Professional ethics in beauty salons: a note to PM masters

All beauty professionals inevitably have to interact with people. For some, this task is simple, for others it is the most difficult aspect of the profession. The easiest option for the master is to say nothing and pretend that you don’t see or hear anything. But such a service can hardly be considered high-quality and pleasant.

About this - in our permanent section "The ABCs of a Beginning Master".

P - Professional Ethics

Today we will talk about the elementary rules of ethics in the service sector, including in the beauty field. Politeness and correctness should be in the subcortex of the masters and employees of the salon. By the way, in private offices, the master must also follow the generally accepted rules of professional ethics. People are different, and sometimes it is very easy to offend a client. Therefore, you need to refrain from ambiguous phrases, defending your beliefs and other off-topic conversations. While talking during the procedure, some topics are best avoided, but every word must be spoken with care.

Communication with customers

The most "problematic" topics to avoid in conversations :

• Religion
• Policy
• National features of different peoples
• Sexual minorities
• Civil rights of various categories of people

Most likely, many explanations are not required here, because it is already clear that out of ignorance it is possible to offend a client for something very personal. A stranger comes to you, about whom almost nothing is known, and it is better to keep all your opinions and life positions to yourself.

Touchy topics to talk about, but with caution:

• Clothes, style, fashion
• Relationships with the opposite sex
• Sex
• Relationships in the family
• Money

In fact, the last list can be continued almost indefinitely. Any topic can cause conflict. Clients usually do not mind talking with the master, unwind, and speak out on some occasion. But usually they want to express themselves more than to listen to other people's speeches. And certainly clients do not come to the salons to argue violently with the master. Although, occasionally there are such;)

In general, the masters and salon staff must adhere to simple rules of communication : be polite, greet and say goodbye to all clients, smile, wish you a good day.

You can safely recommend cosmetics, creams and shampoos to the client, if you are really sure that they will help. Advice should be truthful and sincere, not intrusive. Can recommend a good anesthetic if your procedures involve discomfort. For some procedures, clients prepare themselves, in advance. For example, before shugaring, you can still apply anesthesia at home and wrap the treated area with a film. On the way to the master, the remedy will just work.

Features of working with clients

How to avoid conflicts with clients?

Visitors to beauty salons and private masters come to receive not only the services they are interested in, but also a positive charge, as well as take a break from their everyday affairs. It should be borne in mind that the overall impression depends not only on the professionalism of the master, but also on his courtesy and compliance with the rules of professional ethics.

The professional ethics of beauty industry specialists consists of many aspects, starting with the appearance of the master, ending with his manner of communication. In addition, you still need to follow the rules adopted in the salon, if the institution has its own specifics. When working in an institution, it is important to adhere to the accepted policy, behavior should not go against the rules of the salon. For private masters, this issue is not relevant, but we should not forget that ethical standards will have to be observed, even if clients come to your home for the procedure.

Rules of communication with the client

It's no secret that a visitor will return to you if he liked the attitude towards him, starting from the moment he crossed the threshold of the salon or office. Starting from the administrator and ending directly with the master, the atmosphere and attitude should leave only a pleasant impression.

From the first minute of the appearance of the client in the salon, he should be met, greeted, told where to hang his outerwear or help to do it. If you need to wait, then specify the waiting time and offer drinks or a magazine for a more comfortable waiting. It is very good when the master can personally go to the client and tell him exactly how long to wait. And if he is already free - immediately meet the client and take him to the office for the procedure.

The procedure itself follows. The key to getting a satisfied customer is to give them what they came for, not what you want. Be sure to find out in great detail what the client expects from you, what result he wants to receive. It is better to clarify everything to the smallest detail than to receive a series of complaints because you did not understand the client. You can give recommendations, try to dissuade and convince the client if he asks to do something that does not suit him. But it is not worth imposing too intensively, it is the job of the master to warn.

Clients love it when the master in the process of carrying out the procedure tells what he is doing and why, he names the means that he uses. Firstly, this way the client is less worried, because he understands what will happen and why. And secondly, the client may have an allergy or other negative reaction to some products, and if this has not been announced earlier, he will have time to warn you about it.

During interaction with the client it is undesirable :

• tell a lot about your life, turning the client into a psychologist;
• asking too personal questions;
• criticize the client's choice (with the exception of advice on how to do better, but not in the form of criticism);
• criticize other masters;
• talk badly about your place of work;
• impose paid services.

After the end of the procedure, it is imperative to give advice on home care for the affected area.

Before the client leaves the salon - make sure that he was satisfied. After all, if this did not happen, he will no longer come to you, and even his stories will hit the image of the institution. He has the right to do so if you have not tried hard enough to satisfy his request. Remember that one happy customer will brag about three new ones, and a dissatisfied one will tell 10 people from his circle. So, it makes sense to make an effort to eliminate the negative.

At the end of the first visit, offer the client a salon business card or other informational materials. Make sure the front desk will make an appointment for the next appointment if he wants to. Make sure that the client has someone to take payment so that he does not have to wait. And most importantly: never rush a client to leave, this leaves an extremely negative impression and can block all positive impressions from visiting the salon.

How to behave in conflict situations

Unfortunately, no matter how good the specialist and the salon would be, sooner or later you have to deal with scandalous clients. You really could make a mistake, or you just got a not entirely successful client, but it is still necessary to solve such situations. The first thing every beauty master should remember is to never come into conflict with a client.

If you are faced with a frankly scandalous person, his goal is to call you into an open conflict. The moment you succumbed to this provocation, you lost and you no longer have a chance to finish this business without consequences. If the master or salon is in conflict with the client, he will in any case remain guilty and ruin his image. Therefore, the tone of conversation on the part of professionals should remain diplomatic. The losses in a conflict with one person to compensate for his dissatisfaction are incomparably small with those that the image of the institution can suffer if the client leaves dissatisfied.

In the event of an unpleasant situation, even if personal insults fly in your direction, you cannot switch to the same methods. Sarcastic remarks, barbs and, especially, threats against the client will only aggravate your situation. Most likely, after one such misconduct on the part of the master, the number of his clients will be halved.

In addition, if you have received a complaint, you need to consider it immediately and in detail. If necessary, it is necessary to involve the manager of the salon. Most importantly, in no case do not make excuses and concentrate not on the situation that has occurred, but on ways to solve it. If an incident has already occurred, whether it is resolved or not, you cannot discuss it with other clients, even after some time.

Elements of professional ethics, observance of which is mandatory

There are such basic rules of ethics that are so obvious that they are not even worth mentioning. However, many clients change masters precisely because of non-compliance with these basic rules.

1. Punctuality. Don't make your customers wait. Plan your time so that you have time to serve all the visitors, leave 5-10 minutes in reserve between sessions.
2. Neat appearance and cleanliness. Compliance with the rules of hygiene is one of the duties of the master of the beauty industry. Clean hair and a pleasant, neutral scent should be the golden rule. A dressing gown should be worn, which should be clean and tidy, and clothing should also be in proper shape. It is advisable to avoid too bright flashy colors in clothes and makeup.
3. Accuracy and standards of conduct. The workplace should be in perfect order and no personal items. Food and cigarettes - only during a break, not in front of customers, you also need to put yourself in order in solitude and not at the expense of working time.

Professional ethics require a lot from a specialist. But at the same time, it is its observance that attracts customers and helps to keep them. Compliance with ethics is a necessary factor in the work of a true professional, and not only beauty masters.