The great thing about being a hairstylist, is, most people are kind and talk to you like you are their friend and they feel like they can tell you everything that is going on with them!
It is a very personal experience for them, so you have to be good to them, make them feel important, don't treat them like they are just a bank deposit. I hate it when hairstylists do that...and trust me, there are those kind out there! SADLY!
Everyone gets their hair done, whether they do it themselves or go to a salon, or have a stylist come to their home! But the most important thing to remember is that, everyone who has hair, is also an individual, they are a person, so personalizing their visit keeps them coming back! It isn't just about the job, or the cash, and to keep them coming back on a regular basis, rather then when they are desperate for a cut and or hair color change(or fix), because sometimes they are there because someone messed up their hair before they came to you!
Sometimes it takes years to find someone you trust with your hair, so realize, it is very personal to them/us! They/We come to you in hopes you are different and won't mess up their/our hair like someone else did!
Don't get me wrong, everyone makes mistakes, and even professionals can create damage or screw up a trim. I hear stories from clients all the time, how they wanted this, but got that instead. Sometimes it is about miscommunication and we don't understand each other. If I am unsure, I don't just start the cut, I try to make sure I understand by asking and if I am wrong on the understanding of what they want or are looking for(their vision of what they expect) then I offer them a magazine with hairstyles and or colors and then we can get an understanding that way! IT IS VERY PERSONAL!
My list of personal rules I keep within myself for this kind of career is:
#1 You can't please everyone! Don't expect to make every person who sits in your chair to be happy with what you do to their hair...some people just can't be pleased, you could think it was your best work and they could turn around and tell others(your friends even) that you ruined their hair or did it wrong, even if you and other's think it looks amazing! Trust, this does happen! Some people are just not happy with anything, hair or life in general. But also stay kind and tell them you tried your best and that you are very sorry they were unhappy with your work. Sometimes even recommend another person to go to!
#2 Don't beat yourself up over mistakes, mistakes happen with everything in life!
#3 If you are feeling harassed, verbally or even physically abused, tell them you don't appreciate being treated in such a way(whatever that way is, say what it is!), that you think they should leave and find someone else to do their hair! If you feel threatened in anyway, you do not have to take it, just because they always pay or always come back. Abuse is abuse no matter what setting! You do not have to put up with it!
#4 Show your appreciation when they are kind, tip well or compliment you in any way! Some people are completely amazing! Tip well, give you gifts because they appreciate your time and hard work, and for giving them what they want! I have had clients hug me after I have done their hair once! Yes, some individuals are so happy with their hair(the personalization I was talking about earlier) that they will literally hug you to show you how happy and how much they appreciate what you have done for them! It isn't just all about the money!
Yet again I didn't expect this to be so long of a blog, but I really wanted to express the importance of personalization in a job such as my own! I love my job and it might have it's ups and downs, but the ups outweigh the downs, because there are some really great people out there and some of them sit in my chair to get their hair done! If you have read all of this, you are amazing too! and Thanks so much for reading to the end!
Have a great day/week/year!
Ann J
