Instead of leading the new client to your chair and speaking to them over their shoulder, try sitting down with them in the reception area, or some other similar arrangement. This 'one on one' is far more personal and allows your new client the opportunity to relax and feel unrushed.
After the client has shared their vision of what they would like to look like, be sure to ask follow-up questions. What you consider short and what they consider short may be inches apart, and it is unlikely that you will ever see that client again if these types of issues are not clarified.
Another good question to ask a client is why they left their last salon? This will tell you much about the client and their expectations. (Never ask who the other salon was, and most certainly never bad mouth the other salon. Instead extend your empathy and let it go at that.) It can't hurt to ask them what their most enjoyable salon experience was either. This question alone will yield volumes of information about the client.
Be sure to explain salon policies to the new client and explain to them that it sometimes takes a session or two to get a color or cut just right with a new client, and that they should not hesitate to ask for a touchup service at no cost within the next few days.
It is extremely important that the client feels free to let you know when you have missed the mark, and they are not satisfied with the results. Sometimes you can tell by watching the client, at other times you cannot. The client will assure you that they are happy, but in truth, you will never see them again.
Never try to convince a customer that you know what is best for them, and never try to tell the client that a crappy cut or color looks good. You will be far better off admitting that you didn't get the results that you had hoped for, but that you will work with them until you get it right. This builds trust. Leave your ego at home.
I will let you in on a little hiring secret of mine. I don't give a hoot how long someone has been cutting or what their talents are. I can always train them. The number one ingredient that I look for in a stylist is 'sincerity.' It is also the number one ingredient that a client looks for in a stylist, someone who really cares. Master this, and you are the master of your professional destiny.
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