How to manage unrealistic client expectations

Stylists thrive on creating masterpieces through the medium of hair – whether it’s by weaving a stunning head of highlights or providing a flawless balayage blend. However, as experienced stylists know, not everything is possible when it comes to colouring hair.

Even though artificial intelligence has its uses within business, it doesn’t do salons any favours when clients arrive to their appointment armed with a Pinterest board full of computer-generated hair inspiration pictures. (We’ve all had a box-dyed level 5 wanting something icier than Blackpool in February.) Even though we would love nothing more than to send our clients away from the salon with the hair of their dreams, sometimes we just have to say ‘no’.

Obviously, as professional people-pleasers, ‘no’ isn’t in our vocabulary. So here are a few suggestions to tackle some of those impossible requests.

Be honest

Honesty is always the best policy. It’s always tempting to give yourself a challenge – after all, it’s something different to do that’s not your usual root touch-up. However, you must be realistic about what you’re able to accomplish with the factors in front of you. You must also consider that your client may not being entirely honest with you. Do they have virgin hair? If not, what colours have been on it before? Has it been bleached previously, and are those highlights still lurking underneath a blanket of box colours?

Even though you may be a colour connoisseur, every head of hair is different, and some colour changes are just not achievable. If you think it is and are willing to undertake such a service, it’s advised to be upfront with your client and tell them exactly what the service will entail; how many sessions it will take, the strain it will put on their hair, and that the result may not be exactly what they were hoping for. That way, everyone is on the same page, and there’s no nasty surprises.

Suggest an alternative

Nobody likes a disappointed client, so, where possible, suggest a different colour service that could provide a similar result. This way, you don’t compromise your reputation with an unsuccessful service, and the client leaves with something close to the look they wanted whilst reserving the integrity of their hair. 

Price accordingly

Time is money, and long colour services are extremely time-consuming and not to mention, product consuming. A full colour change can use hours of your time that could be spent on four or five cut and blow-dries, so this must be taken into consideration when quoting your client on the service they require. On top of this, you could end up using several scoops of bleach and tubes of colour until you hit your target colour. This is why it’s easier to split the service into several sessions which breaks up the bill for the client.

Be prepared for the outcome

Especially in cases of a complete colour change, the use of bleach is almost unavoidable. Whilst some heads of hair can withstand this chemical process quite well, others cannot.

Proceed with caution and have products at the ready to ease the strain on the hair. Bond-building agents and deep repair treatments are all important to products to have in stock to make sure your client still leaves with hair on their head. Aftercare is also essential when undergoing a drastic colour change. Some colours can be maintained at home whilst others require regular re-growth maintenance. To ensure your client doesn’t come back a week later complaining about a faded colour, include an aftercare consultation at the end of the service advising the next steps in their hair journey.

Remember! Don’t risk your reputation because you can’t say no - your client should trust your knowledge and judgement, and you can send them away knowing that their hair will be better for it.