Hairdressing chit-chat is a staple of the salon experience. Yet, while some clients lap it up and thrive in this environment – venting about their personal life or gossiping about the latest drama, those who suffer with social anxiety can think of nothing worse. For these people, going to the hairdresser becomes more of a daunting task than an enjoyable experience.
Silence please
To help those clients with social anxiety, increasingly more salons are offering the option for a silent appointment. This allows their clients to relax during their appointment without having the pressure of having to engage in conversation. For some clients, the offer of a silent appointment can make the difference between going to the hairdressers or not.
Just ask Alex
Alex Thaddeus from Alex Thaddeus Hairdressing custom-tailors her appointments to her clients, offering her new ‘Chat or Chill’ system, which indicates to the stylist what type of appointment a client would like. The system is a simple chalkboard with the word ‘chat’ on one side, and ‘chill’ on the other. The client can make their decision once they get in the chair, with the stylist then being able to customise the appointment to their preference.
Alex had seen the concept on social media, sharing a poll to her story on whether her clients would like to see the concept introduced to the salon – the response was 100%!
Alex comments: “I have previously accommodated clients on occasion who would, for personal reasons, benefit from a quiet appointment. This can be for so many reasons, from neurodiversity to just having a bad day or running low on social steam. I then started talking to clients about it, and it was extremely well received, with the hope of making the salon a fully inclusive space for the people that don’t see a salon experience as a treat.”
Alex adds: “I recognised that this could also benefit our younger stylists. With 20+ years in the industry, I can usually read social cues from clients if they just need a bit of quiet. However, the younger members of the team may misinterpret this as a personal negative response. This system allows the stylist to calmly work through the appointment with confidence”.
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