Getting ready for your first salon clients has everything to do with preparing yourself and making your clients feel cared for, happy, and confident in you. When you are not fully prepared to work on a client, there is a very real risk that you will lose any future business from them.
Here are some Do’s and Don’ts
Don’t keep your clients waiting:
Five minutes here or there usually will not hurt you, but making your client wait 15 minutes or more will. Your time is not more precious than your client’s.
Show full interest in your clients:
Your clients are rarely just coming in for the service or beauty treatment you provide–they want to leave feeling special. When you do not talk to them, when you don’t ask questions, they feel like you don’t care about them, and they don’t feel special.
Please don’t smell:
If you have bad breath, haven’t bathed, or wear too much perfume, your clients may not come back. The number one smell complaint: smoke. Smokers, you don’t need us to tell you that it is best if you quit, but if you choose to smoke, figure out how to avoid smelling like you do.
Clean up your station and treatment rooms:
Unclean and unsanitary go hand in hand. Listen, how you keep your home is up to you, but in the beauty industry, your workspace needs to be spotless and pristine. This is so important, especially when in beauty school where everyone is watching.
Don’t eat in front of your clients:
No one wants to see you eat where you work. It leans toward the previous two points—smells and sanitation.
Don’t gossip or talk politics and religion:
Just don’t do it! If your client brings up any of these, avoid engaging in the conversation—they’re really just saying it to hear themselves speak anyway. Nod your head, shrug your shoulders, but do not go there because it will usually come back to bite you. If you start a conversation with any of these topics, just know that you may be alienating or offending your client without even knowing it. These topics are potential landmines, so stay away.
Mind your language:
Okay, you may talk like a drunken sailor among your friends, but just don’t do it at school or work, and especially not in front of your clients. This is a really dumb thing to lose clients over. This includes politically incorrect comments, racist comments, and so on.
Do not argue or be hostile:
Not with your boss (instructor), not with your co-workers (classmates), and certainly not with your clients. Watching you fight or argue with others will cause your clients to wonder about the type of person you are. We promise they will take their business elsewhere.
No talking on your phone/texting:
If you are on your phone, you are not focused on your client. They want you to be focused on them.
And finally…
Be professional:
Do not show up for work or school under the influence of anything. Not only is this a legal liability issue, but if your client senses it, you’re done. Period. If you have an addiction, get some help. Nothing will derail your professional career quite like addiction issues.
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