A visit to beauty salons has to always be a pleasant experience, both for the client and the stylist. For your visit to run smoothly, we sought to share with you The Guide To Beauty Salons Etiquette. Hear what hairstylists have to say about arriving on time, knowing what you want to do with your hair, and much more.

Prebooking

The first Etiquette tip is prebooking. We know this can be tricky for some of you because you don’t always know what your schedule will be 6 to 8 weeks down the road, but if you do have a pretty constant schedule, it would really be favourable for you and your stylist if you book your next reservation before leaving the salon. This will avoid you from having to call your stylist in a rush hopeful they can squeeze you in somewhere. This is by no means a good idea, as it may be a rushed service which could result in an error. Try to get in the practice of booking your next visit prior to leaving the salon, trust us you will be pleased you did. Then you can always make changes if you want to.

Cancellations & No Shows

Since we are on the issue of making changes, let’s talk regarding cancellations. If you pre-book and you require to make a change to your prior arrangement, this will not be a problem to your stylist. Just be sure you give at least 48 hours notice. If you have to cancel or change your reservation and you do not provide the stylist at least 48 hours, you are leaving the stylist in a position where they may be not capable to fill that time that they booked for you. This results in the stylist not making money for that lost time.

Think of it this way, how would you feel if you go into work and your boss told you that he wasn’t going to pay you for 1 hour today. This is how it is for the stylist when they are not with a client, they are not getting paid, so call off if you must, just be sure to be well-mannered and give them ample time for notice. Regarding no shows, these are NEVER acceptable. Try to avoid this if achievable. Many hairstylists have developed a no show policy if this becomes a routine. Meaning you will need to prepay for the service in order to book in going forward.

Arrive On Time

Now that its the day of your scheduled time, we cannot stress enough the significance of arriving to your appointment on time. It might even be a good idea to arrive 15 minutes early just to be secure. Allow adequate time for traffic issues or coffee stops. This is very vital because if you arrive late, you in fact set your hairstylist up to be late the entire rest of the day.

This will make a domino effect for the rest of the customers and its not fair that they all have to sit around and have their scheduled time start late because you chose to make a stop at Starbucks. Which leads us to this, NEVER ever show up to your scheduled time late with a fresh Starbucks in your hand…Especially if your don’t have one for your hairstylist. Its a definite way to be added to the naughty list. All jokes aside, but really there is some truth to this.

Know What You Want

One more tip from The Ultimate Guide To Beauty Salons Etiquette is to come ready and know what you want. Have photos on your phone of images that you are motivated by, but be sensible. If you are going for a drastic change, it may be a good idea to send your stylist a text prior to your scheduled time and share with them that you have thoughts of changing things up a bit. Send them images of your inspirations.

This is vital because you want to be sure they have booked enough time for what you are wanting to do, and also that they have in stock what you are wanting in regards to color. This will get rid of taking time out of your day to come to your appointment only to be told you need to book it for one more day where there is more time.

Budget for Your Visit

If you are changing up your hair colour, and you are on a tight budget, it’s very significant to talk with your stylist in advance about what you want to do and how much it will cost for the procedure. This is vital because sticker shock can be a tight position for both you and your stylist to be in. To add to this, don’t haggle with your stylist about price. This is for no reason ok. If your stylist costs more than your budget, respect that and ask if they can help you come up with a colour idea that will fit your funds.

Take into account, oftentimes the preliminary change is more than the maintenance and repairs. Be sure to get this in order before committing to having it done so it’s not bumpy for either of you. Also, asking in advance for pricing will allow you to save up in-between visits, rather than being shocked.

Price Increases

Since we are on the topic of cost, another tip from The Ultimate Guide to Beauty Salons Etiquette, is your stylists’ prices. Be compassionate when your stylist has a price increase. If you cannot manage to pay for their new prices, ask them to propose you to someone they respect that is in your budget. Hairstylists are often challenged by customers when they raise their prices, even when it’s been years since their last increase. Look at it from this standpoint, how would you feel if you worked at the same job year after year with not a single raise in your pay? Your stylist deserves a raise every now and then. Show them your support by congratulating them.

Be Honest

If you get home and realize you aren’t entirely happy with how your hair turned out, be truthful with your hairstylist. They would much rather you come in to have it changed then to never show back up another time. If your stylist is a true expert, they will be pleased to make the needed adjustments. Keep in mind this doesn’t always take in a full style after that, so if you have somewhere to go right after, you might want to ask to add on a fully styled finish.

Bringing Your Child

Your children are pretty, but bringing them with you to your hair appointment in beauty salons is not good salon etiquette. There are a few reasons why. First, there may be another customer who has arranged for their child to be with their nanny or sitter so that they can loosen up and enjoy a quiet experience. If you have brought your child with you they will likely be an annoyance to the other customers. Be courteous of others service time. Another reason is that your child will most likely get bored, especially if you are receiving a colour service. Keep them home, and give yourself the gift of enjoying some alone time.

Product Recommendations

During your service, your stylist will likely suggest hair care products that will protect your colour, preserve the health of your hair, and also help with the styling procedure. Don’t take these recommendations lightly, particularly in regards to colour protection. If you have used up money to get that gorgeous hair colour you have been dreaming of, don’t ruin it by going home and using non-specialized hair care products. Believe it or not, using the correct shampoo and conditioner will lengthen the life of the hair colour.

Be sure to budget for taking home what they suggest, trust us it really does make a difference. Also, keep in mind you will not be able to attain the styling results without using the suggested styling products and tools. This is an area we always support clients to invest it will alter your life.