Thinking Like a Stylist 2
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Last post I spoke a little about the training and qualifications to even begin your career as a hairstylist. A minimum of 1500 hours and years of post school training go into making a good stylist.
Also constant training and updating, Social Media knowledge and customer service experience factor into what makes a great stylist. There is no replacement for the years behind the chair learning, making mistakes and honing our repertoire of good and bad experiences into a memory bank of guest do's and don'ts.
Take for example when you come in for a color and a cut. You and your stylist have a consult and she starts the service. Have you ever wondered what goes through her/his head before they even pick up the shears or color bottle?
Here is an example of the bare minimum we are thinking when we approach any service...
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/cf4bc7_4c6fae4d993e407381ba83fe41fc8141~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_640,h_480,al_c,q_80,enc_auto/cf4bc7_4c6fae4d993e407381ba83fe41fc8141~mv2.jpg)
Then there's this additional process before we color...
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/cf4bc7_1f70ed29875c4a43bf5bb23c7cb1995b~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_640,h_480,al_c,q_80,enc_auto/cf4bc7_1f70ed29875c4a43bf5bb23c7cb1995b~mv2.jpg)
Just a taste of what we MUST consider before we even consider doing a service. What does this mean for you? This means that we should personalize each service for you... we have no choice.
Say you have hair like this...
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/cf4bc7_becb8236bb084b688d1cf007acfcf435~mv2_d_2190_2000_s_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_980,h_895,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/cf4bc7_becb8236bb084b688d1cf007acfcf435~mv2_d_2190_2000_s_2.jpg)
And want hair like this...
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/cf4bc7_4cfceaa2fe4e46e2a5975349f5093a2c~mv2_d_4000_2766_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_980,h_678,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/cf4bc7_4cfceaa2fe4e46e2a5975349f5093a2c~mv2_d_4000_2766_s_4_2.jpg)
A good stylist will not only consider the above charts, they should have knowledge about upkeep, maintenance and cost. All the above are factors that go into a good service.
So how does your internet guru stack up? As far as I'm concerned; unless they have the education, training and experience; they don't.
Next time I will talk about the do's and don'ts of a good consultation with your stylist.
Viv is an award winning stylist with 30 years experience, constant training and a passion for style and service!