Is Your Hairstylist Ripping You Off?

We all like to think that we can trust people in the hairstyling profession. We seldom stop to ask ourselves if we are getting ripped off because nobody likes to admit it when they've been duped or bamboozled. Yet from my personal and professional experience, it happens more than you would like to know. Hair salons may seem like harmless places, but unfortunately there are salons and stylists out there who are more concerned about making dollars than they are with ethnical business practices.

As a veteran hairdresser, I've worked in dozens of salons in several states. I've worked alongside hundreds of hairstylists, and the majority of them are honest, hard-working folks like you and I. But in every bushel, there's always going to be a bad apple or two. My article this month is going to shed light on some of the not-so-good business practices that sometimes go on in this industry.

There are many scenarios that can depict how customers are sometimes ripped-off. They range from stylists who talk you into buying some kind of product or service you don't need to unscrupulous salon owners who raise prices for dubious reasons. There are two main reasons why a dishonest stylist will try to pull the wool over your eyes. The most recognizable reason is to make money. Another reason is to try to cover up a mistake that was made by the stylist or the salon itself.

Let's examine the first reason, and the most common one. The number one rip-off in the salon is retail sales. Salons are packed with many useful products, and a good stylist will always make recommendations as to which products are best for your hair. Since most stylists are paid by commission, it's a good idea to try to sell retail. But many stylists take this way too far and will not be satisfied until you blow a whole week's paycheck on a bag full of high-priced haircare products that you do not need. I remember working with a hairstylist who liked to literally scare customers into buying certain products. Her scare tactics certainly worked, because she sold retail products to nearly everyone who sat in her chair. Her technique consisted of convincing a customer that their hair was damaged way beyond repair (whether it was or wasn't is anyone's guess). She would then steer the worried client over to the retail shelf and promptly show them the most expensive bottle on the shelf, and say something like: "If you do not use this product, your hair will fall out!" Naturally, this would scare most women into opening their purses and plunking down fifty dollars without hesitation. I call this sales method the "scare tactic", and it is more common than you think. Would this woman's hair have fallen out? Doubtful. If hair is extremely damaged, it will break off, but it rarely ever falls out. So if you are ever told that you need to use a certain product or else your hair will fall out, it is definitely a lie. I've often heard this lie, which is similar. The stylist will ask a client, "What kind of shampoo do you use?" The client will answer, "Pantene (or any other store-bought brand)". The stylist makes a disgusted looking face, then whisper into your ear (like she's confiding one of her deepest secrets),"That stuff is really, really bad for your hair!" This technique replaces the scare tactic with a thing I call the "I'm your best friend in the world so I'm going to let you in on a little secret" technique. The stylist talks to you in a hushed low tone to make it sound like you're privy to a secret that only a few people know about. It is a little more honest than the scare tactic, but not by much. Sadly, many franchise and chain salons coach their employees on using this method. I once worked for a popular nationally-known salon chain who would require you to take classes to perfect these techniques. At this class we would actually have to get up in front of a group and rehearse these selling techniques, while a company trainer would grade on your selling ability. Selling is one thing, but teaching stylists how to rip-off people is something else entirely. Another nationally-known franchise salon even gives out manuals to their stylists instructing them on what to say when a customer says he or she is using a specific store-bought product. It advises stylists to tell users of Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo that the reason it is tear-less is because it contains Novocaine so that it numbs the baby's tear ducts. It also instructs stylists to say that the V in Pantene Pro-V products stands for vinyl, because it contains the same plastic that is used in vinyl flooring. If you read the ingredient list on the bottles, you'd see that it's all hogwash. I've even heard a stylist tell a customer that the protein in Pantene shampoos and conditioners comes from the fetuses of aborted babies!

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