With nearly 257,000 different barbershops and hair salons that sell hair care products in the United States, choosing the right one for your hair care needs may seem like a daunting task. It’s even difficult, given that this business has become more of showbiz with stunning interior designs that seemingly brings out a facade of quality service.
So how do you tell you’ve found the right hair salon? Or, what are some of the things you need to look out for when selecting a new place to get your next haircut? These are also indicators of reliable and professional hair salons.
1. Offer Consultation
Consultation is vital in hair care — whether it’s longstanding or new clients, as it allows them to communicate their desired styles to stylists. If you are a regular customer, unless you want something different, a stylist shouldn’t assume right away that you’ll want the same hairstyle each time you visit. Instead, they’re supposed to consult and make sure they understand what you want.
Professional hairstylists or barbershops and generally hair salons have consultations for new clients, which is often accompanied by a hospitable hosting like a drink. They make new clients feel appreciated and feel part of a big happy family. Generally, the first impression or experience a client will have with a stylist or salon will determine if the relationship is going to last longer.
2. Keen to know and address your hair concerns
Hair concerns are common — largely for women, but men also suffer especially hair thinning and baldness. A good hair salon or stylist will be interested more in your personal hair concerns and don’t get offended when they seem inquisitive about your hair. They mean well and only want to understand your hair completely in order to advise accordingly and serve you better as a client.
3. Thorough Hair Assessment
Unlike regular barbershops where you simply walk in, request a haircut and the stylist “pounce” on your head, professional stylists and hair salons care more about how you look and feel. Meaning they take their time to know the details of your hair from preferred cut length to hair color options.
A good stylist will want to know what hair products you regularly use and the hair treatments you’ve had. Your stylist may ask some of these questions:
- What is your routine hair care at home?
- What hair products do you use?
- How do you protect your hair when you sleep or take a bath?
- What is your skin type?
4. Reasonable Pricing
How much are you willing to spend on a haircut? While there are people who can comfortably spend $100 on a haircut, not many will want to. And though you are not looking for the cheapest haircut you can get, it’s important to find a salon’s with pricing you can comfortably afford.
During a consultation, many hairstylists will avoid to mention their prices and rather focus on what you need and what they can offer. But of course, you should ask before leaving the consultation to make sure the pricing is within your spending limit.
5. Light and respectful conversations
Not unless you’ve built a close relationship with your hairstylist, it’s very rude and uncalled for if you’re forced to talk about matters you don’t want to talk about such as political or religious. You’re not there to be converted from one creed to another — just a haircut and that’s its.
A hairstylist that seems to have a “running mouth” portrays unprofessionalism and it’s not good for business. You want someone who listens more than talk, and can positively and politely contribute ideas into the conversation to keep it going.
If you’re looking for a new hair salon or stylist, the mentioned above factors can help you determine whether the service is right for you. These factors can help you establish a good relationship with your hairstylist from the onset of your first haircut.