by Leigh Bond
OK, so you’ve never passed out in the stylist’s chair. But just because you didn't recognize yourself (we hope) among the top nine salon sinners doesn't mean you're a styling saint. There are certain bad behaviors that salon employees see over and over again. They don't always make for an outrageous story, but they're just as irritating. Make sure you're not guilty of these top 10 common sins:
1. Using the stylist’s scissors: “Sometimes clients will just grab our scissors and think they can use them to cut tags or paper ... our scissors are very expensive because they’re well balanced,” says Elaine, a senior stylist at Roque Salon in Chicago. Using them to snip coupons ruins that balance.
2. Mistaking a salon for day care: “We see all kinds of incidents in here where parents think we can just be babysitters ... I can’t cut hair and watch their kids too,” says Casey, a stylist at Intrigue Salon in Georgia.
3. Assuming the parlor is pet-friendly: “I have little teacup dogs come in here and mess all the time, and the dog owners just expect the salon somehow to clean it up,” says Edwin Paul, the owner of Edwin Paul Salon in Michigan.
4. Setting your expectations too high: “A lot of times, customers come in with a vision that exists in fantasy land ... It’s hard to be the one to tell them it’s a fantasy—it’s not them," says Valentino, the owner of Planet Hair in Florida.
5. Not tipping: “Sometimes people come in and maybe don’t know to tip or think that they don’t have to tip. We’re still trying to figure out a nice way to handle that,” says Yuka, a stylist at KC Stylist Studio in Pasadena, Calif. As a general rule, tip your stylist 20 percent and give your shampoo attendant between $3 and $10. You don't need to tip the owner of the salon.
6. Being indecisive: “It’s kind of a peculiar situation to be put in as a stylist, not knowing what they want at all and just hoping it turns out for the best,” says Valentino.
7. Badmouthing previous stylists: "It kind of makes you feel like you can’t win because this person can’t be pleased. It sets a bad tone,” says Elaine.
8. Sauntering in ... whenever: “People show up really, really late and don’t even consider whether they can still be taken—they just expect that you’ll be able to fit them in without impacting everyone with appointments behind them,” says Elaine.
9. Chattering on your cell phone: “I had an attorney come in here once and give way too much information about a case he was working on for the whole salon to hear. It’s just inappropriate—I felt bad for the people involved, and everyone at the salon who had to listen,” says Edwin Paul.
10. Being a total diva: “Sometimes celebrities or the extremely wealthy come in with just this sense of entitlement—like they can just walk in the door for a four-hour hair and highlight appointment whenever they want. We bend as much as we can, but sometimes their levels of expectation are impossible,” says Paul.
