Booking Salon Appointments: What is appropriate?

When booking salon appointments, there are certain unspoken appropriate behaviors clients or guests should try to adhere to, to ensure a positive experience for all.

In booking salon appointments, even if the hairstylist, esthetician or manicurist runs their business from their home and is considered a friend, a few rules should still apply, because after all, they are trying to be as professional as possible, while still maintaining a friendly atmosphere.

The business the stylist wants to portray is like that of a storefront salon and therefore similar practices should be respected when booking salon appointments at home or within a busy salon.

Only adults should book salon appointments. They are paying; they should take care of the phone call.
Facebook, texting and chance meetings outside of business hours are inappropriate methods for booking salon appointments. They do not convey desires, needs and wants and catch the hairstylist off guard who is not working at the time. Texting and Facebook messages can and should only schedule a time, and not be used for discussing pricing, colors, and styles, especially with children, especially for third parties. And most won’t take bookings this way at all.
Have an idea of a few days and or times that work best for you instead of asking “When are you free?” When he or she is free may not fit into your schedule. If the stylist is running a professional business, she will make the time for you. It is rude to take time from her or him to play guessing games.
Be specific on what you are looking to accomplish, and if you aren’t sure, ask.
If the stylist doesn’t speak your language, find one who does. No sense in all parties leaving unhappy due to improper communication.

Although the parent may want the young teen to learn responsibility and take care of booking their own salon appointments, it rarely works out well for many, MANY reasons. The parent and child need to be together and on board and have a consultation to discuss cost and the integrity of the hair, which may be compromised due to an unreasonable request. All things need to be considered and relayed to parent and teen so they both understand if a process cannot be done, and if it is recommended.

Prices are not always standard as other factors such as length, density and the process all need to be factored in to the service and therefore the cost. Asking what the price of a color for a friend would cost during a Facebook chat without the professional seeing the person’s head is not only unreasonable, but unfair to ask of the hairstylist after his or her working hours are over, especially without a parent’s consent.

Please consider these facts when booking your salon appointments with your favorite hairstylist to ensure a positive experience from beginning to end.

And on a personal note, I will only offer a price after a physical consultation, which may or may not occur at the time of the appointment, and I will not take any salon appointment bookings from any person other than an adult. Thank you for understanding.

Happy Styling!