Re-evaluating Our Approach to Our Work
What’s this hair thing all about anyway?
Is it just me, or does it feel like a lot of the conversations and social media vibes around the relationships we have with our clients conveniently ignore the fact that we would be nothing without them? Seriously, go scroll through social media and tell me how many people are promoting good customer service, how to create an incredible experience with your customer, or how to get your clients to come back year in and year out. What I see is almost nothing to that tune. Instead, I see a lot of negative sentiment towards disrespectful clients, boundary-violating clients, and empowerment messages reminding us that it is OUR business, not theirs.
Okay, okay, maybe it isn't fair to say we would be nothing. I would still know how to do hair! With no clients, I could gift everyone haircuts during family get–togethers…. What would I do for income? How would I pay my bills? How would I buy another rental property? How would I go on the trip my wife and I want to take before we have babies? As a matter of fact, we probably will not go on such a trip because, now, I am thinking about how much having babies will cost! Good thing I have incredible relationships with around 200 or more people who not only like my craftsperson work but, they like…me! At least they must like me enough to keep coming back to me for years!
My point here is to bring attention to an area in which we at HairdresserStrong.com will be spending our time developing educational & supportive content and courses to help you build a STRONG and sustainable career. We do not believe that there is any other way of doing this business that is worth learning other than building relationships through professionalism and a thoughtful customer experience. We believe that, as craftspeople who serve humans, we must treat everyone with grace while having a strong sense of self.
Okay, Robert, I am listening! … But what do you mean by professionalism, customer experience, and grace?
I am glad you asked! These will be topics that I expand on over the next year to give more depth to understanding. For now, I have pulled some definitions for you that I believe encompass what I am trying to communicate…
Professionalism, as defined by the Department of Labor: Professionalism does not mean wearing a suit or carrying a briefcase; rather, it means conducting oneself with responsibility, integrity, accountability, and excellence. It means communicating effectively and appropriately and always finding a way to be productive.
https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/odep/topics/youth/softskills/professionalism.pdf
Customer Experience is the entire journey of a customer's interaction with your brand. We must consider every single step the customer takes when interacting with us: Awareness > Interacting with us outside our physical space > Interacting with us inside our space > Follow up and interacting with our brand/business after they leave our space
Grace as defined by Merriam-Webster: disposition to or an act or instance of kindness, courtesy, or clemency
Learning and understanding these items and all of their intricacies is what I will be writing and creating social media content about moving forward. I believe having a strong sense of self is imperative to upholding personal and professional boundaries. There are plenty of people out there offering advice on boundaries, so I will just say that you do need to understand yourself in a way that helps you manage your business and clientele with professionalism. Your mental health is important, and I am not disregarding that. You can have both! You can have strong boundaries, but you can also create an experience for and relationship with your clients in which they trust you, rely on you, know that you will extend grace when needed, and even bend over backwards for them (within reason).
I just worry about the ability to sustain business in this industry when hairdressers forget that they service humans who come to us on a recurring basis for up to hours at a time. There is soooo much more than the ability to do hair that makes this happen. If you want to be an artist seeking art in a gallery, go for it!... and good luck.
We will empower, educate, and advise hairdressers to have financial abundance, strong mental health, and sustainability in the lives they build. This is ALL done through relationships, and we build and incubate relationships through a handful of practices and approaches described herein.
What do you think about all of this? I would love to know! Is there an area you are struggling with? Do you have any points I may have missed or not dived into deep enough? Please leave a comment below!
Robert, a 20-year veteran, has worked passionately, for the bulk of his career to empower stylists, democratize the industry, and shift the power dynamic to be more equitable for the hairdresser.
