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How to Choose a Stylist Part 6 – Do You Feel Important?

How to Choose a Stylist Part 6 – Do You Feel Important?

by | Jul 14, 2020 | Just for Salon Clients!

Hopefully if you’ve follow along with this blog series so far you are already starting to realize that feeling important is what it’s all about!  You are the priority! How your experiences make you feel play a huge part in your decision to find your perfect Hairstylist.

★When you contacted the Salon to book the consultation what was your experience like?

★When you came in for the consultation did someone greet you right away or did you feel a bit awkward wondering if you should tell them you’d arrived?

★Was your consultation rushed or did the Stylist take time to really listen to your concerns?

★Did your Stylist recommend the products and services you actually needed or did they go straight for the monthly promotions? 

★Did you feel like a person or a number? 

★Did your Stylist take time to create a solution for your concerns or was the importance of those concerns somehow lost in further conversation?

When you feel important you’ll know it!

Choosing a Hairstylist doesn’t have to be any more complicated than this.  Do you feel important? It’s ok to start expecting more out of your hair appointment and truthfully, you should! 

It can be overwhelming to get started trying to find a Hairstylist because of the sheer number of Salons and Stylists you have to choose from.  Instead of becoming overwhelmed just remember what a good thing all that choice really is! Everyone is looking for something different and the more choice you have, the higher the chance of meeting your perfect Hairstylist!

A reminder on the steps you took with me in this series:  

#1.  Know What You Want

#2.  Go Window Shopping

#3.  Look at the Salon

#4.  Have Interviews

#5.  Compare on Value not Price

#6.  Do you Feel Important?

Take these tips, work through the process and create a success story of your very own.  I promise you the time you spend working through this process will reward you in the end! 

A little word in closing………

Yes, we are a hair salon full of Stylists who would be happy to help you but that’s still not the point.

The point of this series is for you to feel confident in choosing who the right Stylist is for YOU.

It’s entirely about YOU!

Thanks for listening,

Carrie

www.cihairstudio.ca

How to Choose a Hairstylist Part 3 – Look at the Salon

How to Choose a Hairstylist Part 3 – Look at the Salon

by | May 28, 2020 | Just for Salon Clients!

How was window shopping?

In part 2 of this blog series on How to Choose a Hairstylist, we talked about the wonderful online world that makes it super easy to get a really good look at your potential new Hairstylist’s portfolio. Hopefully you’ve had an opportunity to check out a bunch of different Hairstylists which brings us to part 3 of this series!

It’s time to look at the Salon.

What difference could the Salon possibly make? First, let’s make a list of what you really want from a hair appointment. Sort of like your ‘must haves’!

Let me guess at a few:

  • Makes you feel welcome and comfortable
  • Might be a bit edgy and trendy
  • Gives great customer service
  • Has knowledge and new things to try since they are constantly learning
  • Might be super upbeat and bubbly
  • Makes you feel pampered
  • Stays consistent from visit to visit
  • Knows the latest colour techniques (think back to when balayage first started) and current trends
  • Might be calming and relaxing
  • And most importantly gives you GREAT hair

Have I hit a few? Can you relate to some points?

I’ll be frank.  The points above can be met by any Stylist at any Hair Salon, but as you may well know that isn’t always the case.

A great Salon creates a blueprint for the type and quality of hair services, the customer experience and the level of education required of any Stylist who chooses to work there.  In other words…..

★ If you want a party of a hair appointment with music in a busy, upbeat and fun atmosphere, find the salon like that.  That’s where your perfect Stylist will be.

★ If you want a quick dash in, dash out hair appointment find the Salon like that.  That’s where your perfect Stylist will be.

★ If you want individual one on one services with no other clients in while you enjoy your service, find the Salon like that.  That’s where your perfect Stylist will be.

★ If you want a quiet, calm, relaxing hair appointment to feel a little indulged and pampered, find the salon like that.  That’s where your perfect Stylist will be.

★ If you want a high end, uber professional, chic, knock your socks off experience, find the salon like that.  That’s where your perfect Stylist will be. 

Human nature reveals the following to be true:

‘People like people who are like themselves.’  

Find the type of Salon experience you want to have because your perfect Stylist will also want to be there too. 

I’ll check back in soon with part 4 ?

Thanks for listening,

Carrie

www.cihairstudio.ca

Hairstyling Apprenticeship Standards – a Grey Area?

Hairstyling Apprenticeship Standards – a Grey Area?

by | Mar 28, 2020 | Hairstylist Life

I thought I had a handle on the requirements of both the Apprentice and Sponsor in the Hairstyling Apprenticeship process.  Recently I had my eyes opened to some inconsistencies which allow some to fly under the radar and fast track the system.  I refrain from saying ‘cheat’ the system since most Apprentices do so with the consent and approval of their Sponsor and the ‘system’ itself.

For as long as I can remember, the apprenticeship process required both schooling and work hours.  Work hours are spent with a sponsoring Stylist who is required to teach and sign off on all the essentials skills in the apprenticeship handbook.  I’ve been through the process as the Apprentice and now as a Sponsor.

Imagine my surprise when registering my third apprentice discovering an entire ‘grey’ area I had not realized existed.

Hair styling is classified as a Compulsory Trade in Ontario. After completing the schooling and work hours mentioned above, it requires a final exam to become fully licensed. Traditionally, this is 1500 full time school hours, 2000 salon working hours, totalling 3500 hours.  The new part time Apprentice school program of 480 hours requires an additional 3020 salon working hours for the same 3500 hour total.  Seems simple enough right?  As long as 3500 hours are completed, regardless of the schooling path they choose, the hairstyling apprenticeship is fulfilled and they are able to take their final exam to become fully licensed. 

Here’s where things get interesting.

When completing paperwork for a recent hairstyling apprenticeship I was informed that if I signed off all the ‘skills’ in the handbook the final exam could be taken

‘Whenever I felt the apprentice was ready.’  

Pardon? Ready as in she has put in her 3500 hours, right?

The clarification I asked for didn’t exactly sit well with me; ‘No – she doesn’t really have to complete all the hours – just send her with a letter that says how many she completed and that you feel she is ready to take her exam’.  Well really. Where’s the consistency in that?

Just to clarify – PLEASE correct me if I am wrong.  I’ve sponsored may Stylists since this happened and to my knowledge things are still the same. Now with the Ontario College of Trades gearing down, my hope of a consistent system is less than before.  I would love to find out that this murky grey area I uncovered is but a bad dream and there is actually a concrete system to ensure every hairstyling apprenticeship requires exactly 35o0 hours to achieve full licensing.

Most of you that know me can clearly see I’m a black and white type of person.  At a fork in the road I will go left or right – I’m not into off roading down the middle, throwing caution to the wind to rip donuts in the mud. I realize not everyone is the same but here is what really bothers me about all this.  

HOW is this fair to the apprentice and THE CLIENTS?

Why should one apprentice work a gruelling 3500 hours when the next one doesn’t have to? Why should one sponsor make the decision that an Apprentice has completed ‘enough’ hours when 3500 is the actual requirement? Why should a client have to question whether the newly licensed hairstylist you have an appointment with has in fact completed 3500 hours?

There are provinces where hair styling is not regulated at all.  You could go into a salon and book an appointment with a hair stylist who doesn’t have a license, which you may or may not be aware of.  In that situation you rely on the reputation of the salon you are going to, their education program and the quality of their work to know whether the stylist will serve you well.  Sadly, even though there are governing bodies for hairstyling apprenticeships in Ontario,

I encourage you as a consumer to do your homework.  

Make your stylist choice based on more then just whether they hold their license.  Learn about their work, inquire about their training and education, ask who their Sponsoring Stylist was.  After all – finding a great Hairstylist is really about trust! Has your Hairstylist earned your trust?

Thanks for listening,

Carrie

www.cihairstudio.ca

How to Choose a Hairstylist – Part 1

How to Choose a Hairstylist – Part 1

by | Feb 18, 2020 | Just for Salon Clients!

Forward

About a year ago I wrote a free ebook about making the process of choosing a Hairstylist a little easier for clients. There were downloads of the book in it’s entirety but I really want to help more clients, regardless of the salon they choose, know the best things to check out before you decide.

So here we are! I’ve updated some info and can’t wait to share!  As there is a lot of information in each tip they will be shared in a series of blog posts so as not to info overload all at once.  Happy Reading!

 

If you’ve ever felt the pain of a haircut or hair colour that really wasn’t what you wanted, you already know why I’ve compiled these tips.  For those of you who haven’t experienced that (knocking on all surfaces of wood), here’s the deal…..

 So often new clients tell us how hard it has been for them to find a great Hairstylist that not only did amazing work, but really listened to what they were asking for. 

 As Stylists we know exactly what to look for before, during and after a consultation, and we also know a red flag when we see one. 

The problem is how are YOU, the most important person, supposed to know??? 

Now you will.  

So if this blog series prevents one more wonky haircut, one more damaging hair color and makes your life easier? Mission accomplished!

Think of the process of choosing a Stylist this way.

You are hiring a Hairstylist to complete a job for you.

How many applicants are hired without doing an interview? Without having to document their skills and education?  Without having to prove why they are the best person for the job? Without having references?

It doesn’t happen very often (if ever) and there’s a BIG reason for that. Hiring without doing some homework first simply doesn’t work.  What I’m suggesting, is that finding a Hairstylist shouldn’t be any different!

By working through these 5 Tips in the order I post them, you will know everything you need to watch for and do, to find the Hairstylist that’s the perfect match for you!

A little word before I finish this first post………

Yes, we are a hair salon full of Stylists who would be happy to help you but that’s not the point.  The point of this is for you to feel confident in choosing the right Stylist for YOU, no matter where they may work.

And since its all about you……. I have to honestly tell you that before you even think of choosing a Stylist you have to know what you want. Yes your Stylist should help you choose and yes your Stylist can help you gain clarity on what you’ll need, but I can tell you with 100% honestly that Stylists cannot provide a result you will love unless it is 1000% what you actually want.

We aren’t mind readers.  Oh how I wish we were, but we aren’t quite that magical ?

So here’s a bit of homework before the tips role out!

If you want to book with a new Stylist for a haircut, you need to bring two pictures with you.  One showing the front and another showing the back.  This shows us the exact shape you are wanting.  You will also need to know the answers to a couple of questions. What you are willing to do for styling your hair each day and how often you’re willing to visit the salon for maintenance.

If you want to book with a new Stylist for a haircolour, again you need to bring two pictures with you.  One that shows the actual colour you love (platinum, caramel, chestnut, hazelnut, etc, etc), and one that shows the placement or style that you love (ombre, colour melt, bold highlights, super natural highlights).  You don’t need to know what the techniques are actually called – you just need to know how you want the colour you love to actually look on your head!  Ditto on the questions above about daily styling and maintenance.

A word of warning.  If you have an entire Pinterest board pinned with 14 different cut and colour pictures you love, you might not be really sure what you want yet.  And that is totally ok! Sometimes we don’t know what we want.  Sometimes it takes a few weeks of looking at pictures and deciding yay or nay.

Ask any Hairstylist what their response would be to coworker who’s asked them to do their hair, then showed 12 photos of what they like. It will absolutely sound something like this:

“You have to narrow it down.  I can’t do it until you know for sure what you really want.”

Amen ??

I understand that as a client, its not that simple and you do need help with the process!  That’s what we are here for and are happy to help you with.  Just have a look at the number of pictures you plan to show.  If it’s over 5 for cut and/or colour, you still need to narrow it down a little more.  Once you get to about 3 or 4 pictures max, that is an amazing time to book an appointment!

Ok – you know what you need to do! Get busy finding those pictures and narrowing things down and I’ll be back to turn the focus to exactly how to choose the right Hairstylist for you!

 

Thanks for listening,

Carrie

www.cihairstudio.ca

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