I don't really give much attention to my hair. I just go get it cut every six weeks or so, and yesterday I was well overdue, so I went to the mall.
I walked into the salon and was greeted by the one who would cut my hair. She had bleached hair with a glob of blue spilling forward from the top of her head. She had about five tattoos that I could see, and she had body piercing jewelry sticking into and out of various locations of her face. She also looked like she was about 16 years old.
My first impression did make me ponder the thought of finding a regular stylist and sticking with him or her. But no, she would do. She worked at a salon, right? She graduated from SOMEplace.
In the end, she did a good enough job. I could tell that she was a bit of a rookie, but she was pleasant enough and didn't wreck my hair. I think it was a pretty basic assignment. Every once in a while, she would make hairstylist conversation, like she would suddenly remember being told to do that while in styling school.
We actually talked mostly about tattoos. Turns out that she had only one other one than the ones I could see... if she was to be fully believed.
As far as what I asked her to do, I guess I would give her a grade of "B". So I got to thinking, what would MY grade be as a customer? I looked up a sort of "do's and dont's" for going to the salon and found some belated advice:
Apparently, we are supposed to schedule a consultation before any actual work begins and "let the stylist see what your hair looks like dry and styled as you typically style it." Well, I walked in with it looking like it usually does at that time of day. As I typically style it? Uh, yeah - it was the windblown look.
2. Bring Pictures. Grade = missing.
Nothing more of note to say about that.
3. Don't Say It, Show It. Grade = D-
I did exactly what the article said NOT to do. I said, "Just take 2 inches off of the length and clean up the layers". Instead, I should have actually taken my hand and karate chopped right where I wanted her to go. The only reason I didn't totally fail is because, after my wrongdoing, SHE karate chopped and asked if that's where I meant.
I might actually have been guilty of doing this in the past. In this case, I probably realized that I could end up with bleached hair and a glob of blue spilling to the front.
5. Prepare Questions & Listen to Your Stylist. Grade = C.
These are supposed to be questions like:
- "Do you think my hair can look like this picture?"
- "How long will this haircut take me to style in the morning?"
6. Pick the Right Stylist. Grade = C-
Apparently there are stylists who "specialize" with things like curly vs. straight, "funky" vs. conventional, dyed vs. undyed, straightened, etc. Who knew? My selection process is a.k.a. "next available person with scissors".
7. Tip Appropriately or Beware Your Next Haircut. Grade = A
Despite my cluelessness, I think I left her a good tip.
And now, I'll be ready for next time. I bet my hair will still end up looking the same, though.
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7 comments:
I have always loved the suggestion I got once for choosing a hairstylist: NEVER pick the one with the best haircut. Beauticians cut each others hair for free. Find the one with the WORSE haircut and you'll know you avoided the girl who created it! lol
By just being concerned enough to find out if you're a good customer is enough to show you are a good customer, don't ya think?
I'd like to know the appropriate way to break up with a hairdresser. I've been going to the same girl for over 15 years, so my hair has looked almost the same for that long. I ask her advice, and she never gives a straight answer. Maybe she's not supposed to, but I want someone to say, "You know what would look good on you?...." and then do it. Plus, I'm tired of listening to her talk about herself. Anyway, thanks for giving me a forum to vent. :)
Ah, thanks for that advice! In my case, looking back on this last cut, I think I "chose" the best one available.
Fifteen years!? Wow, that's commitment. I prefer to play the field.
Interesting strategy for picking a stylist. Not sure I would get a passing grade on a lot of those areas (except for #7 - I do try to be generous cuz you don't want to piss off someone who can mess up your doo). My hairstyle (if you can call it that) is simple, straight cut. I been to the same stylist (Nithi) for 13+ years until she left the shop last fall. Still don't know what happened to her (Did she quit/retire? Did she piss off the owner? Did she cut off somebody's ear?) but I would follow her to where ever she went if she was still cutting hair. Given my cut, it ain't much of a challenge and I have been going through different stylists ever since. The last girl was obviously the rookie for the shop - all the other stylists were messing with her. Still, she did a pretty good job (mine is kinda hard to mess up) and I felt sorry for her so I doubled down on her tip.
I stumbled across a stylist I like and have gone to her ever since. (Several years now!) I have grown comfortable enough to say, "Yes, you can do something different with the color," only thinking to ask what exactly she was doing AFTER she'd started putting color on my head.
I can't imagine you making too much of a mess of a visit to the hair salon. And your girl probably appreciated your easy-going attitude. High maintenance customers can't be fun.
Ten years with the same person for me. Yeah, I know. Boooring. Now she cuts my girls' hair, too. And she goes to my church. How can I slip away from my church friend? :)
Actually, she's good. But, like so many people who also fail the testing above (good research!), I never come out with something very different. My evolution is always gradual. Not since I chopped off 6 inches, and then 3 more within a couple months (after my first baby was born) have I been drastic.
Where are your before and after pictures?
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