To get what you asked for, good and bad
Printed From: HairBoutique.com
Category: Hair Talk
Forum Name: Hair Politics
Forum Description: The politics of Hair is a slippery slope...
URL: https://talk.hairboutique.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=44988
Printed Date: January 22 2025 at 6:56am
Topic: To get what you asked for, good and bad
Posted By: anne6000
Subject: To get what you asked for, good and bad
Date Posted: July 06 2006 at 1:32pm
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Also in the same article that Karen wrote (great article, by the way!)
http://www.hairboutique.com/tips/tip180031.htm - http://www.hairboutique.com/tips/tip180031.htm
it says, Unfortunately over the past ten years writing for HairBoutique.com and other consumer hair magazines, I receive many emails from frantic consumers who just received the worst short cut of their lives. The sad thing is that they demanded it.
I'll be the first to admit that sometimes stylists are to blame for many things. But if a client asks for a cut, and a stylist cuts what the client asks for, how can the client complain?
I would think that a good stylist would say something like, "I'll cut your hair any way you like, but have you thought about (some aspect that might not make the cut a good idea for that particular person)? In my personal opinion, the style you chose is not the best for you, but if you've thought about it, and you're absolutely positive that's what you want, then I'll cut it in that style."
I'd love to know from stylists here, what happens when someone asks for a style that, in your professional opinion, is not going to look good? When that happens and you cut it just like the person wants, does the outcome usually make the client happy or unhappy?
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Replies:
Posted By: SanFranBrent
Date Posted: July 10 2006 at 9:13pm
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I'm not a hair stylist. But how could you blame them if you asked for a
certain cut? Is it their job to talk you out of getting that hairstyle
that you requested?
------------- Brent |
Posted By: SanFranBrent
Date Posted: July 10 2006 at 9:16pm
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Like Anne, I would be curious to know what beauticians do in such
circomestances. Do you offer advice on a hairstyle that disagrees with
their request for a certain hairstyle?
------------- Brent |
Posted By: PurpleBubba
Date Posted: July 10 2006 at 10:43pm
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I think that if the stylist does it the way you said then it's not their fault. However if the stylist cuts it shorter or slightly different than what the client asked for then it's hard to know who to blame. It's not automatically a case of the stylist doing what they feel like. They might have adjusted the cut slightly to fit the person's features. Or perhaps the communication was not clear enough. Maybe they were shown a picture and what the client sees in the picture is different than what the stylist sees? That's why you need to be able to communicate exactly what you do and don't want with the style you are trying to get. If you have it in your mind to get your hair like a picture but you're not wanting the bangs as short or as many layers then you need to be able to tell the stylist what you do want. That may require showing other pictures showing what you do want and others showing what you don't want. Or point to areas of your face and say I want it cut here and here and not there. It is really hard for some people to do consultations in the styling chair. If you are someone who gets nervous in the chair then ask to do the consultation somewhere else. Or do your consultation on a different day than the one you get the service. The biggest problem is communication. ------------- 
http://s7.invisionfree.com/The_Hair_Care_Family/index.php?showtopic=12 - My Journal |
Posted By: Rocky
Date Posted: July 13 2006 at 9:53pm
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Here's my approach... I will always caution someone who I believe is making a mistake by requesting a particular cut/style/color/service if I feel the result will not be asthetically pleasing or have some undesirable consequence. This could be anything from telling them they have a a bad growth pattern issue, thinning hair, chubby face that will look more chubby as a result. It's difficult to be honest sometimes but doing anything else is a dis-service to your client. I've had clients bring a photo of some celebrity or model and tell me "I want my hair like this." I look and know full well their hair would NEVER look like that EVER. One of my favorite comments to start a dialog regarding an unrealistic request is: "Oh, darn it... You know, I used my magic wand on the last client and it's going to be a while before it's recharged." Then, carefully, tactfully explain the reasons why the requested style may not work the way the client expects. Some stylists are better at this than others. Unlike me, some stylists find themselves unable to tell a client she needs to wax her eyebrow (yes, I meant eyebrow) or bleach that mustache she has going. They find it too difficult to bring it up discreetly without offending. Some clients are insistant but most will heed our advice. The insistant ones get what they ask for from me but I'll usually ask again during a cut if they're sure. For example, when a client asks for bangs or layers I don't think will work, I'll ask again "Are you sure you don't want to try this first?" If they insist, I do it. -Rocky |
Posted By: auramae
Date Posted: July 16 2006 at 10:45am
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Years ago I had a high school boy (a regular client) sitting in my chair. He wanted me to use the clippers on his hair because cutting it to the length of my fingers was too long for him. I laid out all the clipper attachment combs and read how long each left the hair. He wanted the number 2 (which is REALLY short). I advised him STRONGLY against it. He insisted. I took the clippers, with the guard of his choice, and went straight down the middle of his head like they do with new recruits in the military. He was stunned. Atfer the cut, I asked him what he thought. He said "I think I'll listen to you from now on!"
------------- Get Some Hairapy - a hairdresser's prescription for happiness |
Posted By: buzzedboblover
Date Posted: August 01 2006 at 12:14pm
| I have known stylists to do things just because they want to and I feel that is wrong, e.g cut more than the client wants or style the hair differently than the client wants without consulting them and I think that is where the difference comes in. If a stylist "suggests" something other than the client originally wanted and the client agrees, that would suit them better or be a better option, then that stylist in my opinion has not only done their job but is a "good" stylist and has shown they really know their job. The other side is when a woman goes into a salon and says I want my hair this way and the stylist just "decides" to do it another way. My partner had to stop going to her previous stylist as the first time she went to her she cut a lovely bob for her as asked. The problem was even though my partner asked for exactly the same cut from the same stylist each time it came out different each time, sometimes with layers even after my partner speciffically saying "I don't want any layers this time". That in my opinion is the mark of a bad stylist who does not "consult" their client, or follow their wishes but churns out one of their "standard" styles to a lot of their clients as that is all they can cut well. The reason I make that last comment is after my partners problems she started noticing a lot of other local women with strangely similar styles to what she had been given and surprise surprise they had been to the same stylist. |