This post has been hard for me to write, and it took me a couple of weeks to get over the events that led up to this.
Let's start from the beginning. I walked up to the front and introduced myself to my new client. She had requested to see me because she had seen the blog and loved my work! Naturally, I was elated that the blog had actually reached people and that she liked my work enough to request me! This was extremely validating for me as a blogger and a stylist.
We talked about what she wanted to do with her hair, and she had said that she liked the natural, balayage look. She already had highlights, so all we needed to do was touch up her roots with a little hand painting to match her color on the ends. I was very confident that we had a full consultation, and that both of us were on the same page. We had great conversation over the next two hours and she absolutely loved her hair when we were done and I was extremely satisfied with how it had turned out! I made sure that the receptionist got her all checked out, including her product and she was on her way. I got started on my next client and 15 minutes later, my previous client was back... and very upset. She claimed that her hair was red, the color was flat, and that it wasn't what she asked for at all! Because I was with another client and she wasn't able to come back in a couple hours, she had to see another stylist to have the color adjusted. She sat in the other stylist's chair and she was so upset that she proceeded to tear me down and the work I had just done. Luckily, my co-worker diffused the situation and told her that our salon is a team, and that she would make sure she would leave happy. It ended up being an easy adjustment. My co-worker toned her hair with a slightly darker color than I had, and her hair, in my opinion, looked pretty much the same as what I had done.
Before & After of My Work
I will always be the first one to admit when I have made a mistake, but when things like this happen, it really breaks my heart. Especially since this client had seen my work, sought me out and probably had high expectations for me. The fact that she left extremely satisfied with her hair, and came back 15 minutes later, completely hating it, really made me wonder: What happened in those 15 minutes?
Did she go home and see her hair in some horrible bathroom lighting?
Did her boyfriend say something?
Maybe he said that he didn't like it.
Perhaps she was nervous about meeting her boyfriend's parents for the first time over the holidays.
Regardless of the reason, I don't know who was more upset, her or me? I obsessed over the ordeal for days, trying to figure out what I could have done differently, and I realized that there wasn't anything. Consultations can always get longer and you can go through pictures of hair together for hours. But I really thought we were on the same page. Besides, had I done more, I still feel the outcome would have been the same, because nothing I could have done would have changed what she saw in her mirror.
Before & After of My Work
I guess what I am trying to get at is; no matter how much you love your job and no matter how good you are at it, you're bound to have a rough day from time to time. It keeps us humble and reminds us that we don't know it all. On the bright side, I loved the work I did and I stand by it. I can even say that I am proud of the work I did that day!
Before & After of My Work
What To Do If You Need An Adjustment:
-Lighting is so important! Fluorescent, LED, sunlight, black light. There are so many different kinds of lighting and your hair will look different in every single one. If your hair looks dull or brassy in your bathroom or bedroom, go outside and see it in the sunlight. You might be surprised.
-Live with it for a couple days! Sometimes your color just needs to settle or soften up. Or maybe it will take a couple of washes too.
- Your hairstylist is here for you! Always communicate with your stylist! We want you to look good, we want you too be happy, It's our job! So give your hairstylist the opportunity to adjust the cut or color before you seek any outside help. Communication is key!
Thanks Jo!
