Beauty, Business, communication, Hair Care, health and wellness, That girl in the red coat, Uncategorized, Women

It’s time to be a little more social

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Everywhere you look, you see someone with a cellphone. The majority of us, after our morning greeting and good morning smooch to our loved ones (…and I hope your loved ones come first), grab our coffee and our cell phone, find a comfy spot and sit down to see what’s going on in the world. Facebook – check. Twitter – check. Instagram – check. Pinterest – check….you get the idea. Social media is our morning paper and our evening news. It is. It is also a key ingredient to any successful Salon. It is. Today’s tale is for my beloved Salon owners and Stylists. It’s time to become a little more social.

I know of what I speak. I see the results of using social media everyday. It works, plain and simple. Everyday I see the results of making sure our shop’s Facebook page is updated. (Twitter is an awesome tool as well, but more people tend to use Facebook, in my experience). I hear you now “what results could she possibly see?”. Well, how about an increase in our retail sales and revenue, and more client retention because of the tips about products shared on our Facebook page. Every day, at least 100 people see our posts. Some days my posts on the shop’s Facebook page have reached over 500 people. Yep…500 potential customers and clients. On any given day, I will receive a message from a customer or client about a product I have posted to our Facebook page. Many times the message ends with “hold one for me – I will be there after work!”. I have sold many products from hairspray to flat irons to holiday packs this way. Using social media has helped me acquire new customers and in turn new “likes” to our Facebook page. (psssst…more likes = more views and shares of your page and your posts = more clients and customers).

*It’s a great tool to introduce a new stylist to your customers and clients. Also, to alert your clients when a stylist has returned from a maternity leave.

*Changing your hours to Holiday Hours? Post ’em on your page

*Having a monthly draw? Post the picture on your page

*Follow the pages of the products you sell & share their tips and tricks – a HUGE retail aid!

*Bringing in a new line? Post it on your page

Something I hear far too often from Salon owners, Managers and Stylists is “I don’t have the time to do that.”. Okay, if you don’t have time to do it, get someone in your Salon to do it for you. I’m sure you have someone in your Salon that has their cell phone in arms reach. The owner at our shop is also our head stylist, and is booked 2 months ahead, all the time. She really doesn’t have the time, so that is why I was given administration rights to our Facebook page and I take care of the Facebook page, because I do have the time. Honestly, it takes 10 – 30 minutes of your day. I add it into my daily duties, so it isn’t missed. Orders made – check. Inventory counted – check. Schedule done – check. Facebook page updated – check. It really is that easy.

Social media can be a great marketing tool for your Salon, if used properly. I stress the word properly. We have all seen the sassy limericks – save those for your personal pages, this is a business and needs to be seen as such. Watch the language and the content. Put it this way – if you wouldn’t want your clients and customers hearing those words coming out of your mouth…then don’t put it on your Facebook page.

Social media works and can be a huge addition to your Salon’s client retention and retail revenue. It’s time to make it work for you.

Beauty, Business, Hair Care, health and wellness, That girl in the red coat, Uncategorized, Women

Make the call

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Today’s tale is for the Stylist’s and Salon owners. Today’s tale is about the ever present “no show” and how it disrupts the day, if not the week at the Salon. Now, before I get a “PREACH IT SISTA!” from all the stylists out there, you may want to hold back your enthusiasm a wee bit, for today’s tale is about the responsibility of the no show – the Stylist’s responsibility.

No one likes being stood up. No one likes standing around, waiting and wondering if their client is going to show up, wondering if their client is just running late, kicking themselves for not taking the walk in that just arrived because they weren’t sure if their client was coming or not. From time to time a stylist will have a “no show” – a client that doesn’t come in for their scheduled appointment. No call. No text. No show. Not only is this a disregard for the Stylist’s time, it also is taking income out of their pocket and potentially interfering with the rest of their scheduled appointments. This is one Salon problem that has the easiest of solutions. Call your client’s the night before their appointment to confirm the appointment. It really is that simple. The Dentist does it. The Doctor does it. You can do it too.

Think about it. It’s a win/win situation. You have helped your client remember his/her appointment and saved them the ever dreaded embarrassed phone call two days later, and you now know what your following day looks like and you can plan accordingly. I know you can’t control everyone and what they do, trust me, I know. Sure, there is the chance you call and confirm the appointment and the next day you have a no show. The upside to this is that now you know that this client is not reliable and next time they want to book with you, (if you choose to let them) you know not to schedule their appointment at a peak time.

On many occasions, be it at classes, hair shows or discussions with Stylists and Reps., I have heard the same phrases, over and over;

– “I don’t have time to call my clients”.

– “I’m too busy to call my clients”

– “I don’t want to bother my clients at home.”.

– “I hate those kind of calls, so I won’t do them.”.

Guess what? Since you didn’t confirm your appointments for this week, there is a good chance that you will have time to call your clients, because without proper confirmation, the chance of a no show increases. As Stylists, you know how much your time is worth, you charge for it everyday. If you are able to ask $150.00 for a cut and color without blinking, you are able to call your client to confirm their appointment. The client is worth it, and so are you. As for the “hate those calls” – you may not like them, but many people appreciate them. No woman alive wants to forget her root touch up appointment.

I have been in the Beauty Biz for many years. I know first hand how busy Salon’s and Stylist’s can be, some days there isn’t time for a sandwich, let alone a bathroom break. I also know that we do have down time, to place orders, to eat, to have that much needed bathroom break and to make a phone call or two. Honestly, if you have time to search new up do ideas on Pinterest, you have time to confirm an appointment or two. Being me, I made up a little list, for those of you who do not know where to begin;

– Make confirming appointments part of the receptionist’s job description.

– when you are re-booking your clients, let them know to expect a courtesy call, a reminder the day before their appointment. * think about it, our clients book 4 -6 weeks ahead. Life gets in the way and people tend to forget things. More often than not, your client will be grateful for your consideration.

– If your Salon doesn’t have a receptionist, have each stylist call their own clients at the end of the day. Make it part of the nightly routine – sweep floors, clean station, confirm tomorrow’s appointments. – it really is that easy.

– Sit down as  a team and decide upon a no show rule. Many Stylists and Salons now charge a fee for a no show. *IMPORTANT* – you can only charge a fee for a no show if you have a policy in place that you confirm all appointments. Lets be fair here.

A real plus of confirming your appointments…if your client has to cancel, now you can call the clients that need to come in earlier, or that are on a cancellation list and you have over 12 hours to do it, instead of 20 minutes. Confirming appointments takes 5 – 10 minutes and can save you hours of headache. Make the call.

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

REPRESENT!

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Today’s tale is about the Sales Rep. As in every industry, the Sales Rep many times, is the unsung hero of the industry they represent. At our shop, I deal with over 10 different companies and their Reps and as in every industry, you get the good and the great. I am quite fortunate that I deal mostly with the latter. The great ones are the reason for today’s tale. I am here today to be the voice of the great ones.

A little back story for those of you who may not realize exactly what the job of a Sales Rep. entails. You are driving, all day long, in rush hour traffic. Like our postal carrier friend’s, come rain, come sleet, come snow, you are out there, driving the roadways and walking the walkways. Most Sales Reps are on straight commission = they don’t sell, they don’t make money. Some companies offer a gas allowance and a cellphone allowance, some do not (yeah, let that sink in for a moment). Sales Reps are given quotas, usually based on their previous years sales. (Sometimes based on the sales of someone else). Sales Reps have to work all the hair shows, they must go to every training session and class, and since most are on commission, you guessed it, usually with no pay. The great ones ( I stress the great ones) do this because they love their job and want to do right by their clients.

As in every industry, you get the not so great Sales Reps, or the good ones, the “order takers” as my dear ol’ Dad calls them. (quite a fitting accolade actually – all they do is show up and ask what I want, I swear I have heard a few of ’em utter “ya want fries with that?”). You know the ones – don’t call, don’t keep their appointments, don’t tell you of the new products – you have to ask, don’t follow up with orders. The most unfortunate thing about these Reps is that the great ones pay the price. Not all, but unfortunately most companies paint all their Reps with the same brush and the great ones end up being punished along with the order takers. Yeah, I said it. All of a sudden new procedures or limitations are created and are placed on the Reps without a true explanation of why and they are supposed to enforce the new rules (without question) with their existing clients/Salons. By the way, it is not the Sales Rep’s fault that a company has “order takers”. The fault, my dear, lies with management. Yeah, I said it. With proper training, you can raise someone up to their true potential, or weed out the ones that really don’t have it in them – another tale for another time.

What the higher ups need to remember is this. Sales and sales relationships are not built on who has the flashiest smile or who has the best parlor trick (the 50’s are over) – these relationships are built on trust. Salon owners and stylists, like all customers, want the truth, the real deal, they need to know the bottom line. How is a Sales Rep supposed to tell a Salon owner where the bottom line is when head office keeps moving it because of “order taker Arnold”. How is a Sales Rep supposed to project trust in a company that they themselves can’t trust?  Business is business. All employee’s, from the cashier at your local grocery store to the Sales Rep who is busting their butt and their car’s mileage to represent the company that employ’s them, need to know that management has their back. All employee’s need to know they have support from management. No one likes to feel like the rug has been pulled out from under them. It’s time for management to get out from behind the desk and get back out on the road, and be sure to bring gas money.

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

A conversation between two people

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As you know, I manage a retail shop/salon. I have been in the customer service/sales industry for over 20 years and in the beauty biz for over 10 of those years. With today’s tale, it may seem like I am giving off the impression that I am the “guru on the mount” of  customer service and sales and that is not my intent. That being said, I am good at what I do. Yeah, I said it. I know my product. I keep myself educated on the newest products and the newest trends in hair. I am not only my customer’s sales person – I like to refer to myself as their assistant buyer. I help our customers and clients make the proper choice for their hair care needs – be it a flat iron or a hairspray. I, like my blog, try to educate and enlighten.

Today’s tale is for salon owners and stylists. It is time to bring back customer service. It is time to bring back the sale. Bringing back the sale doesn’t mean you sell your client /customer the product that makes you the most profit and take their money. It means that you engage your client/customer. Ask them questions. Have a conversation. Find out what they are looking for, or not looking for. Ask if they are still happy with their hair, if there is something they would like to change. Find out what products they have at home and how they are using them. Seriously – it is just a conversation between two people – you do it all day long.

In our shop/salon, we sell over 25 different professional lines. We don’t carry all the lines, so on occasion I will have a customer looking for a line we don’t carry or maybe it is temporarily out of stock. When that customer asks for a line I don’t carry, I always ask them about the product they were looking for. Why you ask? If you are asking that question you have just solidified my point about customer service – back to the question. I ask them about the product they are looking for because I may have a similar product from another line that they may like. An example – Sebastian Craft Clay and Joico Ice Erratic are quite similar in texture and hold. The point is this, know your product. With proper product knowledge you can educate your customer. Take the time to tell your customer how to use the product, how much or how little, in wet hair or dry. Many times the customers I speak with have the right product, they aren’t using it properly because their stylist didn’t teach them how to use it.

Everyone wants to look good. No one wants to be standing in their bathroom hating their hair because of the product in their hair and we don’t want them hating us because we didn’t explain how to use the product. That’s right folks – while looking at their bad hair in their reflection – they are blaming their stylist or the person who sold the product. It’s true – you know you have done it too – we all have. Always be sure to ask;

– how do you like to style your hair?

– do you blow dry or air dry your hair?

– do you like to use a  brush while blow drying?

– have you used a chemical straightener?

– do you have a flat iron?

– do you want volume or hold or both?

– what products have you used? How are you using them?

Asking these questions can help you pinpoint what your customer/client is looking for. They may already have what they need at home and may not need to purchase anything that day. Guess what? By being honest and listening and educating them, you may not have made a sale but you have earned their business.

 

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

Divert your attention

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As you know, I manage a retail shop/salon. The shop carries over 25 professional hair care lines. Yes, the same products that stylists use in salons. So, I am sure you can understand my frustration, not just for myself but for every consumer out there, that our products are showing up on department and drugstore shelves. In the beauty biz we refer to these products as “diverted stock”. For instance, when you see Joico at your local supermarket, Joico did not sell it to the local grocer. I don’t know who nor how it ended up on their shelves, all I know is it doesn’t belong there. You cannot be guaranteed what is in those bottles…why do you think the disclaimer “only guaranteed when purchased at a salon and or from a professional stylist” is written on every professional hair care product? For that exact reason.

At least 3 times a week I hear someone tell me that they saw Matrix Biolage or KMS Silk Sheen at a discount department store (won’t name names…you know who they are) for a lower price than mine. I explain that it may be old stock and tell them what I have just explained to you and tell them they cannot be guaranteed the quality of the product. What I really want to say is “better go get it then if it is such a hot deal!”, but I behave myself and remember to practice what I preach (see…told you I wasn’t perfect) and ask them “If it was such a great deal why didn’t you buy it?” to which the usual answer is “I opened it and it smelled funny”. Mmhhmm. 

Ladies and gents, when purchasing any professional hair product, look left, then look right, look up and then look down…if you don’t see a Salon, you may want to rethink your purchase and here is why; (you know me…gotta make a list) 

– the product may be professional but may not be right for your hair type or scalp condition. A cashier can’t tell you that. A stylist or a manager extraordinaire (like me) can.

– you don’t know what is in that bottle. It may look the same, it may even smell the same, maybe you could get lucky and it’s the real deal. If you have just spent $150.00 on your color – is it worth the risk?

– if you have an allergic reaction, the company will not help you out. Now you are out your $2.50 savings off suggested retail price and you have a rash.

– any electric appliance from a curling iron to a flat iron to a blow dryer has a warranty against defect, when purchased at a Salon. Purchased any where else…your warranty is now in question and may very well be void.

When making your purchase at your Salon, not only are you supporting your stylist and the local business’s in your area, you are supporting yourself as well. You are protecting your biggest investment, yourself. ( I’d say You’re worth it…but L’oreal …you know).

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

Don’t ask…don’t get.

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“Every time I try to find a new hair stylist the first thing I ask them is “What cut would you give me?”. Then they always say the wrong thing so I get up and leave.”. Yes, ladies and gents, this is something I have heard not one but many women say. It has to be one of the dumbest phrases uttered in my presence and believe me, I have heard some pretty stupid stuff. These are the same women who do the same thing to their husbands/boyfriends/partners and complain that they are not happy…ever. First of all, unless your stylist is Dionne Warwick or an operator at the Psychic Network, it is impossible for them to know what cut you have envisioned in your pretty little head. Second, what is this? Third grade? Talk about setting someone up to fail. That is rude and just plain mean, and stupid. Which brings me to today’s tale or lesson if you will. I have been married over 17 years and every once and a while I fall off the wagon and start blaming my lovely hubby for my malcontent and it is not his fault. The fault is mine and I am just looking for someone else other than myself to blame. (He is LOVING that I am admitting this.).

In this life, we all want to be seen. We all want to heard. We all want to look great and feel great and have people notice us. We all want to be happy. One thing we all seem to forget is that we are in charge of our own happiness, no one else is. Every day I hear women slamming their husbands/boyfriends/partners, that they aren’t helpful enough, that they aren’t “present” or “involved” enough. I have even heard a woman complain her husband locks the bathroom door, she doesn’t understand why he feels he has to lock the bathroom door when he is taking a shit. Hey lady. Question for ya…you want the door unlocked when you are waxing your upper lip?

Ladies (and gents), if you want help, you must ask for it. If you want something, you must ask for it. There isn’t a stylist on earth that can guess you want to be a redhead, you must tell them. No man on earth is going to see a woman at a washing machine and ask if she needs help sorting the whites and the colors. Nor when he sees a bottle of Comet on the counter will he stop and think “Hey…maybe I should clean the toilet.”. It ain’t gonna happen. He will not notice that you have changed your blonde highlights from light golden brown to medium golden brown…ease up.  If at any time you have frowned at flowers or a gift, you have now solidified in his mind to never do that again. No offense to my lovely gents but you are simple creatures. Admit it, you know damn well that if you brought a woman carnations and she pouted at them, in your mental safety checklist that insures you will still get laid you put a check beside “carnations bad – never buy again”. Not to let anyone down and for future reference, here is a little list for you to refer to.

– when you want your cut a certain way, bring in a picture and ask the stylist if they can help you achieve the desired look. Do not hold the picture behind your back and offer a greater tip if they can guess what hairstyle you are holding in your hand.

– when you want to change your hair color, bring in a picture, preferably not black and white. (yep…it’s happened)

– when you are looking for a hairspray, know the hold factor you want. Do not say “any hold is fine” and then complain that the firm hold is too firm and all you wanted was a soft hold to get rid of your fly aways. See?! You knew what you wanted, you forgot you weren’t speaking with your psychic friend.

– when you want help, ask for it. Do not pout, bat your eyelashes or squeeze your cleavage together hoping he will catch on that you need help folding the laundry…all he is thinking is he’s about to get something…and it ain’t towels.

– if you are unhappy, it is not anyone else’s fault. It’s not. Sure people are asses and say and do terrible things. In the end we decide how much of a grasp we will allow said actions have a hold on our daily life and our happiness.

– if you have never told someone that what they are doing upsets you, shut up and stop whining. Yeah, I said it. We teach people how to treat us. Don’t like the treatment you receive? Change your lesson.

If you want love, you must give love. If you want kindness, you must give kindness. If you want respect, you must give respect. If you want help, you must ask for it. If you want carnations…do not pout when they are given.

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

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.

 

Beauty, communication, Hair Care

Do you see what I see?

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The silent killer of stylist/clientele relationships. Symptoms  – puffy eyes, red face, tissue lint stuck on the end of nose, hands clasped together in prayer standing in front of the hair color swatches or the thinning shears. Diagnosis – hair tragedy. Prognosis – with professional help and proper communication the hair and your self image will be survive.

This is more common than you know. We have all been there. We float into the salon with the dream of looking like Kate Middleton and leave looking like Peg Bundy. We buy the lightener to use at home because our “friend” said it was so easy and everyone she used it on went “so blonde” (of course “everyone” was already blonde and you are a brunette) – we start to see ourselves running on the beach like the baywatch girls – blonde tresses blowing in the wind and end up having a hair color that even a lifeguard couldn’t save. Why did this happen? To be honest, more times than not as the Captain in Cool Hand Luke put it so well – what we have here is a failure to communicate.

Believe it or not, most stylists want you to be happy. Most are heartbroken if you are not pleased with their work – they want you to have a good hair day everyday until you see them at your next appointment. Unless you have the ultimate trust and have had your stylist for many years and you know her as well as she knows you – NEVER say, “oh do what you like.”. Guess what – what you see and what she see’s are two different things. You may say “I want to a redhead” and picture Molly Ringwald – she pictures Jessica Rabbit. You may say “I want a pixie cut” – you picture Michelle Williams – she pictures Tinkerbell. Bring in a photo of what you want, google the image on your phone while you are sitting in her chair. Now remember… you can achieve the hair cut you like – you will not leave looking like the person in the photo – sorry to squash the dream – the hair we can help with – the face – that’s the office down the road.

As for the “at home” blunders – when all is said and done – don’t be hatin’ the friend – you decided to let her do it. To fix the horror that is now your hair – DO NOT TOUCH! Go to your stylist, tell her what happened and ask for her help. Don’t call and try to describe the color – half ripened banana color doesn’t mean a thing. We need to see your hair – to see the porosity of the hair, look for any breakage etc… Sometimes the dream of being a blonde bombshell may still be possible. Sometimes not.

If you can order a cheeseburger and ask them to hold the pickles, add just a drop of mustard, add more ketchup and only add 2 3/4 onions to the burger, I am sure you can figure out a way to tell your stylist what is it you want.

 

Beauty

A little respect

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Respect. Easy to spell out in song- thank you Aretha, easy to pronounce. From what I am seeing as of late not so easy to give.  We all have been there, dreaming of  walking out of the salon looking like Dorothy Hamill, Farah Fawcett, Cindy Crawford or Posh Spice (choose your decade), and when we leave we look more like Sinead O’Conner. The thing to remember is the next stylist you see DID NOT DO THAT TO YOU!

Everyday I am witness to a stylist being persecuted for something she did not do. I understand that the perm of ’87 ruined your chances at prom queen. I understand that sitting in the chair of a stylist with a two foot mohawk and telling him to do what ever he thinks is best wasn’t your best moment.  These encounters that have scarred you for life do not give you any reason to disrespect a new stylist. I understand your apprehension of trying out a new stylist – I once had a stylist spray static guard in my hair before using a curling iron, yep, it really happened. I looked like the flying nun for a week.

Believe it or not, there are actually many stylists out there that love what they do. They want you to look good and feel great – you are their advertising! When looking for a new stylist never be afraid to ask them about their work. Here are some examples;

– where did you receive your education?

– how long have you been doing hair?

– are you familiar with any new color techniques?

– if you have curly hair ask if they are familiar with cutting curly hair

Any professional stylist should not be offended by such questions. If they are, move on to the next. If you have a friend who’s hair always looks great – ask who she goes to. Many stylists will offer a free consultation and then you both can discuss what look you are after and hold hands as you recollect the horrors of hair you have survived.

Again, I cannot stress enough, show respect. Not just for the stylist and the general public but for yourself. If you are over the age of two, sorry to tell you, stomping and shouting are no longer allowed.