Consumer Corner

The real experience of a new client visiting a salon.

As a first time customer at a salon that I was trying out, I walked in with many expectations. I was having my hair cut and colored at a salon that a friend had recommended to me. I was a little bit nervous, and at the same time had high expectations. I expected my stylist as well as the others working at the salon to be professional, but also be friendly and make me feel like I was a guest in their home.

As I walked in the first thing I noticed, as well as one of the most import, was the atmosphere of the salon as a whole. I took in the smells, colors, lighting, energy and people. The last thing I wanted to walk in on when I'm about to hand over $80 dollars plus tip is a salon that is dark, stressful and full of negative people and energy. This makes it very difficult as a first time client to enjoy your visit and come back for future visits. At this new salon, I appreciated the fact that the entire place was buzzing with happy and energetic people. salon provided refreshments, a feature which many salons tend to overlook and find unimportant. I find refreshments such as coffee, water, tea and even small snacks to be a sign of thoughtfulness on the salon's part.

When I stepped up to the front desk, I was not expecting the receptionist to know me immediately, but at least be able to find my name quickly so I that I could get into my appointment in a timely manner. However, not only did I have to give my full name, but I had to tell her what time my appointment was for, who I was with, when I called and made the appointment, and a few other answers which all added up to about five minutes. This was about four minutes and 30 seconds longer than I wanted to spend with the receptionist. When she finally found my name and told me to sit and wait, I found myself annoyed and constantly checking my watch to guess how much longer I would possibly have to wait.

The rest of my experience went quite smoothly and the stylist saved the day! After meeting my stylist and having her help me figure out exactly what I wanted to do, I received a relaxing, yet quick shampoo before I sat in the chair. Shortly after meeting my new stylist, I figured out right away that she had a lot of experience and made me feel comfortable instantly. We made pleasant small talk while she cut, highlighted, and dried my hair. When she was finished, the stylist showed me a new shampoo that I should use that would help to protect my newly colored hair. I left the salon with a small card that read the date of my next appointment and a strong feeling of satisfaction with my new look.