What to do when you leave the salon unhappy

 

The big day has come and you have anxiously been waiting for your hair appointment to come!! 

You are so excited!!! 

Maybe you are excited to try something new and you’re not quite sure how to explain what you want.  You also want to see what your stylist recommends. Or maybe you are undecided and you ask your stylist to do whatever they want to do.  (GASP)

You sit in the chair and tell your stylist what you are looking for.  Ok all seems good, so you relax, enjoy your glass of wine and the conversation.   There’s lots of laughter and you got caught up on all the gossip magazines.

Your appointment is finished and you look in the mirror and UH….. that’s not what you had in mind.  Or maybe you look in the mirror and it looks cute, but when you get home and are in a different lighting, it’s not what you were hoping for.

OH NO!! 

Now what?  

✨Do you just suck it up and hope for better results next time?  

✨Do you deal with it and find a new stylist for next time? 

✨Do you call the salon and get upset?  

✨Do you call the salon and ask for a redo?

You have to pick one.  We all do.

Here is what I want you to do for me as the stylist.  

I want you to call and tell me!  I don’t want you walking around until your next appointment not thrilled with your hair.  I don’t want you to be worried you’re going to hurt my feelings. 

My number #1 goal is your satisfaction.  You are paying for a service and I want you to LOVE it. 

I don’t want you to be so frustrated and then try to find a new stylist.  

As far as I know, you were happy.  If I had known you were unhappy, I would have had you come back in and we could have discussed what you were not happy with and clarify what you were hoping for.

9 times out of 10 when you leave unhappy with a service, it comes down to the consultation. Somewhere in it there had been a miscommunication.  

I’m going to share with you 4 tips on how to prepare for your visit.

1. Pictures

I love it when a client brings me pictures of what they want.  I would even suggest bringing multiple pictures.  

When I look at the pictures, I might take the bangs from 1 picture, layers from another, and highlight / lowlight colors, from a 3rd.  

You don’t have to try to find just 1 picture that shows it all.

One thing to keep in mind, the picture is for guidance. You have to have realistic expectations. Just because you brought in a photo of Jennifer Aniston’s hair, doesn’t mean you will look like Jen.

2.  Make a list of what you don’t want.

Sometimes it can be hard to describe what you want.  We all know what we don’t want though.

Am I right?

So tell your stylist what you don’t want, or what you aren’t happy with right now with your hair.

That will help when deciding and communicating what you do want.

If your stylist has been doing your hair for some time now and you’re uncomfortable telling her what you don’t like about your hair because you’re nervous it will hurt her feelings, don’t worry about that.

As I stated before, as my client, your satisfaction is #1.  

It may be something as simple as a little tweak.

3.  Find your inspiration.

My favorite place to search is Pinterest.  You can look at my Pinterest page for inspiration (click here).  I have them categorized into different colors, cuts and styles.

Another great option, if you are out and about and you see someone who has hair that you LOVE, ask if you can take a picture.

How awesome would that feel if you had some total stranger walk up and ask to take your picture because they love your hair?  You know it’s a genuine compliment.

Searching on Instagram is another option, or even Facebook.  

Take a screenshot of the photos you love.  

It makes it easier to show during your appointment.

We’ve all been there trying to find the pin on pinterest or IG pic you saved and you are getting frantic because you can’t find it.

Then you end up just saying, “Oh well, I’m sure you know what I want, or just do whatever.”

But girl, that’s not how you really feel.

4. Keep the communication open.

If during your appointment you are starting to feel uncomfortable about something, please say something!!

I remember when I went to get my hair done for my sister’s wedding and the stylist had my chair turned away from the mirror the whole time.  So I just went with it.

When she turned me around, I wanted to cry.  This was nothing like I wanted. I had no idea what was happening during the appointment.  I was probably enjoying the wedding party and chatting and never checked the mirror during the appointment.

This taught me a huge lesson as a hairstylist.  I like my clients seeing what I’m doing and giving me feedback or asking questions while I work. 

I like to know that we’re on the same page.

After I saw my hair that day, I almost left the salon unhappy.  I was just going to try to fix it myself back at the hotel.

Why?

Why? 

I went to the salon and I paid for a service.  It was a super special day and I wanted to look back at the pictures and not remember that I hated my hair.

Now this last tip is not necessarily your responsibility as the client.  However, I want you to know that it’s ok to ask to look in the mirror and see how it’s turning out.  It’s ok to ask questions. If it makes you feel more comfortable during your appointment, ask away!

I want you to end up with the hair of your dreams when you leave the salon.

Click here to get my free pdf: 6 Steps to Determine Your Ideal Haircut and Color.