Hair Stylists, and hair cuts
as someone who is NOT in the majority on hair..... (i have long hair, i want it long, i want it to grow longer....and yes i have a serious investment in beautiful hair sticks, clips, pins, etc)
i can share some things about hair styling and stylists and hair cuts from the various "long hair communities" i am on. this should be useful no matter HOW you like your hair.
first of all, the stylist is being hired by you, for you. if they dont listen to you, dont respect your wishes, etc..... fire them. they do not deserve your business. there are MANY great stylists out there who respect listen to (and sometimes advise) their customer..... give THEM your business.
most stylists will pretty much panic at a "just do something" type request, because lets face it... even if the style actually looked GREAT on you, you are likely to be unhappy with a change you didnt control.
this is why MOST stylists tend to be very conservative in interpreting what their clients want.....
that said? if you walk in with a hair style clipping and the stylist says "i dont think that would be a good idea" you OWE it to yourself to listen to her /his paid opinion. they are not always right. they may be all wrong..... BUT they may be trying to tell you that the look you are showing them would need very high maintenance on YOUR hair, or only looks good on , say, an oval face and you have a square face. if they explain why they think it is a bad idea, and you still want it.... fine. but listen to the WHY.
some people have difficult to handle hair. exceptionally fine, thinning, etc.... there are people who are REALLY good at that, they are worth the extra money they may charge... trust me
some folks just have specific issues
there are stylists who can work ART on curly hair, and just dont work well with uber straight hair, and vice versa... a few are great with both.....but dont be surprised that someone who did your friends curly hair to perfection may not be the best choice for your hair.......
a stylist may not be ranked just by how much they charge. i have had lousy cuts in "expensive" salons, and great cuts at Hair Cuttery.... and vice versa. its the STYLIST skills. not the price. that said? running a store costs money, going to classes and continuing education (YES they have this) costs money. keeping stock in costs money. if you patronize a shop that has top of the line equipment and training, you will be paying for it...... but thats just a fact, you know?
and the stylists in a store are not all interchangeable.
after all, if there are say 5 stylists. one may be VERY good. one may be just so so.. one may be a wizard at coloring, another may be the best curly hair person.... so dont assume they are all "identical scissors"
once you find a good stylist who works with you, knows your hair, and respects you as a customer? stay with them.
oh, and be considerate of time. stylists usually only get paid "by the head" not hourly... so every minute you keep them from the next customer is costing them. that doesnt mean dont chat if its empty.. but be aware of the fact that they are working!
in a related note: if you are late, or just dont show up, you kept a stylists on hold, kept them from making money while they waited for you. this is VERY bad, and will rapidly result in the salon not being able to find you any appts except for the new girl they just hired. its rude, and it costs your stylist her income. if you will be late CALL!
and.....
stylists can work occasional miracles, yes. dont expect them to pull this off all the time. do your best to keep your hair in decent shape.... if you have a pro doing your coloring, ask her before you do something to your hair that may cause problems....and if you have a constant problem (hair breakage, or color issues, or something) talk to the stylist about what you need to do in the salon, and between visits, to stop it, BEFORE you start mucking around with home cures....
(and if you did anything with perms, bleaches, or color at home? tell the stylist before you have her start work.. seriously)
last but not least......
stylists generally do not make a great income. tips/holiday gifts/etc? CASH.
my mom bought her stylists a coffee cup with snoopy on it, because she knew the stylist loved snoopy (and coffee) but she put a NICE bag of coffee in it, and an extra tip for Xmas on top of tipping routinely, and recommending the salon to friends.....
my mom never had trouble getting an appt to fit around her schedule, and the stylist was never worried that spending the extra five minutes to talk about home styling was going to cost her money.
guess who had a great stylist....