So, Tina, bless her little heart, wants what I have, which is a fairly steady client base. Unfortunately, she'll try her damnedest to take the clients I have away from me. Which manages to bite her in the behind on a regular basis.
Case in point: Melissa has been coming in for quite a while now. She started off as just a waxing client and has evolved into a color & cut client. She and I have hit it off, rather well. For whatever reason, I did not give her my card with my hours on it. (DOOFUS) So, when she was coming in, she wasn't able to get me because it was either my day off (and she wants it done NOW) or I was on lunch. So, she wound up with Tina instead. Now, she likes Tina as a person, just not necessarily what she does.
Yesterday, Melissa and her son's girlfriend came in yesterday to get stuff done. I was on my lunch break when she came in (had just clocked out, in fact) so when she signed in, she requested Tina. Now, I don't know what Tina told her specifically, but she was under the impression that I would be gone quite a while. When I came back a half hour later, and saw she requested Tina, I stayed out of it. If she wants Tina, whatever. Well, Melissa walks up to me and asks me why she's sitting around if I'm back from lunch. "You requested Tina." "Well, I'd rather have you. She told me you were on lunch". "Okay, well, I'm back from lunch. Let's go!" And proceeded to talk to her about her hair color.
Melissa is funny, because she says to me "I'd like to have a lighter color in general. Can that be done?" "Sure. What I'll do is figure out where you're at right now, and what color is lighter. We'll do your regrowth that new color, feathering it into the old stuff so it blends and it'll be a work in progress with this new, lighter color. That way, you don't have to highlight your hair all the time to get the lighter color you're looking for " (as I look at the highlights that have been done and see they're the stripey kind, which, personally, I hate to look at on a older woman) "Oh, good. I knew you'd be able to tell me if we could do it or not. Tina is nice and all, but she won't tell me if we can do it or not." And so, I won her back.
Now, if I lose a client to someone because they treat the client better than I do, and offer a better quality service than I do, or if our personalities just didn't mesh, that's fine. It happens. But, if I'm losing clients to others because of sneaky, underhanded tactics, that's NOT okay. Clients don't like being lied to. And when they find out, they WON'T go back to you.
I've got one more client to get back from her...we'll see if I can get that to happen. I made sure both of these clients received my business card with my hours on it so they know when I'm around.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Discounting your services
I have quite a few "professional" pages on my Facebook page. I like to see what's going on out there. (someday I'll have my own shop, so it's good to collect ideas) There's one in particular, a local shop, where they discount the daylights out of everything!
I've seen "free haircut with $50 or more in foils", "10 foils with haircut & style for $46" (have no idea what the regular price is, presuming it's not $46), "5 free foils with haircut". There's also "Ladies night, $20 haircut & $7.00 wax" and "Men's night, haircuts $15".
What I'm wondering is if these tactics genuinely work?? I know, from working where I do, that coupons/special offers only tend to attract a certain individual: One looking for a bargain. They're not looking for a new salon/stylist. They want what they want and they want it CHEAP.
We've got a lady that comes in every few months, trying to get us to give away the shop for free. "Well, I can get a kit in the store and do my own for much less. Everyone likes what I do to my hair" Then, by all means, keep doing your hair for the bargain price of $9.95. I made the mistake, ONCE of giving this lady a deal...she had quite the sob story and I fell for it. She set up a time to come in, then, miraculously, she blew me off. PHEW! Because I regretted the deal the moment I did it. When she came in two weeks later, wanting the deal, I told her no. She's been trying, ever since, to get an amazing deal out of us. I since found out that she drives a shiny new Toyota Prius (which are NOT a cheap car) and her 7 children are grown & gone.
I'm not saying I don't give certain services for free. I'm known to blow dry for nothing with a haircut when the client has fine, non-existent hair (can't see the point in charging for a 2 minute service), and I just about always condition the hair for free ( a big no no, which is crazy), just so I can get a comb through the damn hair! And, on occasion, I'll forget to charge someone for wax. Or, I'll pluck a few random hairs and not charge for it. Piddly stuff. But, I will NOT discount chemical services. Our prices are already low enough. We charge $24.95 for 7 foils (which is just a splash of color)...I'm not about to take $25 out of my pocket and hand it to someone, which is exactly what happens when you do that. $25 is gas money, for crying out loud! And, if we have a conversation, and you don't have the funds to get the job done, then don't get it done. It's not a problem. Leave with the information I've given you, and come back when you have the money to get the job done. I have a system in place to write down the client's name & information discussed on a chemical card so we have it when the time comes.
I also feel that by discounting my work, I've got to work twice as hard to win you over, to get you to come back every time. Of course, I'll be charging you the magic price every time, because now I've trapped myself. But, if I can win you over, it's at least steady income for me in the form of a regular client!
I also get the feeling, because we get these phone calls all the time, that the local salons call us to get our prices, so they can "beat" us. We do a tidy business, and I'm sure we're a "threat" to these salons, particularly the one offering the shop for free! And here's my thought process on that: If you give good, quality work, treat your clients well, you won't have to discount your work to keep them. They'll come back because they like you and what you do. Otherwise, you'll lose them. Period.
I've seen "free haircut with $50 or more in foils", "10 foils with haircut & style for $46" (have no idea what the regular price is, presuming it's not $46), "5 free foils with haircut". There's also "Ladies night, $20 haircut & $7.00 wax" and "Men's night, haircuts $15".
What I'm wondering is if these tactics genuinely work?? I know, from working where I do, that coupons/special offers only tend to attract a certain individual: One looking for a bargain. They're not looking for a new salon/stylist. They want what they want and they want it CHEAP.
We've got a lady that comes in every few months, trying to get us to give away the shop for free. "Well, I can get a kit in the store and do my own for much less. Everyone likes what I do to my hair" Then, by all means, keep doing your hair for the bargain price of $9.95. I made the mistake, ONCE of giving this lady a deal...she had quite the sob story and I fell for it. She set up a time to come in, then, miraculously, she blew me off. PHEW! Because I regretted the deal the moment I did it. When she came in two weeks later, wanting the deal, I told her no. She's been trying, ever since, to get an amazing deal out of us. I since found out that she drives a shiny new Toyota Prius (which are NOT a cheap car) and her 7 children are grown & gone.
I'm not saying I don't give certain services for free. I'm known to blow dry for nothing with a haircut when the client has fine, non-existent hair (can't see the point in charging for a 2 minute service), and I just about always condition the hair for free ( a big no no, which is crazy), just so I can get a comb through the damn hair! And, on occasion, I'll forget to charge someone for wax. Or, I'll pluck a few random hairs and not charge for it. Piddly stuff. But, I will NOT discount chemical services. Our prices are already low enough. We charge $24.95 for 7 foils (which is just a splash of color)...I'm not about to take $25 out of my pocket and hand it to someone, which is exactly what happens when you do that. $25 is gas money, for crying out loud! And, if we have a conversation, and you don't have the funds to get the job done, then don't get it done. It's not a problem. Leave with the information I've given you, and come back when you have the money to get the job done. I have a system in place to write down the client's name & information discussed on a chemical card so we have it when the time comes.
I also feel that by discounting my work, I've got to work twice as hard to win you over, to get you to come back every time. Of course, I'll be charging you the magic price every time, because now I've trapped myself. But, if I can win you over, it's at least steady income for me in the form of a regular client!
I also get the feeling, because we get these phone calls all the time, that the local salons call us to get our prices, so they can "beat" us. We do a tidy business, and I'm sure we're a "threat" to these salons, particularly the one offering the shop for free! And here's my thought process on that: If you give good, quality work, treat your clients well, you won't have to discount your work to keep them. They'll come back because they like you and what you do. Otherwise, you'll lose them. Period.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Bouncing around
So, I was just on Facebook and noticed one of my fellow hairdressers is changing salons, yet again. She's young (to the point of immature, really), enthusiastic, highly skilled, offers lots of services. From what I understand, she's also pregnant, so income is important.
What happens when you bounce around from salon to salon isn't always a good thing. Most of your clients will follow you, but some will not. It's normal to lose anywhere from 10% to 30% of your clients, depending on where you move to and, of course, how much demand there is for you. I know some hairdressers who did not lose their clients, and in fact, GAINED clients, because they moved. But, it's not always the case.
I moved from my old salon to where I am now based on the fact that my current employer offered me more hours (which equals more money in the end), opportunity for advancement, and benefits such as health, dental, 401K, 529 savings plans. Things my previous employer could not do. It was a huge risk for me, one that has paid off for me. There were some instances where I thought "OH CRAP. What have I done?!?" but, over all, I'm doing really well.
Everything I do is a stepping store to something else. I imagine that's the same for most others. Eventually, I'd like to have my own place. I have goals, but I also need to figure out how I'm going to get there. One step at a time.
I wish my fellow hairdresser well, and hope that her new "home" is where she will fit the best and make money as well as gain new clients.
What happens when you bounce around from salon to salon isn't always a good thing. Most of your clients will follow you, but some will not. It's normal to lose anywhere from 10% to 30% of your clients, depending on where you move to and, of course, how much demand there is for you. I know some hairdressers who did not lose their clients, and in fact, GAINED clients, because they moved. But, it's not always the case.
I moved from my old salon to where I am now based on the fact that my current employer offered me more hours (which equals more money in the end), opportunity for advancement, and benefits such as health, dental, 401K, 529 savings plans. Things my previous employer could not do. It was a huge risk for me, one that has paid off for me. There were some instances where I thought "OH CRAP. What have I done?!?" but, over all, I'm doing really well.
Everything I do is a stepping store to something else. I imagine that's the same for most others. Eventually, I'd like to have my own place. I have goals, but I also need to figure out how I'm going to get there. One step at a time.
I wish my fellow hairdresser well, and hope that her new "home" is where she will fit the best and make money as well as gain new clients.
Friday, January 18, 2013
Update on "Over Processed Hair"
I saw the client from my "Over Processed Hair" episode. She got her perm someplace else. (She walked by the salon with an extremely sour look on her face, too...apparently still angry we wouldn't perm her hair) and, boy is her hair FRIED!!!
I wasn't kidding when I said she'll find someone who will see dollar signs and perm her hair, regardless of the condition of her hair. I'm just not that kind of hairdresser and never will be. I also will not encourage my staff to be that kind of hairdresser, either.
I wasn't kidding when I said she'll find someone who will see dollar signs and perm her hair, regardless of the condition of her hair. I'm just not that kind of hairdresser and never will be. I also will not encourage my staff to be that kind of hairdresser, either.
I'm a beautician, not a magician...
First, she says she wants a beige blonde. So, you go bananas figuring out a formula, complete with making hair swatches to try to get something close to what she wants. Then she says (after you've applied the color "I'd like to be a golden blonde"...which, by the way, she was pretty much at before you applied the beige color.
"Can you cover up the bright roots?" while putting the hair up at the same time, exposing the root area. "Can you put my hair up?" When she's got so much breakage, it's coming off in your hands. What do you want to bet she'll not come back for quite a while, then expect me to fix the mess she made, AGAIN??
This, my friends, is the client you will NEVER please. She's got ideas in her head, but no way to effectively communicate to you what the heck she wants. She's done some serious damage to her hair, but wants you to fix it. Because, somewhere in the description of Hairdresser/Colorist is the word "magician". Not only can you not fix stupid, you can't fix fragile, broken hair. When you are handling the hair, say when you're foiling the hair, and it looks like it's snowing on the black cape from all the breakage, that's BAD. And it can't be fixed, unless you want a nice, Jamie Lee Curtis short haircut. Which this nice lady does NOT want.
I've got a plan in place for her, should she come back. She, more than likely, will NOT like it. But, here it is:
Her natural level is a medium, almost coarse level 3. Which means, to lift her to a nice color, without revealing the warmth, I can take her to a 5-5.5 light brown, in the golden vein, to bring some color back to her face. (visually, it's darkish brown) Because her ends are blonde-ish right now, I would isolate a lot of them in foils with protein loaded conditioner to mask as much breakage as I can, so she still has the appearance of blonde. The blonde part she'll like. The darker brown, not so much. She was adamant about not liking her natural color. Can I take her to a lighter, yet still darker color? Sure. I can bring her to a level 7 (dark blonde) with demi, then do the same plan with her blonde to give her the effect of highlights.
Ideally, the hair needs to go. And, AGAIN, had she come back in way back in July, we wouldn't have had the struggles we had getting her hair to something reasonable for her event. Unfortunately, for her, her hair is taking care of the haircut all on it's own, by breaking every time you touch it. Luckily, you can't see the "pile" of hair she's leaving behind because the hair is so white it disappears.
Really, I'm getting cranked up for nothing. I'm too sure she won't be back. And I'm also pretty sure the reason why she came back in the first place was because no other salon would touch her hair. I can't say that I blame them, really. I didn't want to touch her hair, either!
"Can you cover up the bright roots?" while putting the hair up at the same time, exposing the root area. "Can you put my hair up?" When she's got so much breakage, it's coming off in your hands. What do you want to bet she'll not come back for quite a while, then expect me to fix the mess she made, AGAIN??
This, my friends, is the client you will NEVER please. She's got ideas in her head, but no way to effectively communicate to you what the heck she wants. She's done some serious damage to her hair, but wants you to fix it. Because, somewhere in the description of Hairdresser/Colorist is the word "magician". Not only can you not fix stupid, you can't fix fragile, broken hair. When you are handling the hair, say when you're foiling the hair, and it looks like it's snowing on the black cape from all the breakage, that's BAD. And it can't be fixed, unless you want a nice, Jamie Lee Curtis short haircut. Which this nice lady does NOT want.
I've got a plan in place for her, should she come back. She, more than likely, will NOT like it. But, here it is:
Her natural level is a medium, almost coarse level 3. Which means, to lift her to a nice color, without revealing the warmth, I can take her to a 5-5.5 light brown, in the golden vein, to bring some color back to her face. (visually, it's darkish brown) Because her ends are blonde-ish right now, I would isolate a lot of them in foils with protein loaded conditioner to mask as much breakage as I can, so she still has the appearance of blonde. The blonde part she'll like. The darker brown, not so much. She was adamant about not liking her natural color. Can I take her to a lighter, yet still darker color? Sure. I can bring her to a level 7 (dark blonde) with demi, then do the same plan with her blonde to give her the effect of highlights.
Ideally, the hair needs to go. And, AGAIN, had she come back in way back in July, we wouldn't have had the struggles we had getting her hair to something reasonable for her event. Unfortunately, for her, her hair is taking care of the haircut all on it's own, by breaking every time you touch it. Luckily, you can't see the "pile" of hair she's leaving behind because the hair is so white it disappears.
Really, I'm getting cranked up for nothing. I'm too sure she won't be back. And I'm also pretty sure the reason why she came back in the first place was because no other salon would touch her hair. I can't say that I blame them, really. I didn't want to touch her hair, either!
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Entertaining to watch...
It's entertaining, sometimes, to watch my co-workers. Ultimately, it's insightful, but it's also entertaining. For example:
Tina: Is very vindictive and vengeful. Particularly after she's been spoken to regarding something she's done that isn't correct, or isn't something she's responsible for doing (acting as salon manager in my absence, for example). She will go out of her way to get back at you, any way that she can. If you have something she wants, say a steadier schedule, or a larger client base, she'll do what she can, including lie to clients, to get what she wants.
When we have salon meetings and I chose to address an issue with her as a global issue, she ALWAYS pretends to not know what I'm talking about. Again, funny to watch. She'll also ask stupid questions that she knows the answer to. For example, we have new goal books to use with codes the company has established for certain things like request clients, referrals, new people. So, it made sense to me to change what we had going for our own codes and use the "company approved" ones. And, of course, she had to question that. It was hard not to say to her "Well, what the hell do you think it means, idiot?? Do you not pay attention to what you're reading?? How does that not make sense to you???" But, I didn't. I just repeated myself, at least 3 times, by saying "it makes sense to use the codes the company provides. Look at your book" The response?? "Oh, yeah......." SIGH....
Tiffany: If you don't give her a goal, she'll wander around, all day long, bored out of her mind. She isn't really interested in taking responsibility herself, or for her share of the daily business, she would rather have someone else do all the work and she reap the benefits. If you don't remind her of what needs to be done, she doesn't do a darn thing. "Tiffany, would you drain the sinks?" "Tiffany, would you scrub all three sinks out??" (because, if you don't put in the "three", she'll leave the back room sink a disastrous mess.) "Tiffany, would you empty the trash cans?" And god help Tina if she gets her bossy pants on because Tiffany won't do anything Tina asks her to do. I finally had to pull her aside and say "Look. If you're asked to clean something by someone other than me, JUST DO IT. It won't kill you. If someone other than me starts correcting you, that's an issue that I need to address. If someone acts like salon manager when I'm not around, that also needs to be brought to my attention, however, YOU get to tell her "hey...you're not the salon manager. Knock it off. I'm calling Beth to clarify". The other thing she does is when she's bored, she's outside for a cigarette. The moment she leaves, 9 times out of 10, a client walks in and either can't hang around, so it's lost money, or they go to someone else and she loses out on the money. She'll get it, eventually.
Joan: I'm still assessing this one. However, when she started, we were SLAMMED, so she raked in the bucks, instantly. Now that it's calmed down, she's not pulling in the bucks. It'll pick back up, soon. Tax checks will start coming back and people will be in to spend money. I have noticed, however, that when her personal life falls apart, so does she. I'm not saying everyone needs to be cold and analytical about it, but put that crap aside so you can do your job. She also doesn't understand that just because everyone else is busy and you're not, you don't get to start goofing off in the back room where potential customers can't see you. I had to tell her that when everyone is dead, I don't mind you working on swatches to understand what color does what, etc. However, when you're the only one not with a client, you need to make yourself visible so when someone comes in, you can take them immediately. Also, she'll get it, eventually.
Overall, I really do have a good team. Everyone works well together. There's some kinks to work out, there always is. It will be interesting when Lynn comes back, too. She'll have to get back into the swing of things, and get used to having Joan here (they went to school together, were roommates for a bit, had a falling out. Hopefully, the animosity won't be an issue at work). And I think, by then, we'll have a ROCKIN' TEAM!!
Tina: Is very vindictive and vengeful. Particularly after she's been spoken to regarding something she's done that isn't correct, or isn't something she's responsible for doing (acting as salon manager in my absence, for example). She will go out of her way to get back at you, any way that she can. If you have something she wants, say a steadier schedule, or a larger client base, she'll do what she can, including lie to clients, to get what she wants.
When we have salon meetings and I chose to address an issue with her as a global issue, she ALWAYS pretends to not know what I'm talking about. Again, funny to watch. She'll also ask stupid questions that she knows the answer to. For example, we have new goal books to use with codes the company has established for certain things like request clients, referrals, new people. So, it made sense to me to change what we had going for our own codes and use the "company approved" ones. And, of course, she had to question that. It was hard not to say to her "Well, what the hell do you think it means, idiot?? Do you not pay attention to what you're reading?? How does that not make sense to you???" But, I didn't. I just repeated myself, at least 3 times, by saying "it makes sense to use the codes the company provides. Look at your book" The response?? "Oh, yeah......." SIGH....
Tiffany: If you don't give her a goal, she'll wander around, all day long, bored out of her mind. She isn't really interested in taking responsibility herself, or for her share of the daily business, she would rather have someone else do all the work and she reap the benefits. If you don't remind her of what needs to be done, she doesn't do a darn thing. "Tiffany, would you drain the sinks?" "Tiffany, would you scrub all three sinks out??" (because, if you don't put in the "three", she'll leave the back room sink a disastrous mess.) "Tiffany, would you empty the trash cans?" And god help Tina if she gets her bossy pants on because Tiffany won't do anything Tina asks her to do. I finally had to pull her aside and say "Look. If you're asked to clean something by someone other than me, JUST DO IT. It won't kill you. If someone other than me starts correcting you, that's an issue that I need to address. If someone acts like salon manager when I'm not around, that also needs to be brought to my attention, however, YOU get to tell her "hey...you're not the salon manager. Knock it off. I'm calling Beth to clarify". The other thing she does is when she's bored, she's outside for a cigarette. The moment she leaves, 9 times out of 10, a client walks in and either can't hang around, so it's lost money, or they go to someone else and she loses out on the money. She'll get it, eventually.
Joan: I'm still assessing this one. However, when she started, we were SLAMMED, so she raked in the bucks, instantly. Now that it's calmed down, she's not pulling in the bucks. It'll pick back up, soon. Tax checks will start coming back and people will be in to spend money. I have noticed, however, that when her personal life falls apart, so does she. I'm not saying everyone needs to be cold and analytical about it, but put that crap aside so you can do your job. She also doesn't understand that just because everyone else is busy and you're not, you don't get to start goofing off in the back room where potential customers can't see you. I had to tell her that when everyone is dead, I don't mind you working on swatches to understand what color does what, etc. However, when you're the only one not with a client, you need to make yourself visible so when someone comes in, you can take them immediately. Also, she'll get it, eventually.
Overall, I really do have a good team. Everyone works well together. There's some kinks to work out, there always is. It will be interesting when Lynn comes back, too. She'll have to get back into the swing of things, and get used to having Joan here (they went to school together, were roommates for a bit, had a falling out. Hopefully, the animosity won't be an issue at work). And I think, by then, we'll have a ROCKIN' TEAM!!
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Another new stylist...
So, 4 days before Christmas, I hired another stylist, Joan. And, so far, she's working out all right. Has she made mistakes along the way?? Sure. She got the perm client from hell last week, and, honestly, I could have wrapped my hands around the woman's throat by the time I got done dealing with her (when she came back), but, hey...this stuff happens.
What I didn't find out until well after the fast is that Joan and Lynn used to be roomies and it didn't end well. It hadn't better be a problem when Lynn gets back from maternity leave. I've got a great team right now, and adding Lynn back into the mix will be even better. Let's not ruin it by letting stupid, petty crap get in the way.
What I didn't find out until well after the fast is that Joan and Lynn used to be roomies and it didn't end well. It hadn't better be a problem when Lynn gets back from maternity leave. I've got a great team right now, and adding Lynn back into the mix will be even better. Let's not ruin it by letting stupid, petty crap get in the way.
Corrective color from hell, part 2
So, she comes in...LATE. Big surprise. With a half-baked apology. "I'm sorry. Can we still get this done??" "We'll just have to make it work" Honestly. What the hell is wrong with you?? If you have an "important" event to go to, GET YOUR COLLECTIVE CRAP TOGETHER BEFORE HAND!!!
This is what I would have done if A) I was her, or B) I had been in control of this color long before this week:
1) As soon as I got the tickets, or even the invite, book appointments. Make phone calls to find out who does what, where, and what time.
2) ARRANGE TO TAKE TIME OFF FROM WORK. She is a home health care nurse. She worked Friday night into Saturday morning. HELLO, EYE BAGS. It's also why she was late.
3) FIND A DRESS THAT FITS. One that needs minimal alteration, not major surgery.
4) Get ALL the accessories you need together, before hand, such as the correct bra, spanx, pantyhose, jewelry, hair gems, all of it.
5) Get the issues with your hair dealt with, well in advance, not last minute. That way, there's no panic on any body's part to get things "right".
6) GET YOUR DRESS PAID FOR AND PICKED UP BEFORE THE DAY OF THE EVENT!!
So, she comes in 1/2 hour-ish late. Awesome. I don't even discuss what I'm doing, I just go mix it up. Tick tock. Through the course of conversation, I let it be known that A) she could easily support red hair, if she wanted to, which would be easier to accomplish than the blonde B) if she'd come in even two weeks ago, we wouldn't be scrambling last minute to get this stuff done. C) if she'd let me have complete control over her hair, she'd have a short, Jamie Lee Curtis haircut, with the blonde ends colored to match her natural hair, let it grow out, cutting off the old blonde as we go until it's GONE, then start over FRESH with hair in fabulous condition. When I mentioned how short her hair ought to be, short term, to get her back to healthy hair, she about lost her mind. Not to mention going back to her natural color, so she can have healthy hair.
Seriously. To keep things looking as natural as possible, it's suggested you don't go more than 3 shades lighter or darker, depending on which direction you're aiming. This lady is a level 3. Which means, to keep the gold under control, she needs to go no lighter than a level 6, which is darkest blonde. Then, maybe highlight the heck out of it to make it appear lighter. But, ONLY ON HEALTHY HAIR!!!
So, I'll probably make some swatches, on natural level 3 hair, to show her some options. Of course, this will probably be all for naught, but, at least I'll be prepared.
This is what I would have done if A) I was her, or B) I had been in control of this color long before this week:
1) As soon as I got the tickets, or even the invite, book appointments. Make phone calls to find out who does what, where, and what time.
2) ARRANGE TO TAKE TIME OFF FROM WORK. She is a home health care nurse. She worked Friday night into Saturday morning. HELLO, EYE BAGS. It's also why she was late.
3) FIND A DRESS THAT FITS. One that needs minimal alteration, not major surgery.
4) Get ALL the accessories you need together, before hand, such as the correct bra, spanx, pantyhose, jewelry, hair gems, all of it.
5) Get the issues with your hair dealt with, well in advance, not last minute. That way, there's no panic on any body's part to get things "right".
6) GET YOUR DRESS PAID FOR AND PICKED UP BEFORE THE DAY OF THE EVENT!!
So, she comes in 1/2 hour-ish late. Awesome. I don't even discuss what I'm doing, I just go mix it up. Tick tock. Through the course of conversation, I let it be known that A) she could easily support red hair, if she wanted to, which would be easier to accomplish than the blonde B) if she'd come in even two weeks ago, we wouldn't be scrambling last minute to get this stuff done. C) if she'd let me have complete control over her hair, she'd have a short, Jamie Lee Curtis haircut, with the blonde ends colored to match her natural hair, let it grow out, cutting off the old blonde as we go until it's GONE, then start over FRESH with hair in fabulous condition. When I mentioned how short her hair ought to be, short term, to get her back to healthy hair, she about lost her mind. Not to mention going back to her natural color, so she can have healthy hair.
Seriously. To keep things looking as natural as possible, it's suggested you don't go more than 3 shades lighter or darker, depending on which direction you're aiming. This lady is a level 3. Which means, to keep the gold under control, she needs to go no lighter than a level 6, which is darkest blonde. Then, maybe highlight the heck out of it to make it appear lighter. But, ONLY ON HEALTHY HAIR!!!
So, I'll probably make some swatches, on natural level 3 hair, to show her some options. Of course, this will probably be all for naught, but, at least I'll be prepared.
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Corrective Color From Hell....
Last Sunday was my first Sunday off since November. It was very peaceful. Until I went in for our Salon meeting...and heard about this client.
She came in LAST JUNE and saw Rita for color. This client, whom we've all spoken to, at various times regarding her hair color, had some "interesting" hair. She had been going to a different salon, trying to get beige blonde hair. Her ethnic background is Italian, specifically Sicilian. Which means her natural hair color is DARK, her eyes are DARK BROWN and her skin tone is olive. She has absolutely NOTHING in her visual genetic makeup to indicate she was ever a blonde. And yet, blonde is what we want, because we shouldn't have it.
Because her previous salon was using high lift color (and because she also tried to maintain it at home with box color) her hair is a level 8-ish gold color. In order to be blonde, she needs to be a double process...lift with decolorizer/lightener/bleach, then tone accordingly to get the right shade. Well, we all know how easily distracted Rita got. Apparently, while this client's lightener was processing, Rita was also getting her hair done (hence the newest rule that you can't get your own services done during working hours), which was clearly more important. The paying client's hair lifted to WHITE...which is completely destroyed hair. Rita applied the toner, which didn't make it any better.
Client paid, client went home, client endured EVERYONE talking about her hair color for approximately 24 hours, then came back to get it fixed. To which both Rita and Tina proceeded to tell the client SHE needed to pick the color she wanted her hair to be instead of taking charge, listening to what she wanted, and making it happen. The client eventually got so frustrated with the way things were going that she just walked out. And didn't come back for 7 (SEVEN) MONTHS.
She came in last Sunday, wanting the sun, moon, and stars for her hair, and wanting "something" done about what happened 7 months ago. The girls got her name & number for me to call.
I called Coral on Tuesday morning to find out what she wanted me to do. Which was this: She was to come to me and only me. Stress the importance of the fact that there's nothing we can do about what happened 7 months ago except move forward. Give her some "free" services, such as conditioning treatments to help "smooth" things over, offer slight discount (two small dollar amount coupons we've always got going), and that's it.
Did I mention she's going to the NH Inaugural ball TODAY and needs all this stuff done ASAP? Can you see me rolling my eyes??
So, I spoke to her Wednesday morning and arranged everything for her. She comes in Thursday, 15 minutes late for her appointment, doesn't bother to call. Awesome. Now I finally get to see her hair up close and personal.
OH. MY. GOD. Everything done previously was WRONG. Her natural level was determined to be a 5, it's really a 3. Her texture was never determined. She's medium, headed to coarse, with little to no grey. She's got a small amount of gold banding going on because she's been maintaining it at home with box color. Because of this, and what was done back in June, her hair is WHITE, particularly on the ends, which are horribly uneven.
The first thing I do is explain that I cannot make her hair "perfect. Can't guarantee a thing. Had she come in and dealt with me way back when, even after Rita got done with her hair, a lot of the damage could have been dealt with between now and then, and she'd have hair in much better condition than what she currently has. As it is, her hair is so compromised, there's not much to be done, really.
I lifted her regrowth to level 8, which is as far as it can go, SAFELY. Rinsed it out, combed her out, trimmed her hair. Dried her hair to damp. Watched her ends break every time I combed her hair to section it as I was foiling in the toner. It looked like it was snowing on the cape she was wearing. Rinsed out the toner, dried her hair, gorgeous color.
She stressed & fretted over the color. To the point that she's coming in early today (at 9am) to get her color re-done before she gets her "up sweep" done (up-do) to get ready to go to the ball. She wants one all over color. And, she wants it to match a picture we have on the wall. Of nice, healthy hair. Which she does NOT have.
Stay tuned for the next installment, later today....
She came in LAST JUNE and saw Rita for color. This client, whom we've all spoken to, at various times regarding her hair color, had some "interesting" hair. She had been going to a different salon, trying to get beige blonde hair. Her ethnic background is Italian, specifically Sicilian. Which means her natural hair color is DARK, her eyes are DARK BROWN and her skin tone is olive. She has absolutely NOTHING in her visual genetic makeup to indicate she was ever a blonde. And yet, blonde is what we want, because we shouldn't have it.
Because her previous salon was using high lift color (and because she also tried to maintain it at home with box color) her hair is a level 8-ish gold color. In order to be blonde, she needs to be a double process...lift with decolorizer/lightener/bleach, then tone accordingly to get the right shade. Well, we all know how easily distracted Rita got. Apparently, while this client's lightener was processing, Rita was also getting her hair done (hence the newest rule that you can't get your own services done during working hours), which was clearly more important. The paying client's hair lifted to WHITE...which is completely destroyed hair. Rita applied the toner, which didn't make it any better.
Client paid, client went home, client endured EVERYONE talking about her hair color for approximately 24 hours, then came back to get it fixed. To which both Rita and Tina proceeded to tell the client SHE needed to pick the color she wanted her hair to be instead of taking charge, listening to what she wanted, and making it happen. The client eventually got so frustrated with the way things were going that she just walked out. And didn't come back for 7 (SEVEN) MONTHS.
She came in last Sunday, wanting the sun, moon, and stars for her hair, and wanting "something" done about what happened 7 months ago. The girls got her name & number for me to call.
I called Coral on Tuesday morning to find out what she wanted me to do. Which was this: She was to come to me and only me. Stress the importance of the fact that there's nothing we can do about what happened 7 months ago except move forward. Give her some "free" services, such as conditioning treatments to help "smooth" things over, offer slight discount (two small dollar amount coupons we've always got going), and that's it.
Did I mention she's going to the NH Inaugural ball TODAY and needs all this stuff done ASAP? Can you see me rolling my eyes??
So, I spoke to her Wednesday morning and arranged everything for her. She comes in Thursday, 15 minutes late for her appointment, doesn't bother to call. Awesome. Now I finally get to see her hair up close and personal.
OH. MY. GOD. Everything done previously was WRONG. Her natural level was determined to be a 5, it's really a 3. Her texture was never determined. She's medium, headed to coarse, with little to no grey. She's got a small amount of gold banding going on because she's been maintaining it at home with box color. Because of this, and what was done back in June, her hair is WHITE, particularly on the ends, which are horribly uneven.
The first thing I do is explain that I cannot make her hair "perfect. Can't guarantee a thing. Had she come in and dealt with me way back when, even after Rita got done with her hair, a lot of the damage could have been dealt with between now and then, and she'd have hair in much better condition than what she currently has. As it is, her hair is so compromised, there's not much to be done, really.
I lifted her regrowth to level 8, which is as far as it can go, SAFELY. Rinsed it out, combed her out, trimmed her hair. Dried her hair to damp. Watched her ends break every time I combed her hair to section it as I was foiling in the toner. It looked like it was snowing on the cape she was wearing. Rinsed out the toner, dried her hair, gorgeous color.
She stressed & fretted over the color. To the point that she's coming in early today (at 9am) to get her color re-done before she gets her "up sweep" done (up-do) to get ready to go to the ball. She wants one all over color. And, she wants it to match a picture we have on the wall. Of nice, healthy hair. Which she does NOT have.
Stay tuned for the next installment, later today....
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