As you know, your Uber driver rates you as a passenger just as you rate him as a driver. This means that having a low rating score as a passenger could influence how you will be serviced by other Uber drivers. Now, consider this: the same principle applies to your hair stylist. Scary thought, isn’t it?
To help you get a 5-star rating from our stylists, we polled a plethora of hair stylists; some of our friends in the industry, past employers and (perhaps) one or two of our own;) Here are a few stories we learned as well as the 5 top tips to get those gold stars.
Scenario 1
“I recently had a first time client in my chair who had using the same hairstylist for 15 years. As expected, within the first week after that service, I received a call that she was happy, but would I mind making a few adjustments. Of course I didn’t mind. She was a first timer and no relationship is ever perfect from the get go.
During the second visit I learned that not a little but most of the service had to be repeated, so much so that I started feeling uncomfortable. I put my scissors down and explained my discomfort to the client. I feared that I would go too far with the cut which would worsen the situation and her hair. Thankfully, she understood and accepted that I would not continue cutting.
Here’s where the service got interesting. My client thanked me for my time and the changes, proclaimed she was 100 times happier with her hair and confirmed that she liked my energy and understood that we would grow the partnership together as we progressed with a hair. To be honest, I didn’t know if that was what I wanted. I was ready to give her a 1-star passenger rating, but she had awarded me a 5.”
Scenario 2
“I received a call from a client stating that he preferred a woman cuts his hair. Fair enough but if clients can express even the preferred sex of their stylist, no wonder it has become more and more difficult to satisfy client’s needs.
Then I thought myself; how many times do I do it? How many times do I put myself in a uncomfortable situation for fear of offending someone else – all in the pursuit of a high rating. The truth of the matter is that we should all be brave enough to state clearly what we want, regardless.”
Times have changed and while we constantly strive towards client satisfaction, this does not always mean that the client is always right. Good service does not only depend on being an excellent service provider. As in love, a healthy relation is a two-way street.
Here are a few tips on how to avoid being That Client, and get a 5-star rating from a hair stylist.
Stylists receive a basic salary strongly supported by commission. They also have an ambitious target to reach stipulated by an owner who has overheads and profit margins to contend with. The math is simple, missed appointment translate into no pay.
Please call and cancel your appointment timeous; y which allows the stylist to fill that slot with another client.
Yes ladies and gentleman, it is considered rude to be late. The knockoff effect ripples through into the rest of the day causing delays to other clients and subsequently gives the whole salon a bad name.
A client who rushes a treatment places the stylist under a tremendous amount of pressure. Errors can happen which ultimately affects the outcome of the hair treatment.
Clients who tell stylists how to do their job or how their previous stylists used to do it make for unpleasant environments. There are many ways to climb a mountain and we all eventually to get to the top. No two stylist are the same. They differ in education, salon practice, experience, updated technology and different brands. All this affects a treatment in one or other way. Admittedly, open communication is key, but it is futile or perhaps a little naive to expect exactly the same service from everyone.
The client who doesn’t manage his or her own expectations looses the right to complain. No stylists claims to know everything. In most cases, a stylist who is brilliant in color, is less gifted in cutting. The same applies to creating difference looks or styles. It is a perfectly acceptable form of practice to have one stylist cut while another colours. Clear communication during a consultation ensues that the stylist and client are all on the same page with regard to the final outcome. This will ensue that the client is offered the perfect service suited to his or her needs.
As you know, your Uber driver rates you as a passenger just as you rate him as a driver. This means that having a low rating score as a passenger could influence how you will be serviced by other Uber drivers. Now, consider this: the same principle applies to your hair stylist. Scary thought, isn’t it?
To help you get a 5-star rating from our stylists, we polled a plethora of hair stylists; some of our friends in the industry, past employers and (perhaps) one or two of our own;) Here are a few stories we learned as well as the 5 top tips to get those gold stars.
