In this day and age, speed is becoming more and more important. From fast food to immediate internet connections, people have come to expect things instantly. As a professional hair dresser you are faced many hair color choices and your decisions on which product to use can ultimately be influenced by speed.
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I’m a great believer in speed of service and making things happen as quickly as is humanly possible. In fact, to me anything that slows down service is an enemy to a business and should be removed as quickly as possible. Despite considerations about speed, there is performance and quality of service that must be considered when working with your clients. If you start to throw out performance and quality which your client pays you for, there will be negative consequences.
I think it’s important not to confuse the meaning of service speed. The timely manner in which you service your clients is very different than the length of time needed to give quality, precise service. Not allowing your clients to wait for their appointment, not leaving them waiting with wet hair for their service, and having the receptionist prepared for them to pay and set their next appointment when they are ready to leave are among many things that need constant evaluation and attention. Thus ensuring your operation is not putting delays on your clients getting prompt and timely service.
I think there is a distinction between the above mentioned aspects of service of any operation verses the actual services you do on your client’s hair. By services I mean haircuts, blow drying, hair coloring, perming, facial’s etc. If a client perceives that they are being rushed or pushed through for the sake of speed, this assuredly will have a negative effect on your business. Let’s face it, no matter how experienced and competent you are, doing a great haircut takes a certain amount of time. Winding a perm properly and processing it correctly, takes what it takes in terms of time. Also doing a great color service will take a certain amount of time.
Organic Salon Systems approach is much more natural and gentler on the hair, your client, and the environment. The benefits of those aspects to the fabric you work with, your client’s hair, as well as their comfort and health, and yours should be obvious.
There are so many things that are speeded up these days, mostly through the introduction of chemicals in various forms. Growing of cattle and poultry and the ability to get a hamburger cooked in 60 seconds are examples of ways to speed things up for consumers. Most of these things ultimately bear a price to pay primarily in terms of long time health implications.
I personally think all of us have to make a choice about speed verses quality. One thing I know with certainty is when you give people a superior hair result even if it takes a little longer to get there, they will be happy. They will also happily pay for these superior results and give you their support.
There is obviously a demand for hairdressing in the sector of the market that is concerned primarily about speed. If that’s where you operate and you are happy to do it, so be it. But, I still believe you should be concerned about your client’s hair, health, and comfort as well as your health and the environment you work in.
I’m pleased to say, as a company, we are to be able to offer hairdressers the ability to at least have a more natural choice. It may be a tad slower than ammonia hair color with accelerators added to them. But, I sincerely feel this is a very small price to pay for quality and integrity. I believe your clients would agree, too.
Hilton Bell
President/Creative Director
International Hair and Beauty Systems
