26Nov
The Consultation
At the Curly Hair Institute, Jonathan makes sure that every hair service comes with a consultation. He considers it the most important step to any hair service, because a personalized consultation builds confidence between our stylists and our clients, and a proper consultation makes sure both the stylist and client know what is happening.
To begin the consultation, we take some time initially to gather important information through a series of questions and answers. See the bottom of this article for the list of questions that we tend to use!
“Our 30 years of experience has shown us that some clients don't always know what they want, but ... they know what they don't want in a style.”
- Jonathan Torch
Having clients answer these questions help us to understand the different personalities, lifestyles, and beauty goals of everyone who sits in our chair. There must be a mutual understanding of the difference between different types of waves, curl types and the color tones that you like or dislike. For example: not all "reds" are the same, and "blondes" and “golds” don't have to be brassy. We try to personalize the experience, so that the consultation – and resulting hairstyle – caters to you, your wants, and your needs.
Now, as hairdressers, we know that the cut is the heart of the design. No matter how great the perm or the color, if the cut is not right, the design doesn’t exist. Face shape, hair type, growth patterns, and many other factors must be considered during the creation process. Another important facet of this design process is that the stylist must also recognize the client's ability to style their own hair. At our salon, our curl specialists can be booked for a styling lesson that is catered specifically to that client’s curl type and their hair. This is an incredibly helpful service that makes sure our clients leave the salon with a gorgeous new hairstyle. More importantly, the styling lesson ensures that the clients then have the confidence knowing they can maintain the style themselves!
Something we take very seriously in our salon is that stylists must never bully clients into radical changes to their hair. We tend to forget that the client must be mentally ready to take on a new look. No matter how great the style might look, if the client is not ready for a change, it will not be successful. So, make sure, during the consultation, to cater your suggestions and ideas to what the client feels comfortable with. They are the ones who have to live with what is done to their hair, so if you are proposing a big change, make sure that they have the information necessary to work with their hair when you’re done.
Our 30 years of experience has shown us that some clients don't always know what they want, but more importantly, they know what they don't want in a style. Pictures help bridge the gap as a great communication tool in a consultation, so if you feel comfortable, ask your clients to bring a few pictures to give you a visual. At the end of the day it’s about the client walking away in love with their new look and never wanting to go to another stylist besides you!
