I knew it I was holding her hand. You see, I have personal experience with this horrible diagnosis. I have lost two grandfathers to this ailment and it is heartbreaking to watch. Heartbreaking.

She explained to me that she wanted the products her mom liked because her mom always liked having her hair just so and her makeup done everyday.  Her mother thought she was her hairdresser, she forgets she is her daughter. (this is how I know there is a higher power because I didn’t break down, I was able to keep it together for this woman.). You see, when one suffers from Alzheimer’s they regress to their youth, sometimes even a child like state, as it was with my grandfathers. This woman’s mother thought she was in her 20’s and kept wondering why someone put a wig on her.

The reason for today’s blog is this…be kind. Be kind to everyone. We never know what is happening to one another. If I had taken this woman’s attitude personally I never would have heard her story and given her a hand to hold. We never know when we may be able to offer someone comfort and shelter from what is waiting for them in their daily life.

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Choose wisely…

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Every time I began today’s blog, by the time I had written ten words, I hit delete and started again. The first attempt was about Moroccanoil. The second attempt was about the first day of school drama. As I was hitting delete time and time again, the Dixie Chicks song “Everybody Knows” came through my earphones. The lyrics “Looking through the crowd, I search for somethin’ else, but every time I turn around, I run into myself”. Okay…got the hint.

What I really want to write about is choosing your battles. Much too often I see women freaking out over something as trivial as a discontinued nail polish shade, or yell at their stylist because they can’t make them look like Christie Brinkley. I see women belittle a stranger because she happened to grab the last can of Shaper Plus. I have had a woman cry, I mean ugly face cry because the flat iron she wanted was on order and wouldn’t be in until the next morning. Seriously…take a breath, open up your compact and take a look at yourself. Trust me, I know how frustrating things can be when they don’t go your way or when something interrupts your plans…in the last 3 weeks I have had my washer and dryer kick it at the same time, literally seconds apart. My 40 gallon water heater decided it was done being the hijacker of my hot water and decided to set the  hostage (being the water) free…in my basement. While cleaning up the water, my shop vac decided it was time to leave this earthly realm. The cherry on top of this sundae…my air conditioner decided it was feeling left out of the appliance exodus and followed suit by blowing a capacitor.

What did I do you ask? I laughed. My husband thought I had lost my mind, and for an instant maybe I did. I could have pitched a fit, thrown a tantrum, called the company and freaked  out on the poor soul who happened to answer my call, thrown a flat iron…but honestly, how would any of the above helped the situation? Would any of those antics make the washer and dryer begin to work? Would the shrill of my shout make the water run back into the water heater? Would a glare and a stomp make the shop vac…well…vac? Nope. I could have stayed in a foul mood all weekend and took my frustration out on anyone who got in my way, friend and foe alike.

The point to this blog you ask? Well, like I said earlier, it’s about choosing your battles. Take a good look at the situation. Is it a problem or an inconvenience?

House is on fire = problem. Your hair has frizz = inconvenience.

Husband has a heart attack = problem. Hairspray nozzle is clogged = inconvenience.

Loved one is in the I.C.U. = problem. Water exodus in basement = inconvenience.

Loved one flat lined = problem. Flat iron on order = inconvenience.

Choose wisely my friends.

 

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Salon Etiquette 101

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As you all know by now, I manage a Salon/retail shop. At least once a day, everyday (yes, I am serious…everyday) I feel like Miss. Beadle from Little House on the Prairie. Not because I am teaching someone something new – because I feel like I am dealing with Willie Oleson’s bad behaviour or Nellie Oleson’s nasty glare. Now, I have come to realize that maybe some of you cannot help your behaviour. No one had ever told you that it is not polite to throw a flat iron or it isn’t the best idea to sit on the floor and try out the nail polish that you haven’t purchased. So, me being me, I have compiled yet another list for you. Consider it a class in Salon Etiquette. Oh…and for the stylists out there, you may want to pay attention, for this list is for you as well. Come on now…you and I both know that not all stylists out there are behaving nicely or showing any professionalism for that matter. Now class, take your seats and pay attention to the lesson.

Salon Clientele –

– When purchasing a hair brush, please do not take each one off the shelf and run it through your hair. You see, now we cannot sell that brush to another client and we also cannot return it to the manufacturer. Would you want to buy a hairbrush that some person just used? Didn’t think so.

– When purchasing nail polish…do not open the bottle and try the polish on your nail. Again, now we cannot sell that polish to another client and we cannot return it to the manufacturer. All polishes come with a color swatch so you can put the nail swatch up  to your hand to see how the color looks. To clarify, although the swatch is shaped like a fingernail – the color looks the same on a toenail. (yep…if you’ve read my blog…you know the story).

– Do not take the lid off every hairspray and spray it to see if it sprays evenly. Yes, I have been privy to many an explanation by grown women try to explain to me the aerodynamics of hairspray and how it “lands” on the hair. (not to be confused with AG aerodynamic Hairspray…a nice light hold).

– When you are in my shop, all my products are professional salon products and name brands. Everything I sell is good. It comes down to what you are looking for and what your hair needs are. Unless your name is Honey BooBoo, please refrain from the old time favorite “Whatcha got here that’s good? I don’t want any crap stuff.”.

– If you wax and are suffering with red bumps or ingrown hairs on your bikini line, you can just tell us. Seriously, we know what red bumps are and what ingrown hairs are…please…I beg you…unless you look like (and others think you look like) Cindy Crawford…we don’t need to see it.

– We have all had bad hair days. We have all been fed up with our products. Take a breath. When we ask you what you want your hair to look like and what products you are currently using, don’t get mad. We are not blaming you for your hair mishap. We are asking so we know where to start from, to see what will work best for you…don’t get angry. Take a breath, have a complimentary chocolate.

– Just because your last stylist or salesperson didn’t know what they were doing doesn’t mean we are all like that. Be nice. Give us a chance.

Now, for the stylists –

– When your client arrives for their appointment and are in your chair, I don’t care if they have been coming to you for 20 years…do a consultation! Ask them if they were happy with their last service, confirm what you are doing that day. Ask if they have had any life changes, illness or new medication – for all of these factors could affect their hair.

– Got a color service booked? Make sure your client hasn’t been using “at home” color. If you need to ask me why…it may be time to rethink your career choice.

– When you are styling your client’s hair, tell them what you are using. Tell them how much to use and how to apply it. Teach them how to do their hair. SELL THEM THE PRODUCTS!!! This way they can be happy with their new cut for longer than a day. (hey…if you won’t sell it to them…I will gladly help them out…oh that’s right…I already do.).

– When your client is mistaken about a product, don’t pull a Nellie Oleson and laugh at her misconception. Be polite…how about trying “you know, a lot of people think that, but actually” and fill in the blanks. You want your clients to be nice to you? Be nice to them. Respect =respect.

– When the appointment is over, clarify if they need any of the products you used. RE-BOOK them! Women are busy, between work and kids and liquor store runs, they will forget about their hair until that moment they catch their roots in the rear view mirror. They will call for an appointment and won’t be able to get in…and guess what…it is your fault (that is what they are thinking at that moment). Re book them and this isn’t an issue and when they come for their appointment they will feel like you care about them…and we all want to feel that.

So there you have it, Salon Etiquette 101. Hopefully you all have learned something and I won’t be forced to put you in the corner beside Willie.

 

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Have a complimentary chocolate

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Lately I have been enjoying reading my twitter feed with my mornin’ cup ‘o joe and haven’t been watching the news on T.V.. I guess I should have been watching. I must have missed Matt Lauer and George Stephanopoulos informing the public at large to yell and be angry. Did I miss the mass email? Was there a memo sent that my carrier lost? Did I miss the post on my timeline? ( I still get lost on that damn thing).

On more than one occasion I have been on the receiving end of this anger and it is at these moments I wish I could coat Prozac with chocolate and wrap it in pretty foil and offer it as a complimentary treat.

I had a customer in need of travel size hairspray and I had the exact brand she used (which is rare – that is another tale for another time) and as I was giving her her change I said “I hope you have a great weekend, the weather is supposed to be great!” to which she snapped “Hmmpt…easy for you to say, you the weatherman?”. (usually it is at this moment my mind is catapulted to the scene in As Good as it Gets when Carol tells Melvin that she wishes she had his problem…someone offering him a convertible and a weekend away…but I digress).

I had a woman get mad at me because I smiled too much. Seriously, she comes in often and on her last visit she asked me why I smile so much and was told that some people may find that annoying.

This past week I have been smirked at, ignored and given the “blank stare”. I receive these lovely gifts after I am asked a question about a product and I…hold on to your hat… answer the question. (You see…I give them an  answer that they don’t want – the truth). As the customer is snapping her gum, twirling her hair and shaking her leg  she asks “I want to be like blonde again, I don’t like the  like black box color anymore. Can I like do it myself at home?”. Trying my best to listen to her question instead of counting how many times she says “like”, I answer her with the exact opposite of what she wants to hear. I let her know that it isn’t the best idea to do it at home and I tell her of the possible outcomes if she tries to do it at home…hair breaking off, turning green or pumpkin orange, even pink or red depending on what is on her hair and par for the course I receive a scowl AND a blank stare…two for the price of one.(footnote…she was in her 40’s)

I had a woman demand an answer for why our debit machine was so slow. I told her it was dial up and sorry it took so long. She told me I should call my service provider and tell them she wasn’t very happy. (She didn’t seem too impressed when I didn’t jump and grab the phone.).

I saw a woman threaten to rip the “sticker family” off another woman’s minivan.

Life is short and time is precious. Choose your battles wisely. Let people smile, enjoy the extra seconds given to you by a slow modem connection, leave the sticker families alone. If you are looking for me, I will be the one smiling, sippin’ her cup ‘o joe and reading her twitter feed.

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Top 10 ways not to look like an ass at the Salon

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As I was standing in the check out line resisting the urge to  buy the M&M’s that were 3 for $5.00, all the beauty magazines caught my eye. “101 ways to achieve the perfect pout”, “Top ten helpful hints to get rid of crows feet”, “How to make him melt with just a look” were some of the captions I read, which got me to thinking, no wonder everyday I have women come into my shop thinking they know more than I do about products. Forget that I have been in the biz over 13 years and have been to every Product Knowledge class known to man, the gossip bible they refer to on a weekly basis told them that using coconut oil with their flat iron will make their hair shine! Yes, it will, and it will still be shiny as it breaks off and falls to the ground.

Now ladies and gents, no offense implied, but come on…you are taking advice from the same magazine that said that Elvis is alive and well and working at the 7-11. In honour of the “lists” out there, I have compiled a list of my own, call it a “how to not look like an ass at the Salon” list. Feel free to share it with your friends. (Some of these I know you have already heard from me. I am a firm believer that if you hear or read something enough you remember it).

1 – When you enter a store and the salesperson says “Hello”, say “Hello!” back, do not answer their greeting with “just looking” or “What did you say?” or a wave of your arm or the all time favorite, absolute silence.

2 – When you are asking for help, tell the salesperson what it is you are looking for, today. We do not need to know the life story of your issues with hairspray dating back to the horrific sock hop of ’57.

3 – Once you have asked a question, please let us answer you. Don’t speak over us or try to guess at what we are about to say. This isn’t a game show and there isn’t a free prize waiting behind door #1 for you if you guess what I am about to say.

4 – Be polite for gosh sake’s. Please and Thank you go a long way. Hell, I would even take a “peace out” when I tell my customers to take care as they leave the shop.

5 – Before you are about to lose it because the nail polish you so desperately need is discontinued, look at the birth date on your identification – if the date is earlier than 2007, you are over 5 years old and no longer allowed to throw a temper tantrum in public, you can save that crazy for your family, thank you.

6 – If you have small children that you cannot or will not control, bring along another adult or leave the children at home. Call me old fashioned, but there is a time and place for children and that time and place is not my shop if you are not going to make sure they behave or allow me to make sure they behave. They may be cute now but one day they will be an adult and an adult opening up all the containers and dropping product on the ground isn’t cute.

7 – When you are getting your hair done, let your stylist know if you didn’t like what he/she did with your hair on your last visit. If you don’t tell them they will do it again. If they don’t know you don’t like it, it isn’t very fair of you to get mad now is it? (refer to tip #5).

8 – Can’t make your appointment? Please call and cancel or call and re-schedule. First and foremost, at least at our Salon, if someone doesn’t come in for their appointment, we worry if they are alright. I know…can you believe it? It’s true. We actually care about our clients and their well being. Another reason to call is more often than not there are other clients waiting for an appointment. You would want first dibs on a appointment wouldn’t you? Well then…

9 – When we ask you questions, like if you are on any medication or if there has been any major health issues, we are not asking so we can tweet it on twitter or post it on facebook. We are asking because medications and stresses can alter the hair and how it takes color and other chemical services.

10 – I cannot stress this enough, do not throw the flat iron. Don’t do it. Don’t. Do not.

Don’t get me wrong, I know there are beautiful and wonderful and kind customers out there, most of the customers I see everyday are funny and kind and I look forward to seeing them every visit. I know that most of the time customers are rude or stand offish because they haven’t been getting any customer service of any kind and their questions have remained unanswered. This list is more catered to those among us that are mad at the run in our pantyhose, mad at our husband’s because they forgot our anniversary, mad because Oprah isn’t on everyday and you no longer have “AHA” moments. Well my lovelies, read the above list and consider it your “AHA” moment for today.

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If you don’t wanna play…get off the field

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Today’s tale is for our beloved clients/customers. Most clients/customers are too afraid to speak up because, well, the stylist is holding the scissors. So, I will speak for them. This tale is also being told in hopes that stylists and salon owners everywhere may learn something. Don’t make me get Tabatha after you.

It happened again. I know, how many times am I going to begin my tale with those words? A question that haunts me daily. Another ghostly mental question I pose to myself daily is this “why do stylists do that to their clients?”. Everyday, I mean EVERYDAY, I have a customer wander into the shop either scowling, pouting, weeping or staring at the ground refusing to make eye contact. What is the reason for these emotions and actions you ask? Poor client consultations and poor client/customer service. Plain and simple. These ladies and gents (yes…you pout too…the jig is up boys) have just left their Salon of choice without any explanation of what was just done to their hair and no idea of how to keep the new look or any information about which products will help them keeping their new do looking as it does at that moment.

Stylists! Your client is paying for a service. They are also your advertising. Guess what? If you don’t help them by giving them the proper products and teach them how to style their hair at home, they will go home and end up hating their hair and will blame you. Yes, you. They may return to you someday, but believe you me, they will have told everyone from the bank teller to the bag boy at the grocery store about how much they hate their hair and how it was your fault because of the cut/color you gave them. Trust me, I know of what I speak…I hear it from them everyday. When you buy a new cell phone, you expect the sales person to teach you all you need to know about that phone because you are paying for a product and a service. I think your clients deserve the same courtesy you expect, don’t you?

It is time to stop being lazy. Yeah, I said it, LAZY. Seriously, that is the reason why your clients are coming to my shop for hair advice.(well, and that I am pretty awesome if I do say so myself). If it takes 2 minutes or 20, I will take the time to listen and answer their questions. Sometimes they leave without a purchase, but they leave informed and feel like someone out there cares about them and how they look. Every stylist out there knows the right thing to do. They know they should have a consultation before each service, even if it is a client that they have had for 10 years. They know they should explain what products they are using and why and explain why professional salon products are better for their clients hair. It isn’t being done, I guess it is too much work…for them. These are usually the same stylists that complain they are having no shows and an empty chair.

We all want to be treated with courtesy and respect. We all want to look our best. None of us want to be left alone feeling stupid. None of us want to hate our hair. Stylists and Salon owners alike, take the extra few minutes and listen to your clients, take the extra few minutes and ask them if they need helpful hints on how to do their hair at home. Take a few minutes and ask them what products they have at home and if they don’t have the right products, show them which products are best and explain how to use them.

You never know, that client that you just rushed out the door with the new pixie cut and no product may be on the other side of the cell phone counter.