8 Questions to Ask Before Every Service
Ask a stylist what went wrong the last time a client left unhappy, and the answer is often “we weren’t on the same page.” She wanted a soft change and got a big one. She mentioned a photo that never came up. She forgot to say she’d coloured her hair at home last month.
A good consultation takes about five minutes, at the start, before any product comes out. It’s the cheapest quality control you’ll ever do. These are the eight questions we’d ask.
1. “What would you like to change today?”
Let her speak first. Don’t offer a solution until she’s finished. You’ll learn more from the way she describes the problem than from the answer itself.
2. “Do you have a photo of what you have in mind?”
Pictures are the great translators. “A little off the length” means five centimetres to one client and fifteen to another. If the photo shows a result her hair can’t reach, say so now and show what’s possible.
3. “What have you done to your hair or skin recently?”
Colour, bleach, henna, rebonding, a facial last week, a new skin cream. All of it changes what you can safely do. Ask about home treatments, too, because that’s the answer most people leave out.
4. “Any allergies or skin conditions I should know about?”
Allergies to hair dye, latex, fragrance or ingredients in a facial are rarer than you’d think but worth asking every single time. Pair this with a patch test where the service needs one. Our patch test policy guide has the details.
5. “How much time do you want to spend on it each day?”
A cut that needs twenty minutes of styling won’t survive a client who gives it five. Ask about her routine and pick something that fits it.
6. “Do you have a budget in mind?”
It’s an awkward question, but a necessary one for expensive services. Say the price (or range) before you start, not at the till. Two minutes of honesty here saves a conversation nobody wants to have.
7. “Is there an event, or anything you need it for?”
A wedding in two weeks changes the advice. So does a job interview tomorrow, or a holiday on the beach. It also tells you who might become a regular.
8. “Did you like your last result?”
If she’s been to another salon, ask what she loved and what she didn’t. You’ll find out what she values, and what mistakes to avoid.
Repeat it back
End with a one-sentence summary: “So, a few centimetres off, keep the layers, softer colour, and you’ll style it quickly in the morning. Right?” If she says yes, you can begin. If she hesitates, you’ve just saved a bad afternoon.
Write it down
The best consultation in the world is wasted if the next stylist asks everything again. Keep the answers with the client. In Salonipy, the Beauty Record stores allergies, patch tests, colour formulas and before-and-after photos, so whoever sees her next already knows. Combine it with the Due Again list and you’ll know when she’s ready for her next service, too.
Consultations make a real difference to how clients feel about you, and that shows in repeat visits. For more on keeping them coming back, read our client retention guide.
Related: Patch test policy · Client retention · How to do a keratin treatment