After eight long months of suffering after I lost my hairdresser, I have finally booked an appointment. I called the salon and surprisingly got an appointment two days from now; I am actually excited. I will enjoy looking around someone else’s salon and seeing what little touches they use to make a guest feel special. Maybe I’ll get some new ideas.

Ah, to sit and have a service done for me–now that is going to be nice. I even tried to decide if I will tell the stylist that I am a hairdresser too. I personally feel slight apprehension when I learn a new guest has done hair. Will they sit back and enjoy the ride; or, more commonly, will they try and micromanage every snip of my shears?  Oooh, and getting a blow out, HEAVENS!

The day is here and I am going to really enjoy this. About two hours before the scheduled reservation time, my phone rings. It’s the receptionist at the salon: “Um, hi, Rachael? This is (fill in name here) calling from (blank) Salon.”  Strange, but alright. “The stylist asked me to call and see if you can move your appointment to tomorrow or the next day?” No reasons are given and I do not ask.

“No, I cannot move the appointment,” I huff into the phone. “Go ahead and cancel the reservation. Thank you.”  I am so disappointed; but worse, I am angry.

I have been hairdressing for 11 years and more often than not, I am mortified at how my fellow professional hairdressers act and think. I hear and see all sorts of things, like arriving late for a guest with a bag of Taco Bell in hand mumbling about being hungry–often followed closely by, “I’m so slow,” or “Why don’t they treat us like other professionals, like doctors and lawyers?” or my personal pet peeve, “Urgh, I have a huge gap in my day. I am going to call and move so and so’s appointment to tomorrow so I can go home! I just can’t sit around and wait!”

REALLY!?!?!?!?!?!?

Thankfully, no one can hear what I’m thinking. If I were to have that conversation out loud, it would sound something like, “Let’s see: You are chronically late for your guests. You answer personal calls or have conversations with other stylists while with your guest. You have an air about you that suggests that your time and attention are about anything other than the person in your chair. Gee, I can’t imagine why in the world you are NOT treated like a professional, especially given your utterly unprofessional attitude!”

I am the one who pays for the sins of those who came before me. When a new guest comes in to my Aveda salon in Las Vegas, I have to make it very clear when they are booking the reservation that I run on time, always. When they come in, the guest is often surprised at the intimate environment. I do not double-book; that guest is the only other person in the studio with me.  I take my time in the consultation to make sure I understand their needs and what they expect to see when they get home.

Then the work can start; and once I am finished, the first two things I usually hear are, “Wow, you’re fast!” and “You styled my hair the way I wear it. I am so glad I don’t have to go home and restyle it.”

Most everyone enjoys the private environment and the personal attention; they are shocked that they never knew anything like my studio existed. Getting someone to understand this before they experience it is almost impossible. A woman often does nothing else for herself other than visiting the hairdresser, so I firmly believe it should be a great experience, every time.

I really can’t begin to fully explain why my studio is different or all the little things I do to make the experience a great one. The best way for you to find out is to give me a call and come in for a service.

Contact me today by calling (702) 547-1444 to schedule your appointment.