Going to the hair salon is meant to be a relaxing experience, but often it can be fraught with nagging internal dialogue. Should I chat to the hairstylist? Are they going to be annoyed at the condition of my hair? Should I tip them afterwards? We chatted to David Gillson of Carlton Hair to find out what we should, and shouldn’t, be doing and saying at the salon.
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Is there anything that annoys you when clients come in to have their hair done?
What is really annoying is when a client comes in with unrealistic expectations. I’m all for bringing in pictures, but the image should be of a face shape and hair type similar to your own. And expecting to go from black to ash blonde in one sitting just isn’t going to happen. Some things take time and money!
Does badly maintained or very damaged hair annoy you?
Hair that is in bad shape is what I’m here to help with. What is frustrating is when you give advice and spend time working out a programme to fix hair and the client doesn’t take the advice.
Related: 6 ways to ensure you NEVER regret your haircut again!
Is it poor form for a client to take calls and be on their phone during an appointment?
Not really. They are paying for the time, but they really should be present when it comes to their hair. If I can’t find out what they want because they are busy on their phones then they can’t really complain afterwards that they don’t like the finished result.
Small talk between clients and stylists – yay or nay?
This is up to the client. Sometimes if you go to the salon, you often do start to build a relationship with the staff, so you will most likely end up chatting. But it’s important to reel it in so that it stays professional. Remember that it’s all about the hair and you wouldn’t want your stylist to be too distracted from the job at hand.
Related: Is it true that cutting your hair makes it grow faster?
If a client is unhappy with the finished result can they request a free do-over?
At Carlton Hair we have a policy to make sure everyone leaves the salon happy with the service. If the client is unhappy we will gladly redo their hair free of charge until they are truly happy with the result.
What about tipping? Is that common practice in SA? And, if so, how much should people generally be tipping?
As a true professional I do not expect tips, but I do think it’s polite to tip the assistants in the salon if they have been really helpful.
PHOTO: iStock/Samo Trebizan
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