10 tips on how to provide a perfect client consultation in a hair salon - with Pedro Plastic

10 tips on how to provide a perfect client consultation in a hair salon - with Pedro Plastic

The value of doing a thorough client consultation when you are a hair stylist cannot be overstated. It does not only allow you to provide excellent customer service, but can also save you from a myriad of difficult situations - from clients’ hair getting ruined by the chemical service as they failed to inform you about their hair history to their immense disappointment when the result is not what they imagined.

We’ve invited our Booksy Ambassador, the colour maestro Pedro aka Pedro Plastic, to give us his best tips on how to run a perfect customer consultation - from things you cannot forget about to proper consultation etiquette. Join us today to learn life-saving hairdressing knowledge from the best!

1. Get to understand your client's needs

The first and most basic rule of client consultation is - you need to be on the same page. This means that you have to truly “get” what your customer wants, and they need to be aware of the processes that lead to certain results.

“It’s very important for you to understand the needs of your clients, and also for your customer to understand what you are telling them”, explains Pedro. “Sometimes it can be very technical, as you have all the knowledge about hair, but your clients don’t. So never forget that! It’s very important to give a very clear explanation about every single step”. Be aware that things that are super obvious to you may not be obvious to the client! For example, they may not know that going for a lighter colour may require bleaching, and bleached hair requires more maintenance. For some customers changing hair colour seems like a straightforward task so they may be very surprised when met with the cost, length and complexity of the service, as well as the necessary upkeep.

Similarly, your customers may try to communicate with you using terms that you may both understand differently. “Cool blonde” in your client’s head may look nothing like what you have in mind! Thorough consultation helps to avoid such misunderstandings.

2. Do the consultation for every single client

There is this misconception that once a customer becomes your regular patron, you no longer need to have proper consultations with them. And that’s simply not true! “The consultation is as important for the regular customer as it is for a new one, because even a regular client can decide to change their hair or have some issue with it at the moment”, says Pedro.   “It’s good to have a 2-5 minute chat with them before you proceed with any service. Make sure you do that perfect consultation for every single appointment!”

3. Make your client feel really confident and comfortable

Although being thoroughly questioned by their stylist is in the client’s best interest, the experience may not be the most desirable for them. Some people will gladly tell you their entire life story, not to mention the story of their hair, but some can be shy or feel awkward. “It’s not that easy for us to talk about ourselves and our image, especially in front of a mirror”, explains Pedro. “So rule number one - you need to make your client feel really confident and really comfortable”. Although your craft is all about working with hair, there is a lot of knowledge of the human psyche involved! “Break the ice and do some nice conversation BEFORE you start talking about the hair”. Thanks to this, the client will be more open with you and more willing to explain their vision in detail.

4. Ask your client for images

“Ask them to show you some images of what they are looking for”. It’s much easier to have a discussion about the client’s hair goal if you have some concrete inspiration pics in front of your eyes. “If they don’t have any images, you can grab your phone and just ask them to search for some images to show you what they are talking about”. Now you can easily converse without the risk of a misunderstanding. Again, you may be surprised how different “warm-toned auburn balayage” may be for you and your client!

“Usually clients bring their images, so from that point, you know exactly what they are looking for”, says Pedro. “Then you need to assess as a professional if it’s gonna be possible or not -  or even if it can be done in one sit down or not”.

Some stylists ask their customers about their job to check whether such style or colour will fit their occupation, but Pedro advises against it. “A customer should be free to wear whatever they want. So, just try to understand your client's needs!”.

5. Don’t forget about tests!

“After understanding what your clients are looking for, there comes the moment for you to do all the tests”. It’s best to do both a patch test (applying a tiny patch of the colour formula on the client’s skin to check for a possible allergy flare) and a strand test (checking how a stand of the client’s hair reacts to the formula). It ensures the safety of the customer and helps you assess whether you can achieve the result the customer desires in one sitting. Thanks to the strand test, you can also see whether the client’s hair has been chemically treated before - a crucial bit of information they may have failed to deliver, intentionally or not.

6. Always be gentle and polite

Sometimes clients’ hair is not in a good enough condition to meet their hair goal. What should you do then?

“When the colour service is not possible, don’t be rude and don’t be too direct”, says Pedro, “because people can get really offended, or sad about not being able to achieve that goal”. Empathy is key. “They were expecting for days or maybe months to have an appointment with you, and to just have their hair done a specific colour, so try to make them understand exactly why you cannot proceed with that service, at least in one appointment”. It must be crystal clear that you are not refusing them on a whim because you are lazy, but because there are some important factors that cannot be omitted.

7. Make sure the client understands all the process

This is super important. “Make sure they understand every single step of a colour service that you need to do to achieve that goal”, instructs Pedro. “You need to make them understand what will not be possible, without saying it too harshly”. Again - clear yet polite communication is your best friend. “For example, you can say: ‘this will be very difficult to achieve, because your hair is in THIS condition, and I need your hair to be in THAT condition to achieve this look. It’s not impossible, I just need you to understand that we may need some extra time, so we will get the colour that you are looking for. Maybe not today, but in a few sessions you will get that look’”.

8. Understand your client’s hair routine

Radical colour change, especially one involving bleaching, requires upkeep - and not all clients are ready for it. A client who is used to washing their hair daily with some harsh degreaser may not be the best candidate for going from pitch black to platinum blonde - and dealing with its consequences. You, as a professional, may pay attention to such situations.

“Before you start a colour service just make sure you understand your client’s daily hair routine - how they wash their hair and how often, what kind of products they use, what kind of shampoos, treatments, and styling products, whether they use straighteners, heat tools and hair dryers”, says Pedro. “If there is something that will fade the colour too quickly, just let them understand that BEFORE you apply the colour”.

How can you initiate this topic? Pedro says: “Tell your client - ‘are you looking for this colour? You need to know that you need to change some of your routines in the morning or when you wash your hair’. People usually don’t know that! And a wrong product can ruin a colour in a couple of shampoos”. Clients need to be aware of such things before you start mixing the colour. “If they do not agree with it, you can always change the colour service for something different. If they want something more low-maintenance, you can also advise them to choose a different shade, or a different technique for example”.

9. Create a specific service for consultation and testing

So, how can you make consultations work for you organisation-wise? “To make it all way easier, I advise you to add a specific service to your menu called ‘colour consultation and skin test’. Your new customers can book such a consultation prior to their actual colour appointment”. This way you can invite your new clients for a quick chat before the appointment itself and talk about all necessary things, as well as do tests.

10. Introduce your clients to Booksy for even more peace of mind!

Finally, the quick pre-appointment consultation is the perfect moment to teach your clients to use the Booksy customer app. “You can use this moment to talk about Booksy and to show clients how easy it is to make an appointment with you”. Why is it beneficial for you as a stylist? Pedro explains: “once you show them how to download the app, and how they can book their appointments, then they can do everything by themselves, without texting you and taking any of your time. That’s the best part of Booksy - your customers can book their own appointments from home at any given time, 24/7!”

How else can using Booksy help you? “You can use Booksy’s Message Blast in your app to stay in touch with your clients! Whenever you have any kind of promotion, changes in services or opening times, or if you host a special event, just make sure you send them a message". Consistent communication with your clientele is the cornerstone of your relationship, so don’t sleep on such a convenient marketing automation. “All your customers love you”, sums it up Pedro, “so show them the same love!”.