Visiting a beauty salon should be a fun and engaging experience that not only helps you look beautiful but also builds relationships. However, you’ve been jumping from one salon to the next because your beauticians subtly—but firmly—let you know that they don’t want your business.
What is happening here? You might be saying something wrong to your beautician that offends, upsets or stresses them. The following nine comments are the most common communication errors noted between beauticians and their clients. Never say any of these things to a beautician, or you might face the consequences.
Visitors to a beauty salon who tell the beautician to “do whatever they want” might think that they are doing their stylist a favor. Far from it! Most beauticians loathe this request because it puts all the pressure on them to create a style that their client will like.
And, about nine times out of 10, the woman who makes this request is unhappy with the look that their stylist creates and blames them for it. How unfair is that? Instead of making this request, ask your stylist what looks might work best with you, consult some style books and make a choice yourself.
Stylists almost panic whenever they hear one of their clients say these words. That’s because they understand that most women who say this—though they might mean it—are probably not at all easy to work with when it comes to just about everything.
It’s like those people who say that they “hate drama” but end up being the most dramatic person that you know. Even if you are truly easy to work with in a styling situation, avoid saying this statement. Doing so will calm your stylist and make his or her job that much easier.
Bleach is a bit of a controversial process that many beauticians balk at performing on women unless necessary. Therefore, when they hear someone say “bleach my hair,” they feel a little self-conscious. They worry that the woman doesn’t truly understand what the process entails and how it will change her appearance.
Instead of asking for bleach, tell the stylist that you want your hair lightened or decolored. These code words let the stylist know that you understand the terms of the beauty shop and that you’re willing to work with them—instead of against them—to create an incredible style upgrade.
This question is not a bad one if you have visited a salon multiple times and know the staff their quite well. However, try to avoid making your first appointment at a new beauty salon on a Saturday. Typically, the weekend is the busiest time for stylists and is usually packed with regulars.
Instead of asking for or demanding a weekend appointment, talk to the stylist about which days she or he is available and at what times. Try to find an appointment time that meets your needs to help make the stylist’s job easier. After a few regular appointments, you can then start asking for weekend visits.
The cliché of the beautician as a psychologist is one that is not only showcased on television and in films but in reality. Many women make best friends with their beauticians and try to use them as a sounding board for the problems in their lives. In some situations, this can be an appropriate relationship.
However, some beauticians simply don’t have the right personality for this type of conversation. Many are shy individuals who prefer keeping to themselves and doing a great job styling your hair. It’s not that they don’t care about you, but they may struggle to open up in the way you’re expecting.
Many beauty salons print coupons that help their clients save a decent amount of money on each visit. You can always ask a beautician to honor a coupon that they have published. However, trying to get a salon to accept a competitor’s coupon is a huge mistake.
Yes, some salons may honor somebody else’s coupon as a way of getting your business. However, most will consider this request to be pretty thoughtless and may try to avoid working with you in the future. If you have a coupon for a salon and want to save money, go to that salon instead of asking another to accept it.
Beauticians are very busy people who need to turn over their clients quickly to maximize their profits. Try to show up at least five minutes early for your appointment. And if, for some reason, you are going to be late, don’t just casually stroll into their salon and apologize for being tardy.
Instead, call ahead when you know you are going to be late and let them know. In this way, they can be prepared for the situation and may be able to fit in another client before you, depending on how late you are going to be to the appointment. Common courtesy goes a long way here.
Every year, beauty salons across America are invaded by mothers and their grumpy daughters with long beautiful hair. The daughter doesn’t say a word as the mother insists that her daughter has been asking for a pixie cut. All beauticians understand this code—the girl has lice in her hair and needs a haircut to get rid of them.
Trying to sneak this one past a beautician is always going to result in the same thing – a refusal to cut the girl’s hair. Don’t try to use a beauty salon as a lice-control method. Instead, get some high-quality lice soap and clean your daughter’s hair. In this way, you can avoid embarrassing yourself, your daughter and the beautician.
When a hairstylist says that she is too busy to fit you into her schedule when you want to come, never, EVER ask her if she or he can squeeze you in between appointments. Yes, you might have a busy schedule and limited time, but the stylist also has a busy schedule that must be kept.
Asking to be squeezed in shows the stylist that you care only about yourself and that you believe that your time is more important than others’. It also puts her or him in an awkward situation because many will try to appease you and make the situation work. Be kind and find another time.
Avoiding these statements will go a long way toward endearing you to hairstylists. Just as importantly, they can help you avoid losing a beautician who you really liked and can keep you out of the cycle of continually searching for a new stylist professional.
So please don’t hesitate to contact us to learn more about how you can adequately talk to beauticians without making any faux pas. We can try to squeeze you in—see what we did there?—and get you an appointment that meets your needs.
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