Seeing Yourself Through a Client’s Eyes

Jill’s post this week has me thinking about several things. The questions that her colleague Kristi Valenzuela asks remind me of a class I took a few years ago that had the attendees think about their salon from the client’s point of view. It asked us to rate our salon, nail table, and services on a scale of 1-10 in several different areas. It was very enlightening to get your mind out from behind the table and see your space with new eyes. Many of us in that class were surprised by how many areas we could see that we could improve upon. We then picked the top areas we wanted to change and worked on those first.

 

I am also thinking about how the look of our hair, nails, and skin affects what impression the client will form of you. How many times do we skip services for ourselves in order to meet someone else’s needs, be that children, spouse, or fitting in a client. I know that the busier I get, the harder it is to make the time to do the upkeep on myself. Often I will do my own nail enhancements and pedicures at home for convenience sake so then I only have to schedule hair or skin care appointments with my coworkers at the salon. I have to pre-book these appointments for myself just like one of my clients would so I make sure to take the time.

 

The last thing Jill’s post had me thinking about is our appearance. How many times do we get caught up in our day to day lives and lose sight of this simple adage “dress for success”? How often do we get in a hurry and leave the house with something on that really isn’t flattering just because we are late or we failed to notice the hem is torn? Well our clients notice those things and it can leave a negative impression on them.

 

It also made me think of a someone fresh out of school who worked at our salon for a while who really struggled with dressing professionally and wearing clothing that fit well and didn’t expose too much skin. I remember talking with her about this problem and realizing that though it should be second nature to dress well and to be professional if you are in this industry, it isn’t for many. I was surprised to learn how difficult this person found these things to do and as a result she didn’t last very long in the industry.

 

These are thought-provoking questions this week and ones I will be able to explore in depth after this weekend. Our salon is lucky enough to have Kristi coming here to do a two-day class on Sunday and Monday. I am looking forward to learning more about some of the ideas that Jill and Kristi teach salons to stand out above the rest and become the BEST!

 

— Sandy