It's exciting when you're a new hairdresser. You finally get to practice your craft that your worked hard at when you were in school. And you want desperately to prove to your client that you know what the heck you're doing. HOWEVER. Take a deep breath. While you have to impress the heck out of them so they'll come back, don't go into over drive. Keep it simple, and remember to listen. Please.
Case in point: Tiffany had a Walmartian yesterday. The plan: Color, full foil, and haircut. They worked hard at getting the color down (which is fine), and Tiff's brain started formulating (get to that in a minute). However, she turned her hearing off at a crucial part : "I want quite a bit cut off." Had she cut the hair first, instead of last, she would have reduced the client in the chair time by a good hour and 10 minutes, by not fighting through all that hair.
The next panic: Client has level 4/5 hair, 1/2 color, 1/2 virgin. So, regrowth area was level 4-ish, ends were 6WG. Medium texture, fairly thick in density. And this is where Tiffany panicked and wanted to get very aggressive with her hair by using 40 volume on the client's scalp. (which, by the way, is a fairly big no no as it can cause serious chemical burns). She was just convinced that 40 volume was the way to go. She couldn't give me a good reason beyond "her hair is so dark. I'm afraid it won't lift." I finally convinced her to just use 20 volume with "You're going to burn her head if you use 40 volume. It's not meant for on the scalp processes. Just use the 20 volume" And thank GOD she did!
The last question: "Should I just pull the color through all her hair??" This is instead of formulating demi color for her ends (which, ultimately, didn't need to be done for the entire head). My response "You can, but the color will wash away on those ends because there's nothing for the color to grab onto and she'll have two tone hair again". Had she paid attention to cutting the hair first, she would have only needed to color the ends on the front part of her hair (she did a diagonal forward hair cut).
End results: Color came out almost what she was looking for (color is always a crap shoot. It doesn't always do what you want, no matter how hard you try.). What we discovered is that "dialing back" the volume to 15 instead of 20 would have prevented the "hot roots" she wound up with. Highlights were beautiful, hair cut was beautiful, client was very happy.
The downside to this appointment for the client?? It took 5 HOURS to accomplish this. (I did a similar process on another client, same length hair, just different texture, and slightly less foils, got it done in 3, and I'm a bit pokey on my application)
Other things I've noticed about Tiffany: She's picked up some bad habits from Rita: SITTING instead of getting other stuff done. She had a PILE of 6 dirty color bowls in the sink, waiting patiently (because that's what dirty dishes do) to be washed, there was still laundry to be finished, etc. We've got days now where there are only two of us on. That will only increase when Lynn goes out on maternity leave. There's no room for leaving messes for other people. Totally not fair to the other person.
Friday, November 16, 2012
Monday, November 12, 2012
Celebrity Hair
A lot of my job, some days, is explaining to people that whatever celebrity photo they're showing me for how they want their hair done isn't even the celebrity's hair!! They have extensions, full wigs, extra pieces added on for fullness when their hair is up, you name it...they've got it. I hate bursting people's bubbles, but, COME ON, PEOPLE!!
The other thing I see, because I troll the gossip sites, is the god-awful color these people sometimes have. I get why they want their hair to have "hot" roots and cool ends...totally get it. Brittney Spears is a prime example of all of this. Not only does she have orange roots & white ends while trying to be platinum blonde, she's also got extensions because her hair is baby fine and on the thin side. (if you pull up her "Baby one more time" album cover, you'll see her real hair).
Why they want the hot roots: Brittney, currently, is on television. The stage lights that shine on her while she's sitting at the judges podium for X-Factor cast a "cool" shadow, therefore, when you see her hair, it looks reasonably even in color. When you get the random photo in the gossip rags of her in natural light, her regrowth is down right orange. I suppose her stylist/colorist is probably thinking it'll cause less damage to her hair by not taking the entire head of hair all the way to pale blonde.
Here's the thing. Using a lightener and 20 volume isn't any more damaging to your hair than using high lift color and double 40 volume. In fact, it's less damaging, because you're using a developer that's meant for your scalp, and a lower volume developer in the first place. Quite frankly, double 40 volume BURNS on your scalp. And, I don't know about you, but I'm not okay with my scalp getting chemical burns! While 40 volume lifts higher, it also sits longer on the hair to start with, opening the door for more damage, particularly in hands that have less experience that others.
The other thing about lightener & 20 volume VS high lift color & double 40....Both can expose that wonderful orange color. However, you stand a better chance of eliminating it with proper timing with the lightener. You can leave high lift color on FOREVER and it will still only expose the "warmth" in the hair, not eliminate it. Why?? Because, you have to have the "perfect" conditions for high lift color to work: nothing thicker than medium texture hair and nothing more than medium density hair. Anything beyond that, and it won't work...hence the orange. All hair color (as opposed to lighteners) are made to work with medium texture & medium density hair. Which, I'm here to tell you, you don't run into terribly often.
The other thing I see, because I troll the gossip sites, is the god-awful color these people sometimes have. I get why they want their hair to have "hot" roots and cool ends...totally get it. Brittney Spears is a prime example of all of this. Not only does she have orange roots & white ends while trying to be platinum blonde, she's also got extensions because her hair is baby fine and on the thin side. (if you pull up her "Baby one more time" album cover, you'll see her real hair).
Why they want the hot roots: Brittney, currently, is on television. The stage lights that shine on her while she's sitting at the judges podium for X-Factor cast a "cool" shadow, therefore, when you see her hair, it looks reasonably even in color. When you get the random photo in the gossip rags of her in natural light, her regrowth is down right orange. I suppose her stylist/colorist is probably thinking it'll cause less damage to her hair by not taking the entire head of hair all the way to pale blonde.
Here's the thing. Using a lightener and 20 volume isn't any more damaging to your hair than using high lift color and double 40 volume. In fact, it's less damaging, because you're using a developer that's meant for your scalp, and a lower volume developer in the first place. Quite frankly, double 40 volume BURNS on your scalp. And, I don't know about you, but I'm not okay with my scalp getting chemical burns! While 40 volume lifts higher, it also sits longer on the hair to start with, opening the door for more damage, particularly in hands that have less experience that others.
The other thing about lightener & 20 volume VS high lift color & double 40....Both can expose that wonderful orange color. However, you stand a better chance of eliminating it with proper timing with the lightener. You can leave high lift color on FOREVER and it will still only expose the "warmth" in the hair, not eliminate it. Why?? Because, you have to have the "perfect" conditions for high lift color to work: nothing thicker than medium texture hair and nothing more than medium density hair. Anything beyond that, and it won't work...hence the orange. All hair color (as opposed to lighteners) are made to work with medium texture & medium density hair. Which, I'm here to tell you, you don't run into terribly often.
Friday, November 9, 2012
Learning
Tiffany expects a lot from herself. Unfortunately, she's got that "thing" that all new hairdressers have: I just graduated from school, I know everything!! And, consequently, she's made a couple of colossal mistakes because of it.
When you're in beauty school, particularly the school we all went to, you're taught "to the test" so you can pass your state boards. Consequently, some of the education they receive is a bit outdated.
The other thing that tends to happen is that while we're taught to check the texture of a client's hair (fine, medium, coarse), we're not necessarily taught how to take that into consideration when formulating for someone.
Case in point: Tiff had a client yesterday with thick, LONG curly, medium to coarse VIRGIN red hair, level 7. She wanted the underneath part of her hair (from occipital down) to be a bright gold color. So, Tiffany decided that 9G + gold booster + blonding creme + 30 volume would do the job. Didn't do a bloody thing. Here's why:
The higher the level of hair color, the less pigment the color actually has. Therefore, the deposit of color won't be there. Which is why she put the gold booster in, to try to give the color some depth. The blonding creme was to give it additional boost to make her hair lift.
When she called me to ask for help, she was quite irritated with the whole process. She did the first formula, nothing. Then, she did 9A (have no idea why she chose ash) and 40 volume, still nothing. And she couldn't understand why. So, I asked her, again, for the level, texture, condition of her hair. What happened is that she expected hair color to do the job of bleach, which it's NOT designed to do. Then, adding the second hair color formula did lift it a bit more, but still not enough. Again, she couldn't figure out why. "Tiff---you're asking hair color to do the job of bleach. Not only that, but color doesn't lift color predictably". You could almost hear her smack her forehead.
Here's the formula that actually worked: Lightener + 40 volume, 1:2 ratio. (which the manufacturer will tell you is a big no no...the only way I know of to keep the product pliable) Separate the entire section into two parts, mix one batch for the first section, then mix a second batch for the second section, same formula (to keep the product fresh and effective). Cap it to keep it from drying out, and put her under the dryer (which, normally, I don't encourage) for 30 minutes (warming up the dryer before hand), checking it every 5 to 10 minutes, wiping away a small bit in a different place each time to check the lift. Make sure to note on her card exactly how long it took to lift, so we'll know for next time. Worked like a charm!
What I also explained to Tiffany: When the hair is not fine or baby fine (her hair & my hair), the cuticle is thicker, therefore harder to break through. You've also got virgin hair, which has an even tighter cuticle to try & break through. Therefore, you need to use a stronger product to get the job done. Using a product meant to lift 1 or 2 levels (which would have been fine, under optimal conditions) on hair that isn't medium to fine in texture just will not work. Period.
I've started sharing some of my education (the books) with the girls, to help them along. Unfortunately, neither Tiffany nor Lynn are big on reading. I asked Tiffany last night if she'd read any of the last bunch of stuff I gave her. It took her a minute to say "I've read little bits". Darling, you need to read the whole thing. Break it up and read it in bits, but READ IT. I'm also going to make copies of the exposed pigment chart that I have and post it in the dispensary so these issues (hopefully) quit happening.
While you need to learn to walk before you can run, jumping in over your head is NEVER a good idea. Tiffany found this out, the hard way.
When you're in beauty school, particularly the school we all went to, you're taught "to the test" so you can pass your state boards. Consequently, some of the education they receive is a bit outdated.
The other thing that tends to happen is that while we're taught to check the texture of a client's hair (fine, medium, coarse), we're not necessarily taught how to take that into consideration when formulating for someone.
Case in point: Tiff had a client yesterday with thick, LONG curly, medium to coarse VIRGIN red hair, level 7. She wanted the underneath part of her hair (from occipital down) to be a bright gold color. So, Tiffany decided that 9G + gold booster + blonding creme + 30 volume would do the job. Didn't do a bloody thing. Here's why:
The higher the level of hair color, the less pigment the color actually has. Therefore, the deposit of color won't be there. Which is why she put the gold booster in, to try to give the color some depth. The blonding creme was to give it additional boost to make her hair lift.
When she called me to ask for help, she was quite irritated with the whole process. She did the first formula, nothing. Then, she did 9A (have no idea why she chose ash) and 40 volume, still nothing. And she couldn't understand why. So, I asked her, again, for the level, texture, condition of her hair. What happened is that she expected hair color to do the job of bleach, which it's NOT designed to do. Then, adding the second hair color formula did lift it a bit more, but still not enough. Again, she couldn't figure out why. "Tiff---you're asking hair color to do the job of bleach. Not only that, but color doesn't lift color predictably". You could almost hear her smack her forehead.
Here's the formula that actually worked: Lightener + 40 volume, 1:2 ratio. (which the manufacturer will tell you is a big no no...the only way I know of to keep the product pliable) Separate the entire section into two parts, mix one batch for the first section, then mix a second batch for the second section, same formula (to keep the product fresh and effective). Cap it to keep it from drying out, and put her under the dryer (which, normally, I don't encourage) for 30 minutes (warming up the dryer before hand), checking it every 5 to 10 minutes, wiping away a small bit in a different place each time to check the lift. Make sure to note on her card exactly how long it took to lift, so we'll know for next time. Worked like a charm!
What I also explained to Tiffany: When the hair is not fine or baby fine (her hair & my hair), the cuticle is thicker, therefore harder to break through. You've also got virgin hair, which has an even tighter cuticle to try & break through. Therefore, you need to use a stronger product to get the job done. Using a product meant to lift 1 or 2 levels (which would have been fine, under optimal conditions) on hair that isn't medium to fine in texture just will not work. Period.
I've started sharing some of my education (the books) with the girls, to help them along. Unfortunately, neither Tiffany nor Lynn are big on reading. I asked Tiffany last night if she'd read any of the last bunch of stuff I gave her. It took her a minute to say "I've read little bits". Darling, you need to read the whole thing. Break it up and read it in bits, but READ IT. I'm also going to make copies of the exposed pigment chart that I have and post it in the dispensary so these issues (hopefully) quit happening.
While you need to learn to walk before you can run, jumping in over your head is NEVER a good idea. Tiffany found this out, the hard way.
The beginning of a new era??
At the end of September, unbeknownst to me, Rita called Coral to give her notice. This is the second time she's given her notice and the second time she's been talked out of it (more than likely has to do with turn over numbers--certainly not her stellar job performance). The solution?? To transfer her to another store an hour away (side note: Rita had difficulty getting to our store on time, a mere 15 minutes away from her home). I do not believe that she was aware all of her disciplinary actions would be following her...but I digress.
I found out this information during a weekly conference call-- "Oh, by the way..." and asked Coral to call me directly after the meeting to give me the details, which weren't much. Just that Rita wanted to quit and chose to transfer to the other store instead. I was led to believe she was going willingly. However, Rita told everyone she had no choice in the matter. Well, sunshine, you DID have a choice--you could have insisted on quitting---cut your losses and GO.
Me, being the sneaky jerk that I am, I made sure we had a little good-bye celebration for her---cake, flowers, card. However, me also being me, I couldn't totally be fake with her--"Bye, Rita. Good luck!" no long, drawn out speech, no phoniness. The other girls each wrote a paragraph in her card about "come back & see us--we'll miss you!" blah blah blah. I wrote "Good luck--Change is good! Embrace the change!" Cold?? Sure. But HONEST.
Since she's been gone, it's been fairly calm. Tina has been up to some shenanigans (ultimately stemming from her break up with her boyfriend and not wanting to be "ousted" by the two new girls), but, over all, CALM. We're starting to gel as a team--which is nice.
My primary focus is on making sure the two new girls make commission. Tina can handle herself--she's got a client base (albeit a small one)
I found out this information during a weekly conference call-- "Oh, by the way..." and asked Coral to call me directly after the meeting to give me the details, which weren't much. Just that Rita wanted to quit and chose to transfer to the other store instead. I was led to believe she was going willingly. However, Rita told everyone she had no choice in the matter. Well, sunshine, you DID have a choice--you could have insisted on quitting---cut your losses and GO.
Me, being the sneaky jerk that I am, I made sure we had a little good-bye celebration for her---cake, flowers, card. However, me also being me, I couldn't totally be fake with her--"Bye, Rita. Good luck!" no long, drawn out speech, no phoniness. The other girls each wrote a paragraph in her card about "come back & see us--we'll miss you!" blah blah blah. I wrote "Good luck--Change is good! Embrace the change!" Cold?? Sure. But HONEST.
Since she's been gone, it's been fairly calm. Tina has been up to some shenanigans (ultimately stemming from her break up with her boyfriend and not wanting to be "ousted" by the two new girls), but, over all, CALM. We're starting to gel as a team--which is nice.
My primary focus is on making sure the two new girls make commission. Tina can handle herself--she's got a client base (albeit a small one)
Friday, October 5, 2012
Updates
Tiffany and Lynn are doing fine. I did have a client come back yesterday because Lynn cut her hair and seemed to have forgotten to take care of the top of her hair. The client let me know, in Lynn's defense, that Lynn had another potential customer pestering the living day lights out of her to tell her what time she could get in to receive a hair cut. And this is where Lynn probably got distracted and lost her place. No biggie, just went in and completed the hair cut. I will be talking to Lynn later today regarding this issue. Poor girl is having issues with her pregnancy, too (dehydration issues), which is distracting. Hopefully, we can solve this issue.
Tiffany seems to be picking up some bad habits. Her work ethic with her clients is just fine. She's always willing to stay and take another client to help clear the books, which is nice. However, she's becoming notorious for not finishing things, like filling out the deposit slip completely, or collecting the trash before she goes, or just cleaning up the mess in general before she closes at night. So, I'll need to chat with her about that, just to make sure she understands you can't leave a mess for someone else to clean up in the morning. It's not fair. Again, simple stuff, and a chat should solve this issue.
Tina: Since I wrote her up, she's been behaving herself. I even had her take over for me while I was on vacation (the actual manager stuff...conference call, calling in sales numbers, schedules, ordering). She found out exactly what dealing with my co-workers is like. No one would listen to her when she tried to guide them, Rita, in particular, gave her a hard time while I was gone. So, currently, Tina has a bit of respect for me and what I put up with on a daily basis. So, she's been on her best behaviour and is making sure she doesn't pull her old shenanigans again.
Rita. Rita. Rita. I pulled her in two weeks ago, to address a whole bunch of issues. From her complaining about me to the girls (who, in turn, complained to me about her complaining) to her dress code, to her attendance, to her second technical (which happened right before I left for vacation), to her first write up for attendance (for blatantly not attending a mandatory salon meeting). The conversation I had with her was relatively simple. She was telling everyone that I was out to get her. Not true. Even told her about how If I'd been "out to get her", she would have lost her job LAST DECEMBER when she was up to her 4th "re-do" on haircuts. So, since I've been covering for her, how is that me "out to get her"?? She had no answer for that. I also mentioned that perhaps Smartstyles wasn't a good fit for her. She has issues with giving her client her full attention (thinks nothing of walking away from the paying client to talk to a "friend" who walks by the salon), has issues with completing the service competently as well as confidently, her dress code needs major improvement, and so does her general attendance. I finally ended it with "You need to figure out what you want to do. If your plan is to stay here, you need to do drastic, dramatic improvement and maintain that improvement."
Her solution to the issue?? To call Coral on my day off, and talk to her about leaving all together. Coral's solution was to transfer her to another salon, (so she can see that it's not ME "out to get her") which is an hour away from here. I feel bad for the salon manager that gets to deal with her next. The poor woman (who I only know by voice as of right now) has enough drama in her salon that she doesn't want to deal with. And she's inheriting Rita.
Rita's work has slid so far back, I'm not sure if she's got it in her to save it. And, luckily, she won't be my worry after October 20th. (she's on vacation the 21st - the 27th, then on the other salon's schedule after that). I also think that once she's gone, we'll have a strong team.
Tiffany seems to be picking up some bad habits. Her work ethic with her clients is just fine. She's always willing to stay and take another client to help clear the books, which is nice. However, she's becoming notorious for not finishing things, like filling out the deposit slip completely, or collecting the trash before she goes, or just cleaning up the mess in general before she closes at night. So, I'll need to chat with her about that, just to make sure she understands you can't leave a mess for someone else to clean up in the morning. It's not fair. Again, simple stuff, and a chat should solve this issue.
Tina: Since I wrote her up, she's been behaving herself. I even had her take over for me while I was on vacation (the actual manager stuff...conference call, calling in sales numbers, schedules, ordering). She found out exactly what dealing with my co-workers is like. No one would listen to her when she tried to guide them, Rita, in particular, gave her a hard time while I was gone. So, currently, Tina has a bit of respect for me and what I put up with on a daily basis. So, she's been on her best behaviour and is making sure she doesn't pull her old shenanigans again.
Rita. Rita. Rita. I pulled her in two weeks ago, to address a whole bunch of issues. From her complaining about me to the girls (who, in turn, complained to me about her complaining) to her dress code, to her attendance, to her second technical (which happened right before I left for vacation), to her first write up for attendance (for blatantly not attending a mandatory salon meeting). The conversation I had with her was relatively simple. She was telling everyone that I was out to get her. Not true. Even told her about how If I'd been "out to get her", she would have lost her job LAST DECEMBER when she was up to her 4th "re-do" on haircuts. So, since I've been covering for her, how is that me "out to get her"?? She had no answer for that. I also mentioned that perhaps Smartstyles wasn't a good fit for her. She has issues with giving her client her full attention (thinks nothing of walking away from the paying client to talk to a "friend" who walks by the salon), has issues with completing the service competently as well as confidently, her dress code needs major improvement, and so does her general attendance. I finally ended it with "You need to figure out what you want to do. If your plan is to stay here, you need to do drastic, dramatic improvement and maintain that improvement."
Her solution to the issue?? To call Coral on my day off, and talk to her about leaving all together. Coral's solution was to transfer her to another salon, (so she can see that it's not ME "out to get her") which is an hour away from here. I feel bad for the salon manager that gets to deal with her next. The poor woman (who I only know by voice as of right now) has enough drama in her salon that she doesn't want to deal with. And she's inheriting Rita.
Rita's work has slid so far back, I'm not sure if she's got it in her to save it. And, luckily, she won't be my worry after October 20th. (she's on vacation the 21st - the 27th, then on the other salon's schedule after that). I also think that once she's gone, we'll have a strong team.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
The hammer is coming down!
So, since my last post (of a month ago..sorry about that) I've hired two new hairdressers, Tiffany and Lynn. For recent graduates of the local cosmetology school, they're working out quite fine! I'm so glad I hired them! They're reasonably drama-free, and eager to learn!
Now, for the shenanigans: Tina went on vacation for two weeks, starting the beginning of August. She just came back this week. Now, Tina has a nasty habit of calling out either before she goes on vacation (or a long weekend), when she's supposed to be coming back, or both. So, it was (partially) no surprise that she called out the day she was scheduled to be back to work, due to her flight being delayed. When I spoke to Coral about this, we came to the decision that Tina needed to be written up. Granted, the delay was beyond her control, but this isn't the first time she's called out when she's supposed to be back to work.
When I sat down with her yesterday to talk about this, naturally, her defenses were up, quite a bit. I had cold, hard facts to present to her, and, to her credit, she didn't try to dispute them. And, this is not the first time we've talked about this stuff. It is, however, the first time she's been written up about it. I told her, flat out, this activity must stop. Me writing her up isn't PERSONAL, it's PROFESSIONAL. And, as professionals, we don't need to take this out to the salon floor. It doesn't need to be discussed with co-workers. It just needs to be solved. We'll see how this goes.
Rita, Rita, Rita. Nothing ever changes with her. I wrote her up about two weeks ago, on a technical issue. She's a lousy hair cutter, period. Inconsistent, unsure of herself, and it shows in everything she does. She really messed up a haircut...to the point that the client went elsewhere to get it fixed. Now, the client is a bit of a drama queen, she's a bargain shopper, always looking for the "deal". And, she didn't feel comfortable sitting in Rita's chair. Didn't stop her, though...her mistake, really. HOWEVER, as I said to Rita : Even when you feel the customer is wrong, the customer is ALWAYS right. So, Rita got written up. She's to cross check her haircuts (which I really haven't seen her do), conduct a thorough consultation (not really), and repeat back to the client what was said, then discuss what she's going to do. Because Rita is a bit "limited", she lacks the vocabulary to effectively convey she knows what she's talking about. And she also tends to lack the skills or the attention span, sometimes, to follow through. Sigh.
On Tuesday, I posted a note stating salon meeting on Sunday (today), after work, wanting to make it easier for everyone to come. Of course, Rita has a game she must go watch, as her daughter is a cheerleader at this game. I get being a parent. I get wanting to be supportive of your kids. Salon meetings are MANDATORY. You get paid to attend them. And you don't get to get out of them. I got so irritated with her on Tuesday that I got all passive/aggressive on her and just said "Whatever, Rita" which she took as "I can go do what I want and not attend the meeting". So, last night, as I was leaving, I told the girls "See you tomorrow afternoon" to which Rita started to talk to me about it, trying to get out of going to the meeting. "But, but but". "Rita, I talked to Coral about this, and salon meetings are mandatory. If you don't show up, I have to write you up." We'll see what happens later today.
Is Rita my favorite?? No. Does she know that?? Unfortunately, yes. I'm friendly enough with her, but my distaste is a bit hard to cover, at this point. Professionally, I've covered for her and fixed her mistakes far too many times to continue to tolerate her behaviour. And, the chat I had with Coral the other day was quite revealing. We both came to the same conclusion: Rita won't be working for us a whole lot longer, one way or the other.
Now, for the shenanigans: Tina went on vacation for two weeks, starting the beginning of August. She just came back this week. Now, Tina has a nasty habit of calling out either before she goes on vacation (or a long weekend), when she's supposed to be coming back, or both. So, it was (partially) no surprise that she called out the day she was scheduled to be back to work, due to her flight being delayed. When I spoke to Coral about this, we came to the decision that Tina needed to be written up. Granted, the delay was beyond her control, but this isn't the first time she's called out when she's supposed to be back to work.
When I sat down with her yesterday to talk about this, naturally, her defenses were up, quite a bit. I had cold, hard facts to present to her, and, to her credit, she didn't try to dispute them. And, this is not the first time we've talked about this stuff. It is, however, the first time she's been written up about it. I told her, flat out, this activity must stop. Me writing her up isn't PERSONAL, it's PROFESSIONAL. And, as professionals, we don't need to take this out to the salon floor. It doesn't need to be discussed with co-workers. It just needs to be solved. We'll see how this goes.
Rita, Rita, Rita. Nothing ever changes with her. I wrote her up about two weeks ago, on a technical issue. She's a lousy hair cutter, period. Inconsistent, unsure of herself, and it shows in everything she does. She really messed up a haircut...to the point that the client went elsewhere to get it fixed. Now, the client is a bit of a drama queen, she's a bargain shopper, always looking for the "deal". And, she didn't feel comfortable sitting in Rita's chair. Didn't stop her, though...her mistake, really. HOWEVER, as I said to Rita : Even when you feel the customer is wrong, the customer is ALWAYS right. So, Rita got written up. She's to cross check her haircuts (which I really haven't seen her do), conduct a thorough consultation (not really), and repeat back to the client what was said, then discuss what she's going to do. Because Rita is a bit "limited", she lacks the vocabulary to effectively convey she knows what she's talking about. And she also tends to lack the skills or the attention span, sometimes, to follow through. Sigh.
On Tuesday, I posted a note stating salon meeting on Sunday (today), after work, wanting to make it easier for everyone to come. Of course, Rita has a game she must go watch, as her daughter is a cheerleader at this game. I get being a parent. I get wanting to be supportive of your kids. Salon meetings are MANDATORY. You get paid to attend them. And you don't get to get out of them. I got so irritated with her on Tuesday that I got all passive/aggressive on her and just said "Whatever, Rita" which she took as "I can go do what I want and not attend the meeting". So, last night, as I was leaving, I told the girls "See you tomorrow afternoon" to which Rita started to talk to me about it, trying to get out of going to the meeting. "But, but but". "Rita, I talked to Coral about this, and salon meetings are mandatory. If you don't show up, I have to write you up." We'll see what happens later today.
Is Rita my favorite?? No. Does she know that?? Unfortunately, yes. I'm friendly enough with her, but my distaste is a bit hard to cover, at this point. Professionally, I've covered for her and fixed her mistakes far too many times to continue to tolerate her behaviour. And, the chat I had with Coral the other day was quite revealing. We both came to the same conclusion: Rita won't be working for us a whole lot longer, one way or the other.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
It's about time!
We got visit yesterday from "The Big Wigs" (as Rita put it). It went well. I called and spoke to Coral (my newest district manager) and she told me I didn't have to come in early (I worked til 8pm last night, they were there at 9am). The only thing we truly got "busted" for was the back room door was left open and it's not supposed to be. BIG. WHOOPTIE. DOO.
Later that day, when I was in the middle of a hair cut, Coral called back, wanting to briefly talk to me. I'M NOW OFFICIALLY THE MANAGER!!! PAY RAISE, BONUSES COMING MY WAY, EVERYTHING!!!
It wasn't a case of what I was doing as opposed to what I SHOULD be doing. And I didn't suspect that at all. It was a case of having the "wrong" people above me that wouldn't advance me, for whatever reasons they could come up with. Every "hoop" they presented, I jumped through. Every challenge they passed my way, I grabbed and shook the hell out of it. And, I still, when I asked, got told there was "more" I needed to do to become the manager. So, I finally just gave up. I worked the minimum hours required (38-ish), submitted schedules on time, and did the supply ordering. THAT'S IT. I refused to call in my hours (which I was supposed to, so I could get the "acting manager" stipend, which, by the way, still didn't cover what I was supposed to be making).
My theory behind not calling in my hours is this: If you'd just make me salon manager, I wouldn't have to call in my hours, and still not get paid what I'm supposed to. Consequently, when I talked to Coral yesterday, I'm now getting a retroactive check to cover all the weeks I didn't call in my payroll, and as of August 1st, I will be on manager's pay (which is 50% commission instead of 40%, regardless of what I pull in for client services).
That all being said, stay tuned for another exciting installment of "All My Scissors" because I'm too sure the shenanigans will be starting up, AGAIN.
Later that day, when I was in the middle of a hair cut, Coral called back, wanting to briefly talk to me. I'M NOW OFFICIALLY THE MANAGER!!! PAY RAISE, BONUSES COMING MY WAY, EVERYTHING!!!
It wasn't a case of what I was doing as opposed to what I SHOULD be doing. And I didn't suspect that at all. It was a case of having the "wrong" people above me that wouldn't advance me, for whatever reasons they could come up with. Every "hoop" they presented, I jumped through. Every challenge they passed my way, I grabbed and shook the hell out of it. And, I still, when I asked, got told there was "more" I needed to do to become the manager. So, I finally just gave up. I worked the minimum hours required (38-ish), submitted schedules on time, and did the supply ordering. THAT'S IT. I refused to call in my hours (which I was supposed to, so I could get the "acting manager" stipend, which, by the way, still didn't cover what I was supposed to be making).
My theory behind not calling in my hours is this: If you'd just make me salon manager, I wouldn't have to call in my hours, and still not get paid what I'm supposed to. Consequently, when I talked to Coral yesterday, I'm now getting a retroactive check to cover all the weeks I didn't call in my payroll, and as of August 1st, I will be on manager's pay (which is 50% commission instead of 40%, regardless of what I pull in for client services).
That all being said, stay tuned for another exciting installment of "All My Scissors" because I'm too sure the shenanigans will be starting up, AGAIN.
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