Back to Work: Managing client expectations
When the UK government announced a definitive back to work date, we went through a weird rollercoaster of emotions. EXCITED to have a routine, a purpose to get up every day, and to do hair again… but also an unexpected sense of worry and dare we say it, dread.
Long roots, lack of lunch and back to back colour corrections… These are NOT a few of our favourite things and, much as we ARE all excited to get back behind the chair, it’s easy to feel more than a little overwhelmed at the prospect of such a sudden change in pace.
So, firstly, here are a few tips on how to manage the back to work process to avoid burning out, manage the outrageous expectations of clients and feel all round better prepared for the change :)
Managing Client Expectations
We are ALL in an unusual situation.
The colour result that some clients normally get may take more time than usual to achieve. This could be over more than one appointment or even not be possible at all due to so much time having passed between appointments. THIS IS BEYOND YOUR CONTROL. Reassure them that you will do everything possible to get them to the result they are looking for, but that you DO need their full cooperation, patience and trust.
Things to ask your client to do before their appointment
Find 3 hair pictures they DO like
Find 3 hair pictures they DON’T like
Think about what specifically they do/don’t like about each picture
Do this and bring to their appointment
This will save you valuable time when they actually come in to the salon and help you both to communicate clearly, as well as show with them exactly what is/isn’t possible today.
Pre-return prep
Educate clients via social media to manage their expectations in salon
Humankind Hair Co-Founder Anneliese uses Instagram to effectively manage client expectations BEFORE they even sit in her chair. You can use static images, video or branded text posts to give clients important messages - Anneliese often uses branded text posts created on Canva to grab attention and hammer a message home.
Subjects you might want to include could be:
Will clients need to pay up front?
Do they need a mask?
Being late WILL result in a shorter service (set those boundaries peeps!)
Price and service differences due to long roots
What to do/stop doing now (eg products, heat…)
Any price increases the salon is having
Your working days/hours
If you are happy for them to contact you online
(and maybe let them know you will NOT be replying immediately at 10pm!)
For inspo on a couple of these topics check out the below:
Get yourself organised
Create collections on Instagram to aid client communication and cut down consult time
Creating collections of commonly asked for looks can REALLY save time during consultation.
Clients no longer have to desperately try to describe what they’re after, or waste time searching for an image (you’ve literally had 4 MONTHS to think about what you want done, what do you MEAN you don’t have ANY pics?!?!).
To utilise collections, click on the 3 little lines in the top right of your IG profile page, then select ‘Saved’. You will first need to create a new collection by clicking the little ‘+’ sign in the top right in the image seen above. We recommend naming your collections ‘Blondes’, ‘Brunettes’ etc, just whatever you often get asked for. Create a few and then come back here.
Now you’ve done that, you’re ready to start saving things to your collections. Save either your own content or others as inspo, by clicking the little ‘bookmark’ icon on the bottom right under an image either in your feed or from your own grid. It will come up ‘Save to Collection’ and then you just choose which folder to put it in. You can access these collections at any time in the same way as above and easily whack them out when clients need a little ‘help’ deciding what they want! You’re welcome!
Ready to go!
We hope this has been helpful in getting you ready for your return to work, and to deal with the crazy demands us colourists are sometimes faced with! Remember, the effect that a national lockdown has had on somebody else’s hair is NOT YOUR FAULT and we can only do our best.
We are all people pleasers at heart. it’s so often the reason we go into this job in the first place, but honesty, boundary setting and clear communication with clients is imperative to our well being.
And NOBODY is more important than YOU.
Big love,
HKH xx