5 Questions You Wish You Could Ask Your Hairstylist

I feel like there are a lot of things that clients would love to ask their stylists but feel too awkward asking?! Am I right?! Well, I took it upon myself to answer a few of these questions to help you out. I answered these from a perspective of a stylist but also from a perspective of clueless 15-year-old me going to a hair salon (before I knew anything about hair).

5 Common Questions About Salon Etiquette
1. I am running late./ My stylist is running behind. What should I do? Sometimes life happens and your day doesn’t always go how you expected it to, we understand that. If you’re going to be 5-15 minutes late, please call us, it is normally not an issue and we can usually squeeze you in. If you’re beyond 15 minutes late, it is best to reschedule. We run on 30 minute intervals and unfortunately, would not have the time to serve you to the best of our ability. On the same note, if we (your stylists) are running behind, please allow us that 15 minute grace period we allow for everyone else.
2. What is the best way to communicate to my stylist what I want? PHOTOS!! We love photos. Even if your goal isn’t the exact same as the photos, it gives us a great idea of want you’re looking for. Sometimes describing what you want to see in your hair just doesn’t cut it. (CUT it ha ha ha). Bad puns aside, sometimes a “caramel colour” to one person might be more golden, whereas to another person “caramel” could mean copper. Do you see where this type of communication can get easily misconstrued?
3. I am unsatisfied with the result of my hair. How do I tell my stylist? Honestly, you are not going to hurt our feelings. We want to see you happy with the job we’ve done, please just tell us! We would gladly tweak it for you. However, please don’t call us a month later saying you hate your hair and that you want it re-done. By then you may already need a root touch up and then it starts to seem a little like you’re trying to take advantage. Give it about a week, and if it still doesn’t seem like what you asked for, call us and we can fix it!
4. Is it necessary to tip the shampoo assistant? Normally assistants work on minimum wage or a little over that if they’re lucky! So tipping them anywhere from $1- $5 is a great way to thank them for washing your colour out or giving you that head massage you love so much!
5. Can I work on responding to emails/ phone calls while I get my hair done? Depending on the type of service you are having done and the ambiance of the salon you go to, this can differ. For example, normally while getting a basic root touch up or highlights, it would be okay for you to respond to emails whilst keeping your head upright. Just be sure to ask your stylist first. While getting a hair cut, this is not a good idea, for your hair cut’s sake but also your stylist’s sake. It can be considered rude and takes up more of our time. Phone calls are normally a no-go… unless its a quick personal call or if it’s while your colour is processing and you move to a more isolated area of the salon. All in all, please remember that this is most people’s relaxation time and be considerate of that. 🙂

Images courtesy of findingjackie.com