Clients are shopping for more than a great haircut.. they’re shopping for customer service

Have you ever been in a store looking around when a sales representative approaches you and asks, “May I help you”?  Usually in this situation you can brush them off by saying “no thanks I’m just browsing”.

I’ve realized that this kind of interaction doesn’t ever happen in the beauty industry. You can’t go into a salon or spa and just “browse”.  Personal interaction is needed between customer and co-worker from the start. The product is as much a feeling as it is a style.  Clients need to be made feel at home immediately. Positive personal interaction is critical for all of the cosmetology industry. This human element is due in large part to why the Wall Street Journal recently published an article about how service jobs (like hairdressing) are secure. The article claims that the security exists from the fact that cosmetologist positions cannot be off-shored to a foreign country. The article also claims it is because robotic technology is not advanced enough. Although both of these points are true I believe the real reason is due to the strong bond successful cosmetologists have always forged with their clients. This makes interviewing very important in all aspects of the hair business. It was equally important when interviewing at an Empire school during your admissions process; your interviewing skills throughout your career in beauty will be crucial. The interview is not necessarily to determine your practical skills (you already have your education credentials – that’s how you got in the door!) but it is mainly to determine general personality fit and how you interpret your education. In other words, the interviewer wants to see what value you are capable of bringing to the organization.

Another important concept for the interview is to show that you are willing to continue learning because it is simply impossible to learn everything in school and be done. Included in this continued learning is to develop your own self-awareness because if you don’t know yourself how can you get to know others, right?  Many of the skills we learn in school will be used for a lifetime, but passion and ability to change can’t be taught anywhere. Learning to adapt to a rapidly changing world is more important than ever. I’m so confident in the education that Empire Education Group delivers to our students every day, but this really is just the beginning for successful future salon professionals. Just recently I’ve realized that nearly all of my own education was for me to learn how to learn. Every organization will have different procedures and policies. Each salon will have different client preferences and expectations. This doesn’t even take into account how often styles change that cosmetologists have to keep up with!  It is up to you to continue to develop yourself and be a lifelong learner as well as a relationship builder and networker.  Remember, in this great business of beauty there is no such thing as browsing.