Hair, Body and Beauty Service Managers
Organise and control the operations of establishments providing hair, body and beauty services.
A Saturday in the salon
You are the manager of a hair and beauty salon on the busiest Saturday of the month, with every chair booked and a full waiting area. It is 8:45am and the first clients are already at the door. One stylist is running late, the colour delivery is short and a regular client has rung to say she is on her way with a complaint.
Choose what you would do. Then see what happens. There are often good reasons for each choice.
I came in last week for a colour and it is not what I asked for. It is too orange. I am going to a wedding on Sunday. I want it fixed today, and I do not think I should have to pay for it.
Apologise, sit her down at a quiet chair and look at the colour with her before deciding how to fix it
Eleni appreciates being listened to, but you have not yet worked out who will fix it, and the clock is ticking on a full day. Taking the time is right, though a plan needs to follow quickly.
Tell her the colour was what she agreed to at the time, and you cannot change it for free
She leaves upset and tells her friends. It may be true that the colour was agreed, but you did not listen to what she was really feeling. A long-time client is worth more than one correction.
Look at the colour with her, agree what she wanted and have a senior stylist correct it
Eleni leaves with the right colour and a clear understanding. You find out the consultation notes were thin, and add a step to your process. Fixing it and fixing the cause is the aim.
A new client is asking for a treatment I haven't done on my own before, and the senior stylist is busy. She says she is happy for me to do it. I want to impress, but I am nervous. Should I go ahead?
Tell her to go ahead, because the client has agreed and the day is busy
The result is not what the client hoped and needs a correction. The client agreed, but she did not know Lucy's level. An apprentice needs supervision, even when the client is relaxed.
Ask a senior stylist to supervise her, tell the client plainly who will be there, and stay close for the first steps
Lucy completes the treatment with support and the client is pleased. She is proud, and learns by doing it properly. Good training happens in the real workplace with the right help.
Tell her to say no to the client and refer her to someone else
The client is fine, but Lucy misses a learning opportunity she was ready for with support. Protecting an apprentice is good, and so is giving her a chance.
A client has just told me her scalp is a bit itchy after the last time she was here. She is not sure if it is the product we used. I can do her service today, but I am not sure if I should.
Tell Taylor to go ahead, since the client has said she is fine to continue
The client's scalp becomes more irritated during the service. She said she was fine, but she did not know what product she was reacting to. A concern about a reaction should be looked into before you carry on.
Pause the service, ask about the reaction and offer an alternative
The client is grateful you took it seriously. You check the product list and arrange a gentler service. Her health matters more than a booking.
Cancel her booking and tell her not to come back until the itch is gone
The client leaves, feeling dismissed and worried, with no advice on what to do. A reaction deserves a conversation, not a closed door.
How it went
By closing, the floor is swept and the till is counted. Running a salon is part business, part people skills and part care for the clients who sit in the chair. Would you enjoy leading a team where looks and trust are both on show?
This is a simplified, fictional situation to help you explore. It is not professional instruction or a test of your ability.
Case study: The Saturday the best stylist quit
A fictional case set in a fictional hair and beauty salon with eight chairs and a treatment room, on a busy Saturday before a long weekend.
The situation
Anita Joshi managed Willow and Vine Hair and Beauty. On a Friday afternoon, her most popular stylist, Corinne, told her she was leaving to start her own business, and would finish at the end of the week. Corinne had a full book of regular clients on Saturday and the salon had a rule about not contacting clients about staff changes. Anita felt hurt and a little angry, and the day's bookings still had to be served.
What they did
Anita took a night to calm down, then spoke to Corinne about how to make the handover fair. She agreed that clients would be told by the salon, kindly and honestly, and that Corinne could say goodbye on her last day. Anita sat down with her other stylists and offered each a chance to take on some of Corinne's clients. She also asked Corinne to introduce the clients to whoever would look after them next.
How it turned out
Several clients stayed, and some followed Corinne. Anita accepted that, and they parted on good terms. She used the experience to change how the salon shared client notes, so a stylist leaving would never leave a gap again.
What would you do?
- Why did Anita wait a night before replying to Corinne?
- How would you feel about managing people who might leave and take clients with them?
- What could a salon do to make clients feel loyal to the place and not just one person?