Hair Consultation Questions – How to conduct a perfect salon consultation
How to conduct the prefect salon consultation with the necessary hair consultation questions.
There is an endless list of questions you could ask a client during a hair consultation, whether in a barbershop or a salon. But not all are necessary, others are. And they might change client to client.
So how do you know which questions to ask which clients? You have to take into account-
- Lifestyle
- Occupation
- Amount of time spent styling each day
- Growth patterns
Each of these things YOU as the stylist, cosmetologist, or barber get the privilege of advising your guest on. Don’t expect them to know that each of these things above are important when they choose a haircut. It’s your job.
Let’s talk about how to go about talking with guests about their haircut and how to become the detective and puzzle together the exact style your client is looking for and how to make it look amazing on them.
What is a Hair Consultation Question?
A hair consultation is when a client sits in your chair in need of a haircut or color service.
You, as the hair professional, begin to play detective and decipher exactly what your client wants and what will suit them and their lifestyle best.
Hair consultation questions are any kind of question that help you determine who this person is in your chair, and how to help them achieve their desired look and help them maintain it until their next service.
Consultations are free in most salons. And only take a few minutes. There are some salons that require a consultation before booking any service. They want to ensure that their stylists have an accurate picture of what condition the hair is in currently and what their game plan will be when the service is booked.
Some salons offer a hair consultation form. I personally, prefer to speak with the client directly and hear them describe what they want, watch how they style it, listen to what parts bother them, and gather all of the information I need that way.
I do, however, and highly recommend! taking notes of what we talked about and any preferences the client might have so that I don’t have to ask again next time they come in. This is also a great tool to help your guest feel remembered next time they come, and remind them that they are not just money walking in the door but a person that I genuinely would like to know.
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Tools to Use During a Consultation and How it Usually Works
🤝 When a guest first comes into your salon or barbershop start with “hello”, look them in the eye and introduce yourself. They are a person, before they are a client. Start on the right foot and allow respect to be this client’s first impression of you.
Then the consultation begins…
☝️First- Listen to what your guest is saying. But because we can’t help it, we usually are looking at the hair at the same time, taking mental notes about it as they are is talking.
-Don’t worry, we’ll get to the questions in a minute… this is important… HOW to ask the questions is just as important as the questions themselves-
👀 Watch how your guest describes their hair preferences. Are they touching their hair? If so, what direction are they moving it? Or are they touching their hair as if it annoys them and they are telling you about their trouble spots? Are they giving you length signals, showing you ‘landmarks’ if you will, about how long they want their hair to be left and where they want it to lay?
🚫 Measurements in inches is never a good idea when asking hair consultation questions because everyone has a different perception of how much is actually 3 inches. To them it could be 🤏 this much but in reality it’s 8 inches.
Always show your client how much you might be taking off and where it will lie in length when you’re done. Or use your handy dandy measuring comb! Generic cutting combs have measurements imprinted on them so you can show them exactly how many inches it actually is to confirm if that actually is what they had in mind.
✌️Secondly, getting to know your guest’s personality and lifestyle is another key to giving them the right hairstyle, or color. Asking your guest how they style their hair… how much time do they spend on it in the morning… are they a lawyer or a fisherman?
Occupation and lifestyle have a lot to do with how the hair should be cut and advised on how to maintain it.
Sometimes it’s your job, as the cosmetologist, barber, or hairstylist asking these hair consultation questions, to advise modifications to the haircuts and styles your clients want. Or find alternatives if that’s better for them.
For example, if someone comes into the shop asking for a haircut that just doesn’t suit them, and they don’t style it correctly or their growth pattern does not allow it to look good but it’s what they’ve always asked for, it can be up to you to explain to them why you would advise a different cut or style. And show them! Show them pictures or how you would style it differently to make their hair look better.
🔁 Repeat back what you hear from the client to confirm you are on the same page. If you are not confident that this is a good style for your guest, or that they might be trying to describe what they want with the wrong words, use the key below to confirm.
Key Tool!
👏 Ask for a picture 👏
One of the biggest tools to help communicate exactly what your guest has in mind and confirm that what they are describing is the same thing, ask for a photo.
If you have something in mind or you aren’t sure if what they are asking for is what they actually want, confirm with a picture.
Sometimes clients don’t know how to describe what they do want, so they might tell you they don’t know what kind of haircut they want or that they want you to do your art and surprise them. But I guarantee you, they know exactly what they don’t want.
🛑 Ask questions about what the worst haircut they have had. Or what they didn’t love about the last haircut they received. This will give you clues as to their preferences and what to avoid so that your guest leaves happy, and no misinterpretations were had.
It’s the truest way to get exactly the image they have in mind, in your head, so you can execute said stellar haircut or color and everyone leaves happy.
How to do a Color Consultation in the Salon
Now… The Hair Consultation Questions
Questions to ask your client when consulting for a haircut.
- Tell me about your hair, what do you like about it, and what do you not like about it?
- Is there anything that bothers you about your hair?
- When was your last haircut?
- What did you ask for during your last haircut? Were you happy with that?
- How often do you like to go in-between haircuts?
- How often do your wash your hair?
- What kind of shampoo do you use?
- Do you condition your hair?
- What kind of products do you use on your hair?
- Are you happy with that product? Does it do what you want it to?
- Does your hair feel dry or oily to you generally?
- What do you see when you look at your hair?
- How do you feel when you see your hair in the mirror? Bleh? or Ah yeah!
- How much time do you spend styling it everyday? How much time would you like to spend on it everyday?
- Do you use hot tools on your hair regularly? Curling iron, flat iron, or blow dryer?
- This is what I am hearing you say, that you want… and you style it this way everyday… Is that correct?
Now, a note on hair consultation questions about product
- What kind of products do you use on your hair? Including shampoo.
- Are you happy with that product? Does it do what you want it to?
- Do you condition your hair?
When asking about what kind of products your client uses regularly on their hair, ask them if they are satisfied with that product. Why did they choose that particular one?
If they’re not married to that particular styling product or shampoo, recommend what you would use and ask if you can try it out on them while they are in your chair.
This is not only a technique to be used to help you sell product but also to educate your guest on what products would be the best for their hair and the style they want.
The key is not to be pushy. Let them decide if they want a new product. If they try it out in the salon and love it, they can come back to get the product. If not, then you can keep trying new things until you find one that your client will love.
For more tips on how to sell retail please see the article below.
How to Sell Retail in the Salon
How do I prepare for a hair consultation? The Client’s Side
How should a client prepare for a hair consultation? Should they be asking questions too?
Yes!
📸 Clients should bring a photo of what they have in mind and what they want to look like when they walk out of the salon that day.
A client should have a list of questions, though probably not the same number as the stylist.
- What kind of damage will this service cause on my hair?
- How should I take care of my hair at home?
- What product would you recommend for this problem I’ve been having?
- Do you think this style (or color) would work with my face shape and skin tone?
- This is my budget today, will this service accommodate that amount?
Are you, as the client, confident in your stylists skill? Do you feel that they have heard you and can help you achieve the look you want?
If you aren’t confident, it’s okay to not go through with the service.
Consultations are free in most salons. It’s okay if you are just toying with an idea and want to talk to a professional about price, how much time it will take, the maintenance, and if it will suit you and your lifestyle.
A Hair Consultation Example
“Hello! I’m (name) I’ll be doing your haircut today. It’s good to meet you (name).”
You walk with your guest to your chair. Don’t march ahead and wait for them to catch up if they aren’t as quick as you.
Once your guest is seated ask them, “Tell me about your hair, what are we doing today?”
They respond, “I’m toying with the idea of bangs. I really love xyz’s bangs and think they’re so cute! What do you think? Would that work for my face shape?”
This opens another opportunity for you to ask about their lifestyle, “I like those bangs too. It might work for you. For that particular style of bangs you have to spend X amount of time on them each morning to get that look. How long do you usually spend on your hair each day?”
They respond, “I can handle that! I usually spend 15 minutes or so. I wear my hair back a lot because of work. I’m tired of not having any hair that anyone can see, which is why I thought bangs would be a good idea.”
You can ask about their work later, you already have the information that you need because they said their hair has to be worn back for work. Next would be, “This style of bangs will probably grow out in about X weeks. How often will you be able to get them trimmed? Do you think they will be in your way?”
They will answer whether they can handle it or not, the growth, maintenance, and now you can get to the haircut!
You- “What about the length?”
Client- “Only about an inch off, please.”
You- “One inch looks like about this much off, is that alright?”
Client- “Oh, I thought it would be more than that. You can cut it up to here.”
You repeat and show where the length would be laying on the body after that much is cut off.
You have been actively listening to your client- “Are we cutting layers today? You said you wear your hair up a lot, layers would lighten it up so it’s not so heavy. I see that you used to have some layers but after the length is cut there won’t really be any left. Are layers important to you or not really?”
After your client answers this question you can establish how short the layers should be and proceed with the haircut.
The entire consultation should take less than 5 minutes. No consultation should last longer than 15 minutes at the very most.
The Consultation Doesn’t Stop There!
The consult doesn’t stop there. Throughout the service you mention products, how to style their hair and what products you use and would recommend.
At the end of the service you mention how long it will be before their hair will grow out and they’ll need to come back for another haircut. You’re consulting them and if they want to rebook right then, they are consulting you too about their habits and how often they will be coming to see you for a haircut.
For recommendations on how to get clients to rebook and build a clientele fast, please see the article below.
11 Tips on How to Get Clients Fast
Now, not all clients will be happy with your haircut or color. Some people are just not satisfy-able. If you have one of these clients and aren’t sure about how to fire this client or let them go, please see the article below.
How to Fire a Difficult Hair Client
Frequently Asked Questions about Hair Consultation Questions
Do I have to have a hair consultation form to have a good consultation?
No, you do not. You can get an efficient and sufficient consultation without a written hair consultation form filled out by your guest. Sometimes for color clients it is good to have on hand so that you can use it as a release form as well as a record of your color formula.
Can I do virtual hair consultations?
Yes. However, I caution any stylist to make any guarantees over the phone. If FaceTiming or texting photos of their current hair, it is better than over-the-phone consultations. Virtual hair consultations are tricky but not impossible. I highly recommend when doing a virtual hair consultation that you encourage the guest to come in for a brief hands-on consult before scheduling any services.
Is a hair consultation free?
In most salons and barbershops, yes. Others may require the client to come in for a free consultation, especially salons that specialize in color.
Are cosmetology client consultation questions different than hair consultation questions?
Yes and no.
No because these question you use for haircuts and color. Yes because under a cosmetology license you can sell other services. During the consultation you can ask if they would like to add a a waxing service, or a beard trim. Any up-sale, even a shampoo adds up and ends up making you a lot more money.
How to Wash Hair in the Salon and Make More Money
How long does a consultation take?
No consultation should take longer than 15 minutes. If your client is unsure and still trying to describe what they want or telling you what was wrong with their hair from every stylist they’ve ever had (and it takes 15 minutes), kindly decline that client. Those are huge red flags.
Most consultations take no more than 5 minutes.
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