Often I get asked by a client who is moving out of town, “how am I going to find a new hairdresser?” People both male and female can become very attached to their stylist and the thought of trying to find a new one can be very daunting. Below are my 5 tips on how to find a new stylist.

1. Ask a stranger or friend whose hair you admire. There is nothing more flattering than telling someone how much you like their hair. When my clients tell me that they have received many compliments on their hair, their face lights up. Don’t be shy to ask; generally if you like what they are wearing the chances are their stylist could be the one for you. This is always the first tip I give my clients. Recommendations from people you know work well too.

2. Make an appointment for a Shampoo and Blow-dry first. When you have made a decision to try a new salon I would call the salon and make an appointment to have a blow-dry or just a consultation with a stylist of your choice. This will give you an opportunity to meet your potential future stylist and check out the salon. Take particular note of the phone call and how professionally you are treated during the call. Research* shows that females take around 10 seconds to make their mind up whether they like someone on meeting them, I have seen this in action and it is fun to watch. Go with your gut and first impression. This visit will make or break your future stylist.

3. Presentation of the hairdresser. ‘You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.’ This phrase is used a lot in the hairdressing world. If the hairdresser that is about to look after you is presented badly and has bad hair….. RUN! Chances are if he or she is to lazy to make an effort to present well, then the chance of making you look good I would say is very slim. ‘What you wear is what you sell!’

4. The Consultation. Does the stylist take an interest in you and your hair? To me this is the one area we at Hair by Phd work very hard on when we train our stylists. The key to any good communication is listening. The hairdresser should get as much info about you as possible; your past experiences, personality, likes, dislikes, time you allocate styling your hair daily, products you use and products your stylist is going to use on you, face shape, colour tone of your skin, body shape, current style and potential style. When the hairdresser discusses your hairstyle or colour ask to see pictures. I find a picture alleviates confusion and allows me to have a visual of what the client is looking for. Short hair to me might mean a cropped style; to my client it might mean a shoulder length bob. Pictures are a great tool.

5. The Salon. Cleanliness is a must see. Check to see if you are going to be seated on a hairy chair and work station. People don’t like other people’s dirt. Look for hairy brushes, dirty basin areas and the general organisation of the salon. A switched on salon will have all this under control. Have a look to see if they have a website and how up to date and professional it looks. The way you are greeted and treated from the time you walk in to the time you leave. The head massage, this is an area we focus on heavily with our shampoo experts, because we know how much most clients enjoy this part of the service. What products do they use? Are they quality reputable brands or cheap bulk stuff? See if they have any reference to regular training on their website or newsletter? A salon that trains regularly will generally keep you excited with the latest and greatest in hair.

6. An Impressive send off. Are you invited back? Does your stylist recommend how long between visits and offer to make you a follow up appointment. Even if you do not make an appointment it shows that the stylist genuinely cares about having you as a client. If you are not happy with your hair, don’t be hesitant about asking your stylist to make any adjustments with your hair. How they handle this situation will go a long way to helping you make your mind up about him/her. I know as an owner of a salon and a stylist I would rather try to fix any issue a client had rather than them not saying anything or worse, not coming back at all.

“So how do you find a new Hair Salon/Stylist? Well leave some comments on what you think about this post and let me know if you would like to hear more. I’ll reply with a post answering your question.”

Hope this helps!

Check out the Hair by Phd website on www.hairbyphd.com.au

Sarkis Akle.

*Reference- How to Make People Like You in 90 Seconds Or Less! By Nicolas Boothman. (A Great Read)

 

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