Have you ever had a really great hairdresser, but then all of a sudden it seems like she ghosts you?
Have you ever had a really great Client and then it seems like all of a sudden she ghosts you?
This is the perfect example of crossing a boundary line with your client or your hairdresser.
As a hairdresser, I understand all too well how easy it is to be invested in your clients. Hairdressers by trade are nurturing, caring, loving, sympathetic, empathetic, and are willing to bend over backwards for their clients. Unfortunately, I also know all too well that some clients simply take advantage of these situations.
Here’s an example :
Your hairdresser takes appointments by text. Your hairdresser has specific hours, but you text late at night or early in the morning outside of the hairdresser’s business hours, expecting a response. You do not get a response, so then you text again and again and again. Finally, you get aggravated and you make a comment to this hairdresser, such as “Hey, I messaged you yesterday and you didn’t get back to me yet about an appointment.” Well, I hate to tell you this, but it’s not uncommon for hairdressers to need their own time frame, and it’s also not uncommon for hairdressers to respond back to you during their normal business hours instead of at your beck and call. If you call a doctor on Sunday, are they gonna call you back on Sunday? No, they are not! If you call a lawyer, a dentist vet’s office a construction company outside of their business hours. They will respond back to you during their normal business hours. It’s no different than your hairdresser. Your hairdresser should be able to respond to you during their normal business hours, not at your beck and call. They should also be able to have that response time without clients constantly texting and getting upset because they didn’t get back to them fast enough. I’ve seen Clients say, “She just posted on Facebook. I know she has her phone, but why can’t she just answer me?!” Well, once again, it’s not inside of her normal business hours, she’s not required to respond to you about work, and she’s not working.
This is the best way for you as a client to mistreat a hairdresser and have her ghost you. A lot of clients think that because hairdressers give out their personal cell phone numbers and because hairdressers text and because hairdressers are nice and nurturing, empathetic people, that there are no boundaries. Clients don’t realize they are taking advantage of the stylist by expecting the hairdresser to give a higher level of service on their off time and forgetting the fact that hairdressers don’t get paid by the hour; they get paid by the work they do, and they don’t get paid to answer your phone calls. They only get paid when you pay to get your hair done. Yes, it is definitely within a hairdresser’s best interest to return Client’s phone calls, absolutely! However, if the hairdresser is watching their kid at a play or watching their kid at a concert for school, or watching their kid play ball, they are allowed to have free time. They’re allowed to have family time without clients demanding them to answer them at their beck and call during the hairdresser’s off time.
So if you want to keep your hairdresser, respect their time, respect their profession. Don’t assume that just because they are on social media, and that just because they’re nice people, that they have to use up their family time for work. Most clients would not do it, so don’t expect your hairdresser to do it.
Respect each other’s time. It’s the best way for a professional stylist client relationship!