Twenty twenty hit the salon industry hard. I think I can speak for most of us when I say: we are tired. We are tired of Covid, we are tired of the masks, we are tired of politics, and tired of the tension.
Every day things we loved about our jobs have almost been stripped from us without anyone even realizing it. Conversing about every day things, hearing about your family and life, those conversations seem to have gone by the way side in the blink of an eye. See, we are told in beauty school there are certain topics behind the chair that are taboo; sex, religion, and politics. And it seems as if this year, everything went back to politics. From the most sensationalized election in my life time, to Covid, everything has had something to do with Democrat vs. republican this year. From whether or not people believed the virus would disappear after the election, to whether or not the election was fraud, everyone has an opinion, and in most cases, it’s a very strong one. And as hairstylists, we are literally TRAINED to avoid these topics. Trying over and over again each day to reroute conversations is exhausting. And yet some how it always seems to go back to politics and Covid right now. I'm just ready for it to all be over with.
Here are a few things to consider when making your appointments that would help all of us out!:
1. Book ahead!!! I can not stress this enough. I always recommend booking your next appointment before you leave the salon, however, I know with some work schedules, school schedules, and just life, some times this isn't possible. So give yourself and your stylist some leeway when booking. Don't call and want in THAT DAY over your lunch hour and expect to get in. I don't know about most of you, but my salon has not slowed down at all since the reopening after our shut down. Our clients have been absolutely awesome, and so supportive of our business, and have been very consistent about coming in and booking ahead to make sure they stay on top of their hair in the case of another shutdown. However, this is bad for those that may not plan ahead quite as much. It has really tightened our schedules up. Know that we will try to get you in as soon as possible, and we will stay late, and skip our lunch, etc. But we still have little ones and lives outside of the salon that need our attention. We have people that at the last minute get quarantined that we are trying to get rescheduled, and we are trying our best to get everyone in as soon as possible, so simply booking ahead, if you have that luxury, would help us both out. It helps you know you can get in, and it alleviates a little bit of stress from your stylist when she is trying to book other appointments.
2. If you can't make it to your appointment on time, or at all, CALL AND LET US KNOW! No showing your hairdresser, or anyone for that matter has a big impact on their day. Not only do they miss out on the income from your service, but they are missing out on income from other clients that they have had to turn away due to your time slot being filled. And more than likely that spot can not be filled when there is no notice. It literally impacts their entire day. Please just be courteous and call. We understand things come up. Right now, people are getting quarantined at the last minute among many other things, just call, trust me, we understand. But not calling is just flat rude.
3. If you are sick, stay home. We can not risk getting sick, and exposing all of the people that have sat in our chair. Most hairdressers do not get paid sick leave. If we have to quarantine, that is all income lost. Not to mention, if we unknowingly expose our clients and someone gets sick, that guilt lies on us, and we truly care about our clients.
 |
| We've all had that one client since quarantine that was in complete denial about what they did to their hair! |
4. Be patient with us. We are literally packing people in as tight as we can, and squeezing people in as closely as we can with all of the new cleaning regulations and social distancing regulations that have been placed since we reopened. We are fixing quarantine cuts, and quarantine colors that we may not have expected. Sometimes, this might mean that we are running a little behind. Trust me, we hate it as much as you do. It gets us flustered, and then we start dropping things more, and we start sweating, it's all a mess. But we are trying. We are trying to get to everyone on time, in the same cheerful manner that we did in 2019.
5. Talk to us. Talk to us about your family. Talk to us about your dogs. Talk to us about the latest book you are reading, or the latest podcast you are listening to. At this point in time, I would even strike two of the taboos from the list and let you talk about sex and money! Talk to us about ANYTHING other than Covid or politics. We are tired. We miss our old conversations. Hair dressers tend to look at life through rose colored glasses. We like to see the beauty in things. And all of the ugly in the world lately has made that really hard to do. So please, help us see it again. Talk to us like you used to. We miss that. I have literally been put in situations this year where I have had to move regular appointments and clients around because of the conversations that were had in my chair that offended the next person waiting. As much as we might try to just smile and say "uh huh", other people around get offended, and this is our business. We want to get to know you, we care what you care about. But right now, things are so tense in our nation, that we just can't. We are having a really hard time balancing it all. Please, please, talk to me about your dog. (Also, see rule no. 1.... this helps us keep those people that might offend each other on different days and time slots! Do your part!)
6. Bring us caffeine. We need it! Our once 8 hour days have stretched to 10 and 12 hour days because of all of the different precautions, and squeezing people in that have had to cancel due to being quarantined. Trust me, we don't even care what kind it is, just bring caffeine!
7. Shop small, buy local. I know this gets said all the time. I know that you can get your shampoo and conditioner on sale at some of the big box stores, or on Amazon, but those places aren't keeping your local salon open. Retail sales can make a big difference in the income of a salon and stylist. Just keep that in mind next time you stop at Beauty Brands for their liter sale. Now more than ever, it is imperative that we start thinking small, and support our local communities first. Let your stylist know if you want something she doesn't carry. Chances are she can get it in for you! This literally puts food on her table.
8. More than anything, know we appreciate you! We may be tired, and rushing around when you are there, and we may be exhausted from all of the goings on in the world, but we love seeing you. You brighten our days. Some times, I'm convinced you bring us more joy that we do you. We know you love getting your hair done, but we love the relationships we have formed with all of you. You are important in our lives. You are not just a number on the books for us. Thank you for your continued support during this crazy time. We look forward to seeing you in our chairs and getting caught up with our friends that in many cases have grown into extended family.
Moral of the story, please just bear with us. We are trying, and we are tired. And we know you are too. So let's just do our best to support each other during these crazy times in our world. Let's support each other, and help each other see the beauty in things again. And not just the beauty of your hair, although I can help you with that as well ;).
No comments:
Post a Comment