Choosing a beauty salon.

As more and more beauty salons pop up around the country, it becomes harder to determine which salon gets your business. Do you want a low cost cut, a high end salon or something in between? Should you go to a walk-in chain salon or a privately owned one? Do you want a salon that only cuts hair or would you like a place that offers a full service such as nails, facials, massages, etc.?

These are all valid considerations when determining which salon gets your business. Let’s take a look at some of these issues.

The first place to start in choosing a salon is to evaluate what needs to be done. A woman just wanting her hair trimmed may go to a different salon than one who wants a permanent, coloring, or other more extensive services. If she needs her hair cut quickly and that day, she might be better off going to a walk-in salon, rather than trying to get her regular stylist to work her in on short notice. For other services, a woman may want to think about a full-service, by-appointment-only salon. This means that she will have a stylist who is expecting her, knows what she wants done, and is not under pressure to squeeze in more clients.

Referrals are often the next step in choosing a beauty salon. They will ask friends and co-workers who “does good hair” in their town or at a particular salon. Women will usually readily share good and bad experiences with beauty salons and stylists. They will also share whether they feel a beauty salon charges too much for its services, and whether the work is worth the price.

Price does play a part in choosing a beauty salon. Some salons work off the famous name of their owner, and will usually charge more as a result. The local “beauty shop” probably will be a little cheaper.

Most states require that anyone who cuts hair and charges for it be a licensed cosmetologist. This means they have taken courses, passed written state exams and been certified by their cosmetology school and by the state. A woman should always make sure her stylist is a licensed cosmetologist, although most beauty salons would be in violation of the law for hiring anyone who is not.

A beauty salon should be clean, neat and brightly lit. Staff should be friendly and courteous, regardless of what they perceive as the customer’s social status. Anyone who does not receive courteous treatment should report the incident to the owner or manager of the beauty salon and go elsewhere. A customer should make sure the employees practice good hygiene, personally and with their customers. A dirty beauty salon is no place to get a haircut.

Lastly, there is a simple five step method for choosing a salon.

1. Observe different hair styles that you like and ask around (friends, family, coworkers) where they get their hair done.

2. Make a list of the different beauty salons that were given and narrow down your search according to the information that you were given.

3. Call the beauty salons from your narrow search and find out the following information: exact location, fees, hours of operation, stylist’s experience and clientele.

4. Plan a visit to determine if you are comfortable with the location of the beauty salon, like the atmosphere of the salon and stylist to discuss what you are looking for.

5. Schedule a hair appointment to decide if you are satisfied with your choice.

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