Non Compete Agreements... How Weird

I don’t get it. The whole concept of a non-compete contract.

OK, I mean, I get the concept. I guess I don’t get why a salon owner would lack the confidence in her business to make her feel she needed one. Not to mention how insulting it is to clients.

What does it matter if your competition opens up across town or next door? There’s nothing to keep another salon from being opened next door by someone who didn’t used to work for you.

Not to mention they rarely stand up in court anyway.

And, really, you think you own your customers? I thought we stopped owning people back when Abraham Lincoln was still president?

Look, if you are running the type of salon that encourages its technicians to cultivate a relationship with their clients, then those clients should be expected to follow that tech if she leaves — and those clients deserve the courtesy of being informed that their preferred tech is going to leave, or that the tech has left. I also think it’s polite to give the tech’s new location and contact information if the former salon knows it. Of course, it’s perfectly acceptable to follow that information with a sincere, “Of course, we would be delighted to have you stay at XYZ Salon. We could book your next service with (new tech) who is now filling in for (former tech).”

But if you tell the clients that someone has left the salon and they ask you for the new contact info and you just say, “I’m sorry, we don’t have that information,” you can bet the client thinks you’re lying.

Remember that scene in “Miracle on 34th Street”? When Kris Kringle tells a Macy’s customer that Gimbels has a better price on rollerskates? It’s like that. Playing nice over an employee that has left your salon shows that you’re the bigger person. No hard feelings, bygones, and so forth. You might not be able to keep the client, but at least you won’t seal your fate in her mind by leaving her with the last impression that you’re bitter and petty, which might be the difference between losing a client forever and having her find her way back eventually. Or losing a client who also had her hair done in your salon, but wanted to follow her nail tech and now doesn’t feel comfortable being caught in the middle.

I’m amazed by some of the stories I hear. I can’t believe how many times I hear of a nail tech being polite enough to give two weeks notice, only to have the owner send her packing as soon as she gives notice. At the same time, owners are always griping that techs just up and leave without giving notice.

Absolute craziness.

I also think it’s perfectly acceptable for a tech who is leaving to keep a copy of her client information and notify them of her change of venue. Our clients expect — and deserve — nothing less.