A few weeks ago I had the absolute pleasure of designing & styling the hair for the wedding party of one of my most loyal clients. I also attended the reception, which was off the hook! (the photo booth was sooo much fun!)
I'm truly honored to play such an important role in someone's most special day. The 7am start doesn't even bother me much! Coffee, champagne, juice & pastries mixed with the excitement of new beginnings and lots of love. Dusted with shimmer & hairspray!
I was styling a bridesmaids hair whom I've known for many years & we got to chatting about her hair color. She has light brown hair naturally, which I was able to see because she was due for a color. She was a pale blonde overall, but had progressive bands of dark blonde & brassiness closer to her root area. I asked if she was going darker with her blonde for the Fall Season. As it turned out, she paid a lot of money to have a stylist at the salon she frequents, create a color that looked no more amazing than you would expect from a box done in your kitchen. I was shocked. As she sat getting her hair pinned and placed with perfection, she shared her story. She had been loyal to her stylist for years. After recently having her first child, she found herself unable to keep her scheduled appointment, cancelled it and put herself on the back burner for a short time. When she was able to squeeze in a moment for herself she called to set up an appointment, but was disappointed to find out from the receptionist that her stylist no longer had room for her in his book because too much time had passed since they had last seen each other. She was recommended to another stylist on the team, and not knowing what to do, graciously accepted the offer & booked her haircolor & cut. Long story short, she showed up for her appointment, got a color that looked like she had done it herself (and I'm being generous), had a trim, though she had asked for a dramatic stacked bob, with not a product used or recommended, out she went with wet unstyled hair (which if she had to pay more money to have had done, she gladly would have).
I had brought it to her attention that she was tri-colored & uneven and let her know that the style I was choosing for her would not draw attention to that imbalance. She had no idea!!! We booked a future visit to straighten out her color & give her the cut & style she wished to have.
Today was her day. The fix was a simple one. I gave her exactly what she wanted. We looked at color swatches. We compared them to the colors in her hair. We picked the one she wanted & I did what needed to be done to create it. It took a little time & effort, but the conversation & the coffee made the time fly by. She told me how she wanted her hair cut & I cut it just that way. I showed her how to style it. Gave get some advice about her flat iron. Recommended some products to help keep her looking great at home & sent her on her way to be the superstar momma that she is! I'll see her again 2 weeks before Christmas & make sure she looks get very best in every Holiday photo she is in!
At the end of the day, I was still left dumbfounded. She asked me why the last stylist didn't notice the bands of color in her hair, but I was able to. I can't see how she didn't. I think the stylist was just hoping that the client didn't notice it. That's where customer service comes in. Integrity. Could you walk away from something, knowing that there was a way for you to make it better, but choosing not to bother to try? At the end of the day, it's just hair. Not true. At the end of the day, it's how that client feels about themselves every day after they spent their time & money with you. Did you make it worth it? Did you exceed their expectations? Did you make their day a better one?
Each and every time I make sure that I do. It's the integrity that makes the world a better place. Whether it's your stylist, your bank teller, the doctor or cashier at the grocery store. Integrity. Make it right, even if they didn't notice it was wrong.
Just a reminder of a very important lesson learned and shared. It's all in a days work.
