New Year's Resolutions and the lack thereof...

I don't make New Year's Resolutions. I have a nasty habit of breaking them. I also try not to talk about any potential plans I'm making, because then I have to make them happen. And, frankly, I chicken out. Mostly because what I want is too much work to accomplish and I'm an instant gratification kind of girl. However, I do have some plans for the New Year. I want to start a separate facebook page, all about my professional self. I'm wanting to attract clients, and there's only so much you can get from walk-ins when the salon isn't advertised. Would you believe that salon has been in that building for 40+ years and there are still people who don't know it's there and they live in our town??? Crazy. I will only list things like Senior discount days, what I like to do, and the number to call for pricing. That way I'm not stepping on anybody's toes any more than I already do!! Of course, this also means I need to take pictures of my work and post it...something I hesitate to do for a variety of reasons. Mostly that I haven't done it yet. I know how. Really, I'm lazy and that has to change!! I also need to change ME. My weight has gotten waaay out of control, and that needs to be dealt with. I, much like a lot of overweight people, watched last season of "The Biggest Loser" and was inspired to do something with myself. Thankfully, I'm not as big as those people were, but I'm definitely headed in that direction. So, I need to deal with this, also. I was doing well towards the end of the summer, and even into fall. Once the cold set in, that took care of that. And since my metabolism was revved a bit, I didn't change my eating habits (big surprise), so, packed it right back on. It wasn't even that I lost a whole bunch of weight, it was that I lost a whole bunch of SIZE and my pants were loose. Not any more. Very frustrating, because I only have myself to thank. No one sat on me and shoveled those chips into my mouth. Sigh. So, there's what I'm wanting to work on for this year. We'll see how it goes.

An interesting turn of events...

Well, we survived the holidays! I was treated very well by my clients and made sure to acknowledge them in return! Although I called one by the wrong name and didn't catch it until after I mailed his thank you card. Oops. Hopefully, he won't be insulted...What an idiot! Yesterday, I wasn't busy in the morning, so I got a bunch of other stuff done...laundry caught up, addressed Ginger's thank you cards & mailed them, stuff like that. Then, I got busy. Haircuts. Talked to one new client (who I think I hooked!!)about her color, quoted her prices, gave her my card with the prices listed on the back. This is a client I blatantly didn't book with Evelyn, even though we both had the same time available. Since there is no salon policy in place regarding who always gets the walk-ins, I figured, SCREW IT. Evelyn has a client base...if they're not coming in, she should be doing something about that! I think she was a tad miffed, but, oh well. I finally came up for air around 4pm. In all that time, Evelyn was messing around with the salon decorations...decorating for Valentines Day. Did she keep laundry caught up?? Did she pull the confirmation list and call clients for tomorrow (which is now today)?? Did she run slips, prepare them, & put them on every one's stations?? Nope. Negatory. To her credit, she did answer the phone and schedule appointments for today. I'm pretty well booked for the day. Had a couple of spots left as of 5pm yesterday. We'll see what happened when I get in there later this morning. My point in all of this?? Both Chrissy & I are filling in, quite nicely. Evelyn...not so much. I wonder if it will EVER occur to her why that is happening???

Randoms...

I've noticed things since becoming a hairdresser. Things, that, ultimately, make MY job easier. 1. If you are coming to the salon with the idea of "Change", bring ideas with you. Especially if this is an impulsive move. Rip out magazine pictures, troll the internet looking for ideas. We don't mind the pressure of coming up with something different, but we'd really like your input, since you will be walking around with our work on your head!! 2. Teach your teenagers, especially BOYS, how to SIT UP STRAIGHT for extended periods of time. I'm 5'2"...constantly stretching to reach a kid's head because they cannot sit up straight is PAINFUL. And constantly reminding them to sit up is irritating. I blame this on hand held games and cell phones...everyone is constantly hunched over these things!! 3. A lot of people use CHEAP products on their hair, in the interest of saving money. Here's a project for you...keep track of how often, during a 6 month period of time, you purchase said products. I have always used professional products, even before becoming a professional (allergies/sensitivities). They last soooo much longer!! Save your money & SPLURGE at your local salon!!! You wind up using 1/10 of an ounce of shampoo, and 1/20 of an ounce of conditioner (yes, I've measured) and it lasts sooo much longer! The liter bottles can last up to a year, depending on how frequently you wash your hair! Same with the big containers of styling product! A large can of mousse can last at least 6 months!! I'm sure I'll add to this one as time moves on...these were things that have come up in recent weeks and I just wanted to get them out there!! Merry Christmas!!

Some fears....

So, I'm probably reading waaaay too much into things, however, my past experiences always seem to dictate my current fears.... Ginger promised, a few weeks ago, to clean out her closet and give her tiny clothes to my daughter (who is already an inch-ish taller than I). She's apologized a couple of times for not getting to it earlier, to which I have replied "It's not a big deal, whenever you can get to it" type-stuff. Well, today, when I walked in, she had a bag of stuff for me to go through, to pick what is appropriate for a nearly 13 year old. Where am I going with this??? There has been a lot of psst psst psst going on at the Salon, lately. Which means I'm usually being talked about. These people cannot wait until I'm NOT there to say whatever it is they need to say. It's irritating. And, it puts me on edge, wondering what I did to screw up now. I've even taken to, lately, zinging Evelyn every chance I get, for the choices she makes regarding her 3 year old & Christmas. (Namely purchasing every toy on the planet then complain that she's broke), which, I know, I need to stop. She, too, has also been extremely nice of late. This concerns me. When I worked as a receptionist at "Diva's Salon" (not the real name, obviously!), the Queen B referred to me as being one of the family, did all kinds of generous things for the child and I, then fired me, which my current employer does NOT know about. (at least not to my knowledge). This is where my fears set in. I'm not the favorite, and I know it. Ginger's husband, Leo, teases me often...always tries to set me up on the phone to have a bad reaction to the goofy things he says, like affecting an accent and wanting to book a man's bikini wax with our best waxer. Silly things, designed to fluster me, and I don't react the way he wants me to. Mostly because I've had others do the same thing and it doesn't work. I recognize their voices every time. I am also known to just go ahead and do my own thing rather than run everything I do by my co-workers. Reason being, every time I run something I want to do by my co-workers, I get shot down, EVERY TIME. So, I stopped asking. I only get praise in front of my client, never in the backroom when the client is gone. I stopped getting my haircuts checked after two months, because I was tired of my credibility becoming invalid. I would talk up a storm about my abilities, then have to stop and get my work checked by my supervisor. It would totally blow it with my client. Should I have checked with Ginger before making this decision?? Probably. I look at it this way: I'm 40 years old. When do I get to stop asking for help when I know I've done a good job??? Especially when my client raves about what I've just done??? I know that I want it both ways...validate what I do, praise me in front of others and praise me in private, yet treat me like I know what I'm doing, as an equal. I want the validation, yet I'm afraid to ask for it. Mostly because I'm afraid of what Ginger will say. She's a standard salon owner...very passive/aggressive. Will tell you what you want to your face, and mean something else behind your back. It's a trait I recognize and yet HATE in others!!! I try very hard to say to your face what I would behind your back and visa-twistie. So, my one year anniversary is coming up the end of next month. And I'm afraid I won't get there. My book is starting to fill in more than it has, with more of my regular clients booking ahead, which is nice. I just don't know, at this point, if I'm where Ginger thinks I ought to be, and, again, am too afraid to ask. So, there it is. My fears laid out for you to see...

A matter of trust...

One of the things Ginger said to me, a year ago, during my interview, was that she'd like to start passing some of her clients off to another hairdresser so she could have more time with her family. It made things sound very promising. Now, I know that no hairdresser will hand you all their clients, but a weeding out is sometimes in order. All I've heard Ginger do, ever since I started working there, is complain to her clients that she doesn't have time to entertain like she used to, or she doesn't have time to get all her Christmas preparations done, stuff like that. She's had clients call all week, looking to get "squeezed in" before the holidays. Which, of course, she cannot do, because her schedule is PACKED. A few miracles have occurred, such as other clients cancelling last minute, but not very much. I noticed in Chrissy's schedule for today that she has a "dedicated" Ginger client down for color. Now, applying color isn't rocket science. The formula is in the computer. It's just like following a recipe. A little of this color, a lot of this color, appropriate amount of correct developer, mix well, viola! Haircolor in a bottle, ready to apply. When Ginger was talking to the both of us about when she booked this client, she looked both of us straight in the eye and said "I know you'll do just fine, it's just that she's never been with anybody except me" and actually looked sad about it!! She told the client, ON THE PHONE, that if necessary, she'd even mix up the color for Chrissy, so there'd be no mistake! So, I'd just like to say, "Thanks for the vote of confidence"! Not only does Ginger do this to Chrissy, she does it to me, as well. I'll give you another example. A couple of months ago, a potential client called, wanting to book updos with our salon for their wedding. They're not clients of our salon, but they were going to be in the area and found us. Evelyn had first called me at home, wanting to know if I felt confident enough with my updos to take on a wedding. To my detriment, I did laugh and say "No. I've done 4 and one of them was on short hair!", so I know that didn't help. They waited over a week to call this client back, and only after I kept asking what happened with that client. When Ginger talked to me about it next, it was because I noticed two updos scheduled, one with me, and one with Chrissy. Ginger had the audacity to tell the client "Well, normally, Evelyn and I do all the weddings, but we're both booked solid. I've got two stylists, who aren't experienced with updos, who are willing to try". Why doesn't the woman just shoot us in the foot and get it over with?? For that matter, she also just shot herself in the foot! The end result?? The client did book, but found another salon to book with and didn't call us back to cancel. Chrissy did the confirmation calls for that day and left a message on their cell phone, but got no call back to cancel. So, she and I were both booked for 1.5 hours that we lost, Ginger lost the profit from both those updos. So, my question is: When does your salon owner start to trust you?? After a year of working to prove myself, shouldn't there be a measure of trust?? I also received a Christmas card, from one of my more sporadic clients on Thursday. Evelyn made sure to explain she made a point of saving the card for me and telling me where it was, instead of just leaving it on my station. I'm thinking she was debating whether or not to even tell me about it. I've also had clients bring me gifts for Christmas, as well. And all of this surprises both Evelyn & Ginger. It blows my mind. They must think they're the only hairdressers on the planet that people can care about and appreciate! Thanks for letting me grumble!

Interesting observations & comments

Tuesday was a fun day...I had been approached over Facebook for an appointment for high & lowlights on a fading natural redhead. WOO HOO!!! A project, to boot!! I did a bunch of research and came up with the magic formula, which turned out to be a pretty good one!! Prior to my client coming in, I had gotten laundry going, since I was the available person to do it. Evelyn & Ginger were both busy at the time. No problem. My client came in, the party started. Once her foils were in, she had 30 minutes to process, so I went back to the laundry, which hadn't been touched since I had done it at 9:30 that morning (it's now noon time). I finished up with my client and had 15 minutes to spare before the next one, so I decided to stuff my face! Now, from 12:30 to 4:30, Evelyn did not have a client (this has been happening frequently). Do you think, in all that time, that she would do her fair share of the laundry?? Heck, no! Once I got done with my next client, I had about 20 minutes before it was time to leave, so.... got the laundry running again. The hampers were still full, too. I made a mental bet with myself that nothing would be done when I came back in the next day, including the confirmation list & the next day's slips. What a surprise, when I came in the next day, I was right! Now, Chrissy didn't come in Tuesday night...went to a wake for a friend...and that's the excuse Ginger used to place blame on the list & slips not being done, instead of placing blame where it belongs. However, because we have no policies in place, and even if we did, they certainly wouldn't apply to Evelyn, it doesn't really matter. While I was with my client on Tuesday, I answered the phone. It was a nice lady, who looks like Phyllis Diller after I do her blow dry and before I style her hair. So, "Phyllis" wanted a shampoo/blow dry with me at 11:30,which I couldn't do as I was still with my client. So, I had to give her to Evelyn. Phyllis told me that she didn't want to be with Evelyn, since Evie doesn't listen to what she wants done and she really likes how I do her hair. However, she did tell me she'd catch me next time. Too funny! And, it's not the first time I've heard that comment, nor will it be the last! Unfortunately, I didn't have any clients yesterday, but I did get a whole bunch of work done, including getting the laundry caught up from Tuesday! Today, while out searching for another gift for my Mom, a total stranger approached me about my hair color. During the course of the conversation, she asked what my color was, I told her it was a mixture of a bunch of colors. She asked if it was professional, of course, my answer was yes. She asked who did it...me, I'm a hairdresser! Then she asked where I worked, so I told her. The reply?? "That's too far away, I don't drive!" and she wanted me to tell her what to buy, which I won't do. She asked for my card, and my name. After introductions, she thanked me and told me she'd see me after the first of the year. How exciting!! I just hope she actually follows through!! All of this wonderfulness happened AFTER I gave my notice at my second job!! Coincidence?? I'm thinking so!!

Customer vs. Client

My co-workers refer to everyone that sits in their chairs as "customers". This bothers me, greatly. Why, you might ask?? Well, because I was "brought up" in a different salon culture than they were. Where I come from, those lovely people are called "Clients", not "customers". Here's a better definition: A customer is someone who shops at Walmart. A client is someone who reserves a certain amount of time with you and pays you (usually gladly, I might add) for the privilege. And, yet, every day that I work I hear things like "my customer who just left" or "one of the customers I had earlier..." Of course, these are the same people who wear jeans or khakis to work every day, instead of dressing nicely every day. Some of these people don't even try to do much with their hair, which is a separate issue. I feel like I'm working with people who are posing as hairdressers! I'm not the greatest, not by a long shot. But, by golly, I dress the part! Since I have started dressing in black (except for my smock, which is either purple or green), my universe has changed. The people in my chair take me seriously as a hairdresser. Strange, I know. Why would what I wear under my smock make a difference? especially when all they see is maybe my collar area and my legs?? Apparently, a lot. I've noticed an increase in my book and an increase in my tips because of it. Enough so that I'm willing to take the chance and quit my second job so that I can just be a hairdresser!! This is something I'm very excited about...no more getting up at ungodly hours of the morning on a SUNDAY, to slog through the same dull, boring routine every weekend. The customers I deal with at the grocery store are nice people...rarely do I get someone with an attitude,which is nice. But, I hate this job. With a passion. It makes me miserable to even think about going to work there every sunday. And now, I've given my notice. I will work until January 10th, and then I'm DONE. I've worked hard enough at the salon, and the appreciation I get for all my hard work is unbelievably rewarding, then to go to the grocery store to work and get NADA, bupkis..it's just ridiculous. So, I'm quitting. And I feel good about it!

The color I dislike the most

I fancy myself as a colorist first, stylist definitely second. I love to look at color, I love to play with color. I feel confident using color, any color. That being said, the one color I absolutely abhor is 11A. A, for those not in the business, is ash...the color most people are. I feel that ash should only be used in the instances of correcting color, not as the only color on your hair. It is a very flat, boring color. I happen to have a client who is WHITE and prefers to be ASH to tone down the warmth that always happens when you color white hair. Now, the solution to this is to put back the pigment that's missing (N series) with a little bit of the desired pigment (Ash series). However, I'm digressing... 11A. Completely ugly color. What it does on a natural dark blonde is take them to the yellow stage of the lightening process. Because it's hair color, not lightener, it won't progress past the yellow stage. Consequently, the client's hair is now canary yellow. I have a client that I share with the others, who have turned her onto this ugly color to start with. I want soooo badly to change her color!! The first time I had her, I talked to her about lowlighting her hair to break up all that yellow. It took her from March, when I first had her, until October to do "highlights". Now, considering she is colored to a level 11 (which is really a level 9, since it's yellow), taking her higher with lightener is a waste of time. You can't see it. You're walking the color up to pale yellow (which is a nicer color), which, by the way, doesn't show up in yellow hair! If she were to become my client, I would highlight her, 3/4 head, with lightener and 10 volume, to lift her gently and safely, on her ends, and use on the scalp lightener & 20 volume on her regrowth, bringing her up to the pale yellow stage (which is the desirable color), and maybe toning afterward, if color balancing is needed to get rid of unwanted warm tones. (Listen to me, sounding all Beth Minardi-ish!) However, since I'm the 3rd alternate back up plan, I'll need to bide my time and strike when the timing is right! A funny side note to this person, the first time I had her in my chair, she didn't tip me (and I suspect this is standard operating procedure). The second time she was in my chair, she actually tipped me! A huge tip? No, not the point. The point is, she liked what I did enough to tip me, and that's what's important, not the dollar amount!! I've said it before, and I will continue to say it: If I were in this only for the tips, I'm going to be sadly disappointed!! I do this because I love it. My financial reward is my paycheck at the end of every week, not the tips I pull in. Don't get me wrong, tips come in very handy. However, if I didn't have them, I'd find a way to survive. I'm funny that way.

Things are getting amusing...

So, for starters, I wore my hair differently than normal yesterday. I'm someone that is known for what they do to their hair, so it's obvious when it's different. Every time I wear my hair similar to Ginger's, she likes it, a lot. It's not that I'm trying to be like her (Gawd, no!), however, we have the same haircut!! What's funny about wearing my hair that way is if I'm in the local grocery store, which is located in the same plaza as the salon, I get mistaken for Ginger all the time, even though her hair looks BLACK and mine is obviously RED!! Another thing that's funny is I'm starting to get requests from people I don't know...someone who I cut their hair 3 months ago and now they're coming back, for cut and COLOR!! Woo Hoo!! The only slight down side is that I didn't document anything I might have said to her about color, so, I hope I didn't say anything other than pricing stuff!! One of my best clients, who also happens to be a friend, is constantly getting compliments when she's out and about!! It's such a confidence booster for the both of us!! I also put myself on the books for Christmas eve, just figuring I'll answer the phones if nothing else. HA! I'm booked for the entire time I'm there!! How much fun is that????

I've hit my stride...

So, a funny thing happened at work yesterday. A client walked in the door, her hair hidden under a hat. I was at the desk, so I asked "may I help you??" Here's her story: She came in Tuesday afternoon to get her haircut. Evelyn is her stylist. The client's complaint is that her sides weren't right and she couldn't do anything with her hair. When Ginger heard that conversation, she came flying right over to emphasize that Evelyn would be in the next day, if she wanted to come in. Ginger didn't offer herself up, as she was either waiting for her next client or had a client processing (don't remember which, quite frankly). The client was politelly insistant that it get fixed right now. So, Ginger reluctantly offered me up. So, we walked over to my station, removed the hat, and had a chat. She talked about how her sides weren't right, couldn't do a thing to style them, and her bangs were too heavy. While my hands were in her hair, I could feel something on her hair (found out after the fact, she had colored her hair the night before), so I opted to wash her hair. Her hair was also THICK and slightly coarse...not hair I really want to cut dry. Back at my station, I start the recut...Ginger watching the entire time. (Now that I'm remembering things, her client didn't show) I checked the back first and discovered that Evelyn had razored her haircut...good information to know. The back looked fine...just a couple of teeny spots to fix. Then, I started going through the top..What a mess it turned out to be!! Her bangs were, in fact, very heavy...took another 1/2 inch off. Once the top was done, I carefully went through the sides, checking, blending the entire thing THOROUGHLY. In the end, I cut quite a bit off. I chatted with the client the entire time, about all kinds of stuff...she's a very nice person. She kept talking about how "dirty" she felt, "cheating" on Evelyn. I told her not to worry about it, we all fix each others mistakes from time to time...just not a big deal. Ginger kept watching everything I was doing and finally complemented me when I was done..."That came out really nice"...always with the tone of surprise. Later, I made a point of showing her the swept up hair and commenting that it really wasn't all that bad... The absolutely best part??? The client commented on how she didn't have any money to tip me with, while thanking me for fixing her hair. "I really like Evelyn, but you did a good job. Thank you so much! I don't even have a dollar on me, I'm soo sorry!" I just told her not to worry about it, no big deal. We continued to talk about her getting her kids in for haircuts. I offered up Evelyn (as she's her stylist) and she said, "Oh, no..I want to book them with you." I proceeded to book her son with me, then when it came time to book her daughter, I, again, offered up Evelyn's services...to which the client still wanted me to take care of her daughter. How funny is that??? :) Then, I had another client, that I recently inherited from Evelyn, tell me that why she stopped going to Evelyn is that she wouldn't do what the client wanted (which I had seen, first hand) and she liked how I did things better. Now, our salon has been hit by this recession...clients have dropped off, cancelled more often, etc. We're all feeling it right now. That's why, I feel, it's sooo important to treat our clients well, and give them what they ask for, unless it's something that will NOT work for their hair. What we're not supposed to be doing, in my humble opinion, is telling the client NO. And I hear it, alot. Part of it is because our prices are inclusive and Ginger doesn't want to split the commission on services by, say, booking the perm part with me and booking the haircut part with herself. What that does, in her mind (and she is right) is give me the higher of the two dollar amounts (I'm not even hitting commission yet, so it probably wouldn't make a difference in my paycheck), instead of giving it all to herself. So, what happens is she lets the client know that she could do her perm, but she'd have to hang around an hour before she could get to it. Effectively, she talked the client out of a perm, losing herself the money, anyway. So, the end result is that I'm starting to really build up a clientele and a reputation!! It's not just Evelyn or Ginger that isn't listening to their clients...Maude doesn't, either. I had a client on tuesday that used to be Maude's. When I looked this information up in the computer, I didn't pay attention to the dates. So, when she was in my chair, I asked why she left the salon. Her reply was simple...her stylist wouldn't listen to her and did what she wanted to with her hair. That's why she had been cutting her hair, herself. I just hope that when I have a few years under my belt that I don't stop listening to my clients!

My second post of the day...

So, the ongoing saga of my salon. Evelyn managed to be out last week, as well, due to both the holiday and illness. It made for a nice week for the rest of us, even though, I'm sure, Ginger missed her. (she usually does) Evelyn was back yesterday. And decorating for Christmas. And making a huge mess in the waiting area, which, by the way, she didn't bother to sweep up before she took her next client. So, my client, who is using a walker, had to walk through that mess, and made sure to say something about it (as she usually does). Chrissy wound up sweeping up the mess because Evelyn was just too busy to do so. It's stuff like this that makes me want to strangle someone. It's amazing to me how someone can thing they are "worth" more than someone else, just because they have a client in their chair. Completely unbelievable. I'm going to try to do all I can to help Chrissy with her book (and help myself, too) so that we both don't get stuck doing all the "grunt" work any longer. It's frustrating, at best. On the up side, I'm finally starting to get busier. I'm getting exposed to more clients, and making an impression, which is a nice thing!! During my down time today, I'll be writing out my Christmas cards to my clients, thanking them for being a part of my first year as a hairdresser! I'll suggest this to Chrissy, too, so she can make an impression on her clients, as well...there's nothing like pushing yourself under someone's nose to make them respond!! :)

Fine vs. Thin

Many times, when a client is sitting in my chair, their complaint is about how "thin" their hair is. Usually, the hair is FINE, not THIN. So, I thought I'd give my two cents on the difference. FINE HAIR: This refers to the diameter of each, individual strand of hair. It is tiny. People with fine hair can have thin hair. However, there are more people with fine hair than thin hair. People with fine hair can have a gazillion hairs per square inch, but it won't look as abundant as their thicker counterparts due to the diameter of their hair. It is what it is... In the majority of people, a strand of hair has 3 basic layers. The cuticle layer is the outermost layer of hair. It is a protective layer and can be up to 10 layers thick. Mind you, these are microscopic layers. The next layer is the cortex. This is where the melanin (pigment) of your hair sits. When you color your hair, the developer swells the cuticle, allowing the chemical to approach the melanin and do it's work to change the color of your hair. Everyone has these two layers. People with thicker hair also have a medulla, which is similar to a straw in that it is hollow and provides strength & extra structure to your hair. Those of us with fine hair (and that includes me) do not have a medulla. This is why our hair processes much faster than everyone else. THIN HAIR: When you have thin hair, you do not have a gazillion hairs per square inch. With thin hair, you have the ability to see your scalp through your hair. You can have any texture of hair, fine, medium, coarse, and still have thin hair. The trick with thin hair, especially if there's a full head of hair, is to give it as much texture as you can to give it the appearance of fullness. Chemicals will help with this, meaning color or perm. I prefer using color over perming, simply because with perming, you have that tire track effect until the perm relaxes a bit (usually a couple of weeks) so your thinness can be exaggerated until then. Not good. Coloring your hair is a better option, as it roughs up the cuticle a bit, making it appear fuller. Now, that being said...if you color your own hair, and you follow the directions on the box, you are doing more damage to already fragile hair than what you need to, simply because you are re-depositing color onto already colored hair, creating holes in the strand of hair. The only way to correct the damage is to come in for regular haircuts and only put the color on your regrowth, not your entire head. Doing this to yourself is rather difficult. (see my previous post about box color!) So, really, you should be in the hands of a professional.