I have been a hair stylist since 2009. There are many hair stylists who have been in this industry much longer than I, and there are many that have not. We all have our strengths and weaknesses in one way or another. We are in a highly competitive industry and each of us got into it for different reasons. What I am curious to know is what do clients actually look for in their hairstylist?

I have had this conversation with a variety of people. I was surprised to hear some of the things that they actually looked for in their hairstylist. I have heard the obvious, great hair cutting, hair coloring, and styling. I have also heard some of you say someone close by, someone who I can relate to or easy to talk to. Many of you have unfortunately had some mean hair stylists. I have also heard things like someone who is professional and accommodating. I love what I do and that is why I am always trying to think of ways to make things better. At the end of the day if my clients and customers are not happy, than I am not either.

Sometimes clients love their stylist and don’t want to ‘cheat’ on them. They may end up going to another hair dresser because they want something different, had a bad haircut and didn’t feel comfortable letting their stylist know. Sometimes clients come and go and we never know why, or never know the REAL reasons why. But what I do know is that if things were communicated more freely without feeling of judgement on either side we would only help the industry grow and become better.

By letting your stylist know how you feel about their work may initially be a little blow for the stylist, but if they are open to growth they will listen and work to improve. If the stylist is passionate and serious about their career they will listen to you and work to accommodate your requests or recommendations to the best of their abilities. If the stylist is not serious about their career and their reputation in the industry, then you don’t want that stylist anyways and probably should at that point try to find a stylist more serious, passionate, and able to meet your needs. Some get into this industry for the wrong reasons and they simply don’t care about ‘changing’ their ways to accommodate the client. They don’t see the value in investing in their own growth.

Of course we love to hear how you love our work too! Your hair is our art canvas. An artistic outlet. It keeps us going and sometimes you never know what a little positive feedback can do for someones day. That’s what I love about this industry too. Being able to make someones day better by taking one less stress off of them and giving them great hair!

What are some of the things you look for in your hair stylist? What do you value most and what are some of your pet peeves that will deter you from even trying a new stylist?