Showing posts with label salon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label salon. Show all posts
Thursday, January 31, 2013
#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
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
#37 some inspiration
I am re-reading a favorite book of mine:
And today these words of wisdom, on page 95, caught my attention:
Never stop reaching for more:
Do more than exist - live.
Do more than touch - feel.
Do more than look - observe.
Do more than read - absorb.
Do more than hear - listen.
Do more than listen - understand.
- John H. Rhoades
Today I am going to keep this in my thoughts. I highly recommend this book to any professional in a customer service oriented business. You can order it on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Passion-Professionals-Handbook-Building-Successful/dp/156253419X
Passion: Salon Professional's Handbook for Building a Successful Business [Paperback]
Susie Fields Carder (Author), Susie Fields (Author)
Never stop reaching for more:
Do more than exist - live.
Do more than touch - feel.
Do more than look - observe.
Do more than read - absorb.
Do more than hear - listen.
Do more than listen - understand.
- John H. Rhoades
Today I am going to keep this in my thoughts. I highly recommend this book to any professional in a customer service oriented business. You can order it on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Passion-Professionals-Handbook-Building-Successful/dp/156253419X
Monday, August 20, 2012
#27 e-Cure Demo at Prestige Salon, NYC
Today Iaisha and I went to visit Prestige Salon http://hairsalonprestige.com/ here in NYC to demonstrate the amazing e-Cure Treatment. Our model had dry, porous, overprocessed hair:
Our model had been shampood with a clarifying shampoo and dried before we arrived. First, I saturated her hair with M-3.2 until it was dripping wet.
Next, the S-series shampoo (our model loved the s-3 Sakura scent) gets mixed 50/50 with M-3.2 and shake until foamy and mixed. Massage this foam generously into the hair.
Cover the foamy hair with a plastic cap and place under the dryer for 10 minutes. While our model was sitting under the dryer, we demonstrated Pida, an exfoliant gel that gets massaged onto skin for about 30 seconds. After the massage, rinse off with a quick spritz of M-3.2. Pat dry and follow up with your favorite lotion. After our model tried it, everyone else wanted to try it too!
because it is now infused with moisture. After gently but thoroughly drying with a towel, the hair is sprayed with M-3.2 by itself as a blow-out spray. This is the only product used in the hair. No gel, no mousse, no shine spray, no hair spray.
The after pics are amazing. Not only is her hair softer and full of shine, but wow her hair is full of body and movement. No more frizzy ends!Ready for a demonstration at your salon?
Our model had been shampood with a clarifying shampoo and dried before we arrived. First, I saturated her hair with M-3.2 until it was dripping wet. 
Next, the S-series shampoo (our model loved the s-3 Sakura scent) gets mixed 50/50 with M-3.2 and shake until foamy and mixed. Massage this foam generously into the hair.
Cover the foamy hair with a plastic cap and place under the dryer for 10 minutes. While our model was sitting under the dryer, we demonstrated Pida, an exfoliant gel that gets massaged onto skin for about 30 seconds. After the massage, rinse off with a quick spritz of M-3.2. Pat dry and follow up with your favorite lotion. After our model tried it, everyone else wanted to try it too!
After ten minutes under the dryer, the hair gets sprayed with P-3.2, combed through to the ends. After 2 minutes, hair is rinsed until water runs clear. You can already see the smoother, healthier texture of the hair! There is no conditioner added to the hair after the rinse. Her hair is this smooth and healthy
because it is now infused with moisture. After gently but thoroughly drying with a towel, the hair is sprayed with M-3.2 by itself as a blow-out spray. This is the only product used in the hair. No gel, no mousse, no shine spray, no hair spray.
Look at how smooth her hair is! It felt soft and silky to the touch.
As her blow-out progressed, everyone was impressed with the dramatic change in the condition of her hair.
Now scroll up to the "before" picture and look at the difference!
The after pics are amazing. Not only is her hair softer and full of shine, but wow her hair is full of body and movement. No more frizzy ends!Ready for a demonstration at your salon? Tuesday, August 7, 2012
#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.
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?
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.
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!
Friday, August 3, 2012
On healthy hair growth
Clients frequently ask me how to make their hair grow faster. There are many factors that affect hair growth, such as genetics, nutrition and environment.
Hair is approximately 91% protein. Cells form in the hair follicle and grow up and out, filling up with keratin on the way. By the time the hair is visible on the scalp, it is a dead strand of keratinized protein. It is no longer alive. Only the part of the hair beneath the scalp is actually living and growing.
On average, hair grows about 1/2 inch per month. The growth cycle of hair is usually four to five years. Then the hair follicle sheds the hair, rests, and starts the cycle over again. Most people shed around 100 hairs a day as this process occurs. Some hair will break off due to aggressive brushing, blow drying, flat ironing, etc. This is mechanical damage. Some hair will break off due to chemical damage from color applications, lightening/bleaching, permanent waving, relaxers, etc. These processes all force the cuticle of the hair open, causing weak points that will split and break.
So, why does it seem that the hair is not growing for some people? Well - it IS growing. The problem is that when the hair is broken off, due to mechanical or chemical damage, it takes YEARS for that to come back.
So, if you want to grow your hair longer there are several steps that must be followed.
1) Cut off damaged hair. Once hair ends split, it is like a "run" in ladies pantyhose: the split will travel up the hair shaft to the weakest point and break off. However, if you trim those split ends off (about a 1" trim every other month) before they break, you've only lost an inch of hair which will regrow in 8 weeks.Once the ends are healthy, you can reduce the trimming to a 1/4" every six weeks, leaving net length.
2) Hair needs moisture! Many, many products contain silicones or glycerines or other chemicals that work great the first few times you use them. Then a few weeks go by and you notice your hair is dryer than ever! This is because these products work by forcing the cuticle shut. A closed cuticle will appear smooth and reflect light, creating the shine we all crave. However, a cuticle that is glued shut cannot open to allow the natural exchange of moisture, therefore drying out the hair worse than ever. A good clarifying treatment is needed to remove the build up from these products.
3) Be Gentle. Wearing a tightly bound ponytail in the same place on the head over and over again will stress the hair being pinched into that tight elastic band (mechanical damage). If you wear a ponytail, try to not make it a tight one. Move the ponytail from the top of your head, to the back of your head, to the nape of the neck, or to one side or the other.
If you hear or feel ripping, crunching, or pulling when brushing your hair, you're causing mechanical damage! Use a wide-tooth comb or pick instead. It should slide quietly through the hair. If there is a knot, gently untangle it from the ends up to the roots using a wide tooth comb. Try not to rip through the hair.
Make sure all brushes and combs being used are clean. Stray hairs that collect on tools can weave their way into a nice tangle. http://www.hairfinder.com/tips/cleanbrushes.htm
Don't use hot water! Try to use the most tepid warm water when shampooing. Hot water forces the cuticle open. Cold water will shut it again and add shine. Always rinse hair with cold water (as cold as you can tolerate) after shampooing.
Wear a hat to protect your hair and scalp from the sun!
4) Be Kind. Any chemical service (color, perms, relaxer, etc) will cause some damage. In order to minimize damage, make sure your hair is as healthy as possible before doing the service. Take your stylist's advice on this as well. Any stylist worth their licensure will refuse to do any service that risks the integrity of the hair. Remember, you are walking around showing off that stylist's work, so if it looks awful it will affect their business.
5) Seek out Healthy Hair choices. Educate yourself. Ask your stylist WHY she prefers a particular product. Does it really improve your hair or is it just a commission based sale? Does the product do what it says it should do? Does the salon have a return or exchange policy?
6) When in Doubt...Seek the advice of a doctor, specifically a dermatologist or a trichologist, if you are fortunate enought to have one in your medical community. If your hair is still brittle, thinning, and delicate, consult a medical professional. These can be symptoms of many, many things, including endocrine disorders, thyroid malfunctions, and allergies. http://thyroid.about.com/cs/hairloss/a/hairloss.htm It's always better to find out it's nothing than to find out it was a fixable condition had you treated it sooner. My doctor has a sign in his office that says, "The worst words a doctor can hear from a patient: I thought it would go away."
I must conclude by saying that I am grateful to work for a haircare company that offers products that are all natural, with no silicones, glycerines, or harsh chemicals. Our products work by using the attraction between negative and positive particles, thereby actually pulling water molecules into the hair shaft, not coating the hair with anything artificial. I hope you request the e-Cure Treatment at your salon. It has helped restore my hair (which was severely damaged after perming over color).
I'm not writing this as a commercial, but as a testimonial. I love the products and I love hearing from salons all over the country on their successes with it. http://youtu.be/tIqgECdTHPM
source: Milady's Standard Cosmetology
Hair is approximately 91% protein. Cells form in the hair follicle and grow up and out, filling up with keratin on the way. By the time the hair is visible on the scalp, it is a dead strand of keratinized protein. It is no longer alive. Only the part of the hair beneath the scalp is actually living and growing.
On average, hair grows about 1/2 inch per month. The growth cycle of hair is usually four to five years. Then the hair follicle sheds the hair, rests, and starts the cycle over again. Most people shed around 100 hairs a day as this process occurs. Some hair will break off due to aggressive brushing, blow drying, flat ironing, etc. This is mechanical damage. Some hair will break off due to chemical damage from color applications, lightening/bleaching, permanent waving, relaxers, etc. These processes all force the cuticle of the hair open, causing weak points that will split and break. So, why does it seem that the hair is not growing for some people? Well - it IS growing. The problem is that when the hair is broken off, due to mechanical or chemical damage, it takes YEARS for that to come back.So, if you want to grow your hair longer there are several steps that must be followed.
1) Cut off damaged hair. Once hair ends split, it is like a "run" in ladies pantyhose: the split will travel up the hair shaft to the weakest point and break off. However, if you trim those split ends off (about a 1" trim every other month) before they break, you've only lost an inch of hair which will regrow in 8 weeks.Once the ends are healthy, you can reduce the trimming to a 1/4" every six weeks, leaving net length.
2) Hair needs moisture! Many, many products contain silicones or glycerines or other chemicals that work great the first few times you use them. Then a few weeks go by and you notice your hair is dryer than ever! This is because these products work by forcing the cuticle shut. A closed cuticle will appear smooth and reflect light, creating the shine we all crave. However, a cuticle that is glued shut cannot open to allow the natural exchange of moisture, therefore drying out the hair worse than ever. A good clarifying treatment is needed to remove the build up from these products.
3) Be Gentle. Wearing a tightly bound ponytail in the same place on the head over and over again will stress the hair being pinched into that tight elastic band (mechanical damage). If you wear a ponytail, try to not make it a tight one. Move the ponytail from the top of your head, to the back of your head, to the nape of the neck, or to one side or the other.
If you hear or feel ripping, crunching, or pulling when brushing your hair, you're causing mechanical damage! Use a wide-tooth comb or pick instead. It should slide quietly through the hair. If there is a knot, gently untangle it from the ends up to the roots using a wide tooth comb. Try not to rip through the hair.
Make sure all brushes and combs being used are clean. Stray hairs that collect on tools can weave their way into a nice tangle. http://www.hairfinder.com/tips/cleanbrushes.htm
Don't use hot water! Try to use the most tepid warm water when shampooing. Hot water forces the cuticle open. Cold water will shut it again and add shine. Always rinse hair with cold water (as cold as you can tolerate) after shampooing.
Wear a hat to protect your hair and scalp from the sun!
4) Be Kind. Any chemical service (color, perms, relaxer, etc) will cause some damage. In order to minimize damage, make sure your hair is as healthy as possible before doing the service. Take your stylist's advice on this as well. Any stylist worth their licensure will refuse to do any service that risks the integrity of the hair. Remember, you are walking around showing off that stylist's work, so if it looks awful it will affect their business.
5) Seek out Healthy Hair choices. Educate yourself. Ask your stylist WHY she prefers a particular product. Does it really improve your hair or is it just a commission based sale? Does the product do what it says it should do? Does the salon have a return or exchange policy?
6) When in Doubt...Seek the advice of a doctor, specifically a dermatologist or a trichologist, if you are fortunate enought to have one in your medical community. If your hair is still brittle, thinning, and delicate, consult a medical professional. These can be symptoms of many, many things, including endocrine disorders, thyroid malfunctions, and allergies. http://thyroid.about.com/cs/hairloss/a/hairloss.htm It's always better to find out it's nothing than to find out it was a fixable condition had you treated it sooner. My doctor has a sign in his office that says, "The worst words a doctor can hear from a patient: I thought it would go away."
I must conclude by saying that I am grateful to work for a haircare company that offers products that are all natural, with no silicones, glycerines, or harsh chemicals. Our products work by using the attraction between negative and positive particles, thereby actually pulling water molecules into the hair shaft, not coating the hair with anything artificial. I hope you request the e-Cure Treatment at your salon. It has helped restore my hair (which was severely damaged after perming over color).
I'm not writing this as a commercial, but as a testimonial. I love the products and I love hearing from salons all over the country on their successes with it. http://youtu.be/tIqgECdTHPM
source: Milady's Standard Cosmetology
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
#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!
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!
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