Beauty
5 Things Your Stylist Wants You to Know Before Booking Your Next Hair Appointment
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It’s no lie that the “way we've done things” has been upended in ways unimaginable even four months ago. The expressions have flown around in a myriad of sayings: “the new normal,” “unprecedented times,” “try my quarantinis,” and so on...
The truth of it all is, times are weird. And this has been especially evident within the wellness industry, with salons and spas closing their doors for extended periods of time. We made due during shelter-in-place ordinances, putting the products we bought from our favorite locations to the ultimate use during expert #homebeauty tutorials. But the time has come to put our show of support for our beloved stylists and practitioners into hyper-overdrive.
60% of you told us the first beauty treatment you’re going to book when you can visit your stylists again is a hair color or cut. Can’t say we blame you (our Zoom calls are mostly hats right now). As we all begin to venture back out into the real world and visit our studios for some much-needed maintenance, you’ve no doubt heard of the regulations and guidelines salons are following to ensure your safety. But what about those on the front lines? Your stylists? The magicians turning your mane into the beautiful Bouffants and wavy wonderlands? How are they feeling about your next appointment and having you visit their chair?
We talked to a few on your behalf, and got some real-time feedback. So before you book, pay attention to these tips, and do your part to keep your stylist safe, as well as yourself.
Lesson 1: SAFETY FIRST!
Stylists, like their clients, want to feel safe. They are people too and are often at the whim of their salon owner. They are doing what they can to understand and follow the CDC and State board guidelines and will communicate those to clients.
Lesson 2: BE PATIENT.
If you are one of the stylists' first few customers, be patient. Some stylists are still skeptical. It may take observing others putting new protocols into action or trying them out themselves on a few clients to put the stylists at ease and can how thorough and effective they are.
Lesson 3: BE ON TIME!
While COVID-19 does add a layer of stress to everything, being on time is so important. We've talked about “the death of the walk-in,” but no-shows and late clients seriously impact the business. Some salons are working staggered shifts, so clients being on-time is very important. Since salons are practicing social distancing, the flow of traffic is extra important. And if a client shows up late, they can really throw the whole salon off schedule—AKA wreak havoc.
Lesson 4: NO LAST-MINUTE REQUESTS (SORTA).
For the most part, stylists are no longer double booking and need to serve clients efficiently. That said, although stylists typically appreciate last-minute add-on requests, they may not be able to perform them right now. So again, you need to be patient.
LESSON 5: BE CLEAN (WHEN IT COMES TO COLOR).
Knowing time is of the essence, and a good deal of you want to get your color done, show up with clean hair. While it doesn’t sound intuitive given you’re visiting a salon, it’s a fact that color reacts better with clean hair, and some salons are not pre-shampooing or even shampooing at all. Don’t hedge your bets, and shampoo before your visit, please.
From owners following all measures to keep their staff safe to stylists doing what they can to make sure you feel comfortable, salons and spas are doing their part to keep you safe as everything starts to reopen across the country/world.
These lessons will help better prepare you for your next hair appointment. But that’s only one side of the coin. What are you doing to make sure your stylist feels safe, too?
