As a Hairstylist, you're probably familiar with the practice of asking your clients to come to the salon with their hair already washed, detangled and sometimes even blown out. It's a common practice that is intended to save time during the appointment and achieve the best results for the client.
However, have you ever stopped to consider the potential downsides of this practice? In this blog post, we'll dive into how you are hurting your Hairstyling Business by telling clients to come to your salon with clean and detangled hair and why you should reconsider this practice.
Four reasons why telling clients to come with clean and detangled hair is hurting your Hairstyling Business
1: Inconvenience to your clients
As a Hairstylist, it's important to make your clients feel comfortable and at ease when they come to your salon. This includes providing them with a hassle-free experience that doesn't add any extra stress or inconvenience to their day. Asking your clients to arrive at the salon with their hair already washed and detangled may seem like a time-saving measure, but it can actually be hurting your Hairstyling Business.
One of the primary reasons why this practice can be inconvenient for your clients is that not everyone has the time or energy to properly wash and detangle their hair before their appointment. Many clients lead busy lives, with work, family, and other responsibilities to attend to. Adding an extra step to their already packed schedule can be overwhelming and stressful.
Moreover, some clients may not have the knowledge or skills to wash and detangle their hair correctly. They may use the wrong products, or fail to use a heat protectant, causing damage to their hair. By asking them to come with pre-washed and detangled hair, you are placing the responsibility on them to ensure their hair is in optimal condition for their appointment. This can lead to dissatisfaction with your services and cause them to seek out other hairstylists who provide a more convenient experience.
Ultimately, your goal as a Hairstylist should be to provide your clients with the best possible experience. This includes taking the time to understand their needs and preferences and providing them with a comfortable and stress-free experience. By avoiding the practice of asking clients to arrive with pre-washed and detangled hair, you can make your services more accessible and accommodating to a wider range of clients.
2: Inability to identify and treat Hair Issues
As a Hairstylist, it's important to build strong relationships with your clients and provide them with customized recommendations that meet their unique needs and preferences. However, telling your clients to arrive at the salon with pre-washed and detangled hair can limit your ability to do so.
One of the key reasons for this is that assessing hair and scalp condition is much easier when clients arrive with their hair in its natural state. When clients arrive with their hair already washed and detangled, you miss out on the opportunity to properly assess their hair and scalp, identify any issues, and provide customized recommendations for treatments or products.
For example, if a client arrives at your salon with their hair already washed and detangled, you may not be able to see any underlying issues with their scalp or hair. This could include dryness, flakiness, or other scalp conditions that require treatment. Without being able to identify these issues, you won't be able to provide your clients with the best possible care and recommendations.
Moreover, these little conversations and recommendations are important in building a relationship with your client. By taking the time to assess their hair and scalp, and provide personalized recommendations, you show your clients that you care about their unique needs and are invested in their hair care journey. This can lead to increased customer loyalty and word-of-mouth referrals.
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3: Loss of revenue
Your goal as a Hairstylist is to provide your clients with the best possible service while generating revenue for your salon. However, asking clients to come in with already washed and detangled hair can actually limit your ability to do both.
One of the biggest ways this can hurt your salon's revenue is by limiting additional services like shampooing, conditioning, and detangling. These services are not only important for promoting healthy hair and scalp, but they can also provide additional revenue for your salon. When clients come in with already washed and detangled hair, this limits your salon's ability to provide these services and can ultimately hurt your bottom line.
Moreover, by washing a client's hair yourself, you have an opportunity to showcase your own products and services. For Hairstylists who manufacture their own Hair Care products, this can be a great way to market yourself and your products to your clients. Telling them about the benefits of your products while using them during the wash routine not only educates them about Hair Care but also convinces them to purchase your products, leading to more revenue and publicity for your salon.
Furthermore, by providing additional services such as shampooing and conditioning, you have an opportunity to upsell to your clients. For instance, you could recommend a Hair Treatment or add-on service that can enhance their overall experience and help address any hair or scalp concerns they may have. This can lead to increased revenue for your salon and a better experience for your clients.
4: Waste of time and resources
As a Hairstylist, your time and resources are valuable. You want to make sure that you are using them effectively to provide the best possible service to your clients. Asking your clients to wash and detangle their hair before their appointment may seem like a time-saving measure, but it can actually end up wasting time and resources in the long run.
One good reason for this is that clients may not wash and detangle their hair properly, even if they do so before the appointment. This can result in you having to spend additional time re-washing or detangling the hair to achieve the desired result. This not only wastes valuable time but also uses additional resources such as water, shampoo, and other styling products.
Moreover, the use of different Hair Care products and techniques than what you are accustomed to can lead to unpredictable and inconsistent results. This can be frustrating for both you and your client and can ultimately waste time that was meant to be saved by the client washing and detangling their hair beforehand.
In some cases, you may even find it necessary to completely redo the washing and detangling process, which not only wastes time and resources but also undermines your client's efforts to prepare for their appointment.
To sum up, it's clear that telling your clients to come to your salon with clean and detangled hair can be hurting your Hairstyling Business. It's a practice that can inconvenience your clients, limit your ability to offer customized services, and even result in damage to your client's hair. Instead, you should prioritize building patience for your client's hair and providing thorough consultations and customized services to build strong client relationships and promote healthy Hair Care practices.
Your duty as a Hairstylist goes beyond just styling your clients' hair; you should also educate them on how to maintain healthy and beautiful hair. That's why we highly recommend The Good Hair Tribe, an online membership platform and knowledge hub on Hair Science for Hairstylists, Hair Coaches, Hair Influencers, and Hair Enthusiasts.
By becoming a member, you'll have access to a wealth of resources, including industry expert knowledge, hair styling courses, coaching calls, and much more. You'll be able to improve your client service, educate your clients about their hair, identify and treat Hair Loss and Scalp Issues, and distinguish yourself from other Hairstylists.
Join now and become a part of a supportive community of like-minded individuals who are passionate about hair and committed to excellence!
