#43 Gratitudes

I am always saying how much I love my job. It's true! I look forward to getting to work every day and I'm happy when I'm here. I enjoy the company of my co-workers. I love working in NYC. I stand by the products we sell and I use them myself. I feel so fortunate to be able to say all that. Many people I know dread Mondays...they drag themselves to a job they despise and they dream of escape from it. It isn't like that for me, thank goodness. I just wanted to express my gratitude for the good fortune I have. https://www.facebook.com/ecuretreatment

#24 Customer Service in a Salon (and your business too!)

I receive hundreds of phone calls from salons all over the country every day. I have also worked in both chain/retail salons as well as a private salon. There is an unspoken truth in this industry that is not acknowledged enough: If your business is slow, it isn't the customers fault! It isn't due to the economy. It isn't because you are located in a small town. It isn't because there are six competitors within walking distance.
A lot of stylists become complacent when it comes to customer service. You may be the most talented artist on the planet, but if you make your clients feel taken for granted they will go elsewhere. Let's review how to make clients feel appreciated and grow your business.

   Phone Etiquette

 DO NOT answer your phone with just "Hello." Remember that every call you get is a potential client. Try answering with a smile. Smiling actually lifts your palette and raises your voice into a friendlier tone. "Hi, this is Carla, of Armada Style. How may I help you?"

Make sure your voice mail message also sounds professional. All calls that come in while you are working on a client should go directly to voice mail. DO NOT ever interrrupt a service for a call unless it is an emergency. And NEVER interrupt a call by saying, "I've gotta go - my client's color is done." Keep the phone off the salon floor and both your calls and your services will be greatly improved.

Return phone calls in a timely manner. If clients are polite enough to inform you that they need to cancel, don't be rude about it. Thank them for the notice and ask if they would like to reschedule. It may be inconvenient for you, but being rude about it will cost you a client plus all the people they may have referred in the future.

Salon Etiquette

What are your business hours? Are they convenient for you or your clients? Many, many people work until 6pm or later. Are you open so that they can stop by after work? Are you open every day? If a client walks in 20 minutes before closing and wants a cut and color, do you stay and provide excellent customer service or turn them away and make them go elsewhere?

Is there food and drink in your salon? No one wants to smell food   combined with all the other fragrances in the salon. Keep food and drink off the floor, period. If you have a back room where people prepare food for themselves, limit the food to non-offensive odor foods. No fish, no curries, no eggs, no garlic knots, etc. And if you eat that stuff, please use mouthwash and/or brush your teeth before returning to the floor! And if you consume alcohol (or any other chemical substances) while working in the salon, you should not be in this business.

Salons are places where conversation flows freely. Sometimes clients share very personal, intimate details. This does not mean that you should share yours! I used to go to a salon (before I became a stylist) that was very unprofessional this way. The staff would all gossip about whomever was off that day. The final straw was when I was waiting for my color to process and another stylist (not the one conducting my service) was loudly discussing her ob/gyn visit with her client. Including the details of her HPV infection. Um....yeah, I never went back.


Now, I don't care what kind of neighborhood your salon is in or how the clients choose to dress or speak. YOU are the professional. Keep the language family friendly and dress that way too. Further, you are allowed to THINK whatever you wish, but if you hold bigoted views of any group of people, keep it to yourself. Do not discuss politics or religion. EVER.

Be polite. THANK every client every time. If there is a problem with a service or a product, don't argue. Just fix it.

Make sure the salon is clean. No hairy brushes. No dust bunnies in the corners. No color stained towels or chair covers. No color stained hands or clothes either! No exposed breasts, bellies, or armpits. Come into work prepared and looking the part. If my stylists came in and started doing their hair and make up at their station, they were sent home.

It is very confusing for me when I talk to a salon and they complain how  they are a "small salon" that cannot support a retail section. Pathetic! If you are so slow it means you are not providing excellent customer service. It means you have become lazy and are not willing to provide a better experience to your clients than your competitors. It means you are not letting clients know you appreciate them. No wonder your clients are going elsewhere

I want all my customers to have successful, rockin' salons with happy clients and happy stylists. There are many great resources to get there:

Books on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=salon+success&tag=mh0b-20&index=stripbooks&hvadid=40767907&ref=pd_sl_6y4a6ldzfo_e

Videos: http://www.bravotv.com/tabathas-salon-takeover

Websites: http://www.behindthechair.com/
http://www.scissorboy.com/

Good Luck!

#20 On being a Cosmetologist: I LOVE my job!

When I was in high school, my parents offered to allow me to attend a vocational-technical school in conjunction with my traditional education. Prior to the 1980's, vo-tech education was considered a must for non-college bound high school students - You learned a trade and went to work right after high school. Vo-tech students were condemned to a reputation of being not smart enough to get into college. By the time I was in high school, that attitude had changed to reflect the idea that some students wanted to learn a trade or skill that would help them get ahead in college. My parents strongly encouraged me to study cosmetology. It was a great idea: I could get a job cutting hair part-time while I attended college classes and I might get a career out of it. I already had artistic skills with make-up and hair but no formal training. I loved fashion and beauty. Being the stubborn teenager that I was, I refused, of course.
Fast forward about 15 years into the future. I was married with kids and the economy started to slow. I needed a job flexible enough to allow for family and religious obligations, something I could make some money at that wouldn't require a four year degree. I had already spent thousands on a college education I wasn't ever going to use. So I decided to enroll in beauty school.

Every state has different requirements for licensure. Pennsylvania, where I was at the time, requires 1250 hours. The school I attended, Empire Beauty School http://www.empire.edu/, required a bit more than that. Attendance was strictly monitored. Students were required to clock in like at a regular job in order to receive credit for their hours. There was also a dress code (black & white only), hair and make-up appropriate for work.
The school provided a starter kit that included a huge suitcase filled with cutting shears, rollers, combs, brushes, a blow-dryer, perm rods, perm wraps, nail polishes, a manicure kit, bobby pins, clips, a water bottle and mannequin heads to practice on.
The first six weeks were all in a classroom. Basic anatomy and physiology, sanitation, hygiene, use of tools, basic techniques, history, and chemistry lessons were taught. Every week my teacher, Ms. B, would hold some sort of competition to inspire our creativity. I won some.


 It was a very fun experience, but it was hard work and some classmates withdrew.
After those six weeks, the program started to incorporate actual clients. We asked our friends and family members to come in for free services. There was a  minimum number of services that had to be completed in order to be eligible to work in the school salon. I got all my services done and was ready to move up. My grades were good. I was still terrified.

The student salon was an interesting study. Most of the clientele were people who could not afford services at a regular shop, or they were friends and family of students. Clients could make appointments though most just walked in. Teachers would supervise all services, offering suggestions and assistance when needed. Every service was checked and noted for credit. Students had to take turns running the register, working in the dispensary, cleaning, greeting clients, etc. I loved it.
My favorite experience was the Future Professionals Expo, held at Hershey Park. I got to compete against students from 99 other beauty schools. I competed in the make-up category. I didn't win, but it was still a fantastic experience. Here is my entry: 

I graduated exactly ten months and 1 day from my first day there. I still keep in touch with many of my fellow students. Some are doing very well in the industry. Some never even went to get the license from the state.
I ended up here in NYC, working for a hair-care company, writing this blog as well as magazine articles, press releases, marketing copy, etc. I answer questions from stylists all over the country.
When I enrolled in beauty school, I expected to work in a salon day to day, occasionally doing make-up work for film or music videos or something really fun like a trade show or a fashion show. I never thought I would end up being a writer and consultant. I LOVE my job!
Please Note: All the pictures are of my work. The picture at the top is the first short haircut I ever did! Picture 2 is a close up of my friend Rita who was an awesome model for my Peacock make-up. I won first place for that.
The Mad Hatter picture is a team effort. I did the make-up.
The mermaid is my friend Christina. I did the make-up, hair, photography, layout and design.

#12 On Tea

In August, we are discontinuing the S-series shampoo in Orange and replacing it with S-4 Black Tea. Some samples arrived for us to experience this new, amazing fragrance. It made me wonder about Tea in general. What I perceive as a simple daily routine actually has a history that stretches back millenia, across world cultures and religions.
According to http://www.stashtea.com/info/history, one of the first recorded uses of tea is in China during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE), in which it was taken medicinally. The earliest record of tea as an everyday beverage comes from the Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE). I wonder how it was discovered: perhaps someone had some tea leaves accidentally fall into boiling water and the resulting beverage was found to be delicous, satisfying, and invigorating.
There are four types of tea to enjoy, with countless subvarieties based on where the tea was grown, what season it was picked, how it was processed after picking, and what additives are added to it before brewing.

White Tea: http://whiteteaguide.com/ is the least processed form of tea. Because of this it has both reduced caffiene and more nutrients compared to other teas.

Green Tea: According to the University of Maryland website http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/green-tea-000255.htm , green tea has many health benefits.

Oolong Tea: these tea leaves are allowed to wither in the sun and oxidize before curling and twisting the leaves. http://www.teavana.com/tea-info/oolong-tea

Black Tea: Black tea is fully fermented, giving it it's dark color. http://www.blackteas.com/history-of-black-tea.php

Tea, in any of these forms, offers many health benefits. For me, a good cup of tea with a little sugar or honey provides relaxation, comfort, and great place to dip cookies. I definitely prefer traditional black or green tea. I have discovered I do not like flavored teas. Even with the caffiene content, I enjoy a hot cup of tea before bed. Amazingly, science and medicine are still finding new uses for tea.

And now, our newest S-Series shampoo has a Black Tea fragrance. I can't wait to try it!





#10: Gifting the client

Every month we publish the e-newsletter for our customers to enjoy. I write an article or two, usually from a cosmetologist's point of view, about a particular topic. I just finished a piece for the next issue on retailing e-Cure Treatment products for salon clientele. As I submitted the article, I realized there were no photos of the retail items we offer to salons. So today our marketing guru Michael and I made some gift baskets for clients who are getting married, celebrating an anniversary, having a baby, moving, starting a new job, etc. Whatever the occasion clients become loyal to stylists who give them a personal experience, as opposed to just a shampoo/cut/style. It is well worth it to invest some time into making special thank-you gifts to your clients. Or just wrap up the retail items like gifts for clients to purchase for themselves or as gifts to otheres.
My article is going to look fantastic. Hopefully will inspire others. I would love to see what you come up with. Please post your pics of your ideas on our facebook page. There are so many occasions a client will need a gift for and so many occasions you can "gift" your client:

• Anniversary: Milestone Wedding Annversary- 1st, 5th, 10th, 25th, 40th, 50th; Dating Anniversary: 6th month, annual; Company Anniversary: 1st year, 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th...

• Birthday: 1st, 13th, 16th, 18th, 21st, 30th, 40th, 50th, 60th, 75th, 100th

• Graduation: Pre-School, Kindergarten, Grammar/Elementary School, Middle School, High School, College, Graduate School, Technical School

• Religious: First Communion, Baptism, Bar Mitzvah, Bat Mitzvah

Baby Shower	Good Luck
Congratulations!	Encouragement
I miss you	Remember when...?
Housewarming	New Baby (Pamper Mom)
Retirement	Bridal Shower
Condolence	Sympathy
Get Well/Feel Better	Bon Voyage
Welcome Home	Hello again
Best Friend	Thank You
What would I do without you?	Love you!
I'm sorry	World's Best Mom, Dad, Brother, etc
Can't live without you.	Thinking about you

#7: Celebrities I wish I could do an e-Cure Treatment on

There are a lot of famous people who I've seen on TV, in film, or in photographs that I look at and say, "WHO is that person's stylist and WHY are they walking around with their hair like that?!" Feel free to submit your own in comments:

1.) Donald Trump

Yes, he's a brilliant businessman, and I'd love to have lunch with him just to pick his brain a bit. But mostly I want to give him a shorter, tighter haircut with a darker, richer color.

2.) Don King

Another colorful character...but I want to shave it off and start over. Some P-4.1 and a good haircut would be very helpful here.

3.) Lady Gaga

When you bleach your hair enough to do this and then you bleach it out again to do this

                                                                     among other services like extensions, repeated bleachings, colorings, re-bleaching and the mechanical wear and tear of being on a dancer's head...well...what you end up with is this:

Which is probably the only solution. Hopefully, the new growth (assuming the hair follicles are not damaged and new growth occurs) will be treated more kindly. Gaga, call me so that this never happens again, k?

#6: So what happens here at Armada-USA?

As I've said before (and I'm so grateful), I LOVE my job. A lot of customers picture us to be a huge corporate office, full of cubicles and a warehouse full of products being shipped everywhere. Some customers have asked about our salon and when they could come visit. The fact is, we are a small, privately owned company in an office in NYC. There is no salon on site. We are a team of individuals who conference on what our customers needs are, what we can offer, and we strive to process requests as accurately and efficiently as possible. There have been days where I have sat and done data entry for hours at a time. Other days I have worked in the shipping department and assembled boxes until they are stacked in towers taller than me. On a typical day, I sit at my desk typing my blog, updating our Facebook and Twitter feeds, reviewing some marketing materials, and drinking the wonderful green tea from Japan that we have here in the office. I truly enjoy answering the phone and talking to salon professionals from all parts of the United States. I have learned so much from their questions!
And my hair? It is now long enough to wear a ponytail! I'm so excited about it. The e-Cure Treatment has stopped the brittle breakage that made it seem like my hair wouldn't ever grow. I can honestly say the products work and I'm a loyal customer.
 Well...it's a busy day here with lots of orders coming in and going out. Phones are ringing, UPS men are wheeling in carts, everyone is typing and it looks like lunch is at my desk today. Onwards and upwards!

#1

Hi there,
I am the newest person to join the Armada-USA Team. As the on-staff stylist, I can answer questions from a behind-the-chair point of view. I've never written a blog before. My goal is to connect with other stylists and clients so that we can share information and experiences in order to help everyone achieve healthy, shiny, hair. I also enjoy discussing movies, cooking, shopping, music, theater, history, culture, travel, and odd news. I am fond of writing top ten lists as opposed to actual paragraphs. As a busy mom of three young boys, I love time saving tips and sales and discounts too!