 Reference photo only. Tom does not photograph clients. Many of us desire a product, service, or even a pharmaceutical tablet that can provide us with exactly what we want, when we want it. We also regularly go to see various professionals with the hope that they can offer us the necessary cure-all for whatever our situational needs may be. For hairdressers, a question which is asked regularly is "what specific product [or brand] would be best for my hair?" The question presented is a fair one. A client is asking for advice or guidance from someone they view as a professional. Unfortunately, the answer I provide usually isn't one they were hoping for.
 I believe that a great haircut is one which can grow out really well over an extended period of time. The equates to months, not weeks. As covered in the last post, a great cut should always encourage the shape and texture to naturally fall into place, looking great with minimal effort from a client. Unfortunately, most hairdressers tend to perform a cut which only looks good if styled with professional skills, products and effort.  Reference photo only. Tom does not photograph clients. Without a doubt, one of the most common complaints women have after a visit to the hairdresser is, "my hair never looked as good as it did when I left the salon." This exact sentiment has been echoed repeatedly in every city I've worked in across the globe. After hearing the same thing over and over again, a committed hairdresser should always aim to dissect and resolve the issue. The following opinions on the matter actively influence the principles I adhere to within my practice today.
 Reference photo only. Tom does not photograph clients. Part three of three. Regardless of skill, intention or communication, things will not always result in every client being completely happy. Life is easy when we get a win, but no one wins all the time. The greatest lesson in life both personally and professionally is to accept that this will happen. In fact, it is a necessary part of development. While early in life we often fear failure or mistakes, with time we learn that these situations are essential to our growth. In fact, we must relish these opportunities to learn and use them for forwarding momentum. Through the last two posts, I laid out the key principals of my practice: communication and transparency. It is with this final topic, satisfaction, that the three are all tied together.
 Part two of three. Hairdressing, particularly within the conventional salon environment, is an industry geared largely for the monetisation of a woman's beauty needs. Under the guise of being a professional, product pushing and up-selling via emotional manipulation is key to meeting the bottom line. For a traditional salon owner, these principals are often the foundation of their business model. Creativity is wielded as a less than subtle means of distraction. This approach does not, by default, serve or benefit a client's best interests and is therefore seen as unethical.  Reference photo only. Tom does not photograph clients. Part one of three. Effective and honest communication is an essential ingredient to every successful relationship we have in our lives, whether personal or professional. Neglected or broken-down communication is largely the reason we as humans find ourselves in challenging situations with those we regularly engage with or care about. The effects of poor communication are unfortunately demonstrated quite profoundly and painfully at the hair salon. Most women relate to their appearance, particularly their hair, with a profound psychological and emotional connection. Therefore, it is absolutely vital for a hairdresser to develop and maintain their communication skills in order to establish and promote a productive client relationship.
 Reference photo only. Tom does not photograph clients. There are a ton of people scrolling through Google with the hope of discovering someone who can properly cut curly or wavy hair. These individuals shudder at the idea of heading into a conventional salon, and for good reason. They have grown tired heading home with either tears or triangle. They long for someone who won't just attempt to manage or tame their hair, but rather shape it into something flattering, functional, and stylish. Many think the simple solution to this involves better training in school. While this will help a bit, it won't instantly solve the problem.
 There are many things the salon industry promotes which are often nothing more than an attempt to monetise a desire to look and feel good. The idea that hair should be cut every 6 weeks is one salon recommendation which is completely ridiculous. If a hairdresser cannot design and execute a cut which can support the growth which occurs in just 6 weeks, they simply aren't very skilled or are attempting to have a client visit frequently purely for financial gain. With all but the very very shortest of cuts, designing with growth in mind alleviates the need for such regular maintenance. Too, with a longer interval between cuts, a client has the opportunity for greater control over changes in style.  Actively questioning and deconstructing what we do is a crucial part of personal and professional development. Often this can mean having to sort through contradictions to concepts that were picked up and adhered to long ago. Professionally, one that comes up with regularity is face shape and the relation to hairstyle selection. It often begins with an individual feeling as though because of 'x', they can't or shouldn't have 'y'. This falls into an area of absolutes that I'm quite firmly against.  It's no secret that I find social media, for the most part, to be a colossal waste of time. It's often banal while having a multitude of negative effects both in society and individual lives. That said, I have been pondering how to possibly engage in a way which would actually contribute something useful rather than blithely serving up vacuous self promotion. What there is to work with is the experience and perspective of an almost 30 year career and how that relates to full-time private practice. Many in my chair have listened to (or politely endured) numerous rants over the years and thus, this blog will attempt to flesh out those concepts with considered critical reflection and analysis. I'll aim to cover a few common topics with hope that those who have questions will benefit. Also, it will provide an avenue for something I enjoy...writing! All up it will likely just be a highly opinionated reference about the industry, society, life and how I attempt to operate within it to make people happy and live better lives. Hope you enjoy it. |