Redkenredhead
Member
Wow has the cosmetology industry changed since I was a new inexperienced cosmetologist 28 yrs ago. With social media, and pintresed Salons over the last 25 yrs are not packing them in like we used to. Along with beauty supply stores and every hair color, nail and beauty do-it-yourself videos the general public is not going into the Beauty Shop as often as they used to!! This is causing more and more salon professionals struggling to keep and maintain a clientel.
I have been a licenced Cosmetologist for 28yrs, I used to be so proud to say that, well not so much any more. I think I'm pretty good in my career, but over the last 6 months more times than not I have said "I'm done" on the other hand I struggle with "what else will I do?" I have hit a wall, it may be the change in industry or the company I work for that did me in, or both!
When you move and are not in the industry for a few yrs, most stylists know it's starting all over again! I feel like the RedHeaded step child of the shop, even though I have more experience than two people I work with. I work for a corporate salon, we have to "now" maintain a SPH (services per hr) of $20 and 14% combos retail +a service ( im always well above the %)or were written up and threatened the loss of employment. I agree that in this industry you have to sell yourself to get those repete clients. It's even harder today than 20yrs ago when clients pre-booked appointments weeks in advance. And where I work we have limited walk-ins, and being that RedHeaded step child, I work less than 20hrs a week if that, because were slow I go in at least 1 to 2 hrs later than my scheduled time along with 3 days off per week! So usually I'm there between 1 and 6 So I may have 2 hrs where we can be steady. And how am I supposed to keep my SPH up? "IMPOSSIBLE " I'm being set up to fail! Last month my SPH was over the $20, the month before it was $19.08 I was writtin up. ( less than a dollar)And its going to happen this month because im under. And if I ask for more hrs, I'm told there are no more to give, I ask for a few opening shifts? Now I'm complaining!!! Stylists with less experience and one who calls out at least on e a month gets those hrs and the best shifts to make more money and they ALWAYS keep there SPH up.!!!! So here I am stuck, unsure of what to do!! I really hate my job. I don't think I have ever said that in my career! Im 46yrs old and feel like a burger flipper! Most stylists know when you go from salon to salon you loose some of the clients you have keeped. I really don't want to start over in another salon. It's going to be another struggle until I prove myself to yet another salon, probably with a manager who wasn't a twinkle in their parents eyes when I started my career and has not a clue how to manage. And where I Iive there are sooooo many salons soooo much competition! I can't really afford to start again, I have two teenage son's and we struggle cuz I'm my tiny little paychecks. Luckily for my husband's job or we would be homeless! I have worked since I was 15yrs old, my husband and I are a team and I will not put all our finances on his shoulders.
I didn't write this to be that "wo-is-me" or feel sorry for me, or even just to put all my problems out there. I'm really writing cuz it clears my mind a bit, and because I know there has to be a stylist out there that is either feeling the same way or works for. Corporate salon that has unreasonable expectations because the higher-ups have never worked behind the chair and have no clue what they are talking about! Corporate salons should be "Only" run by ex-cosmetologists! The big guy my bosses boss answers to believes that if we have more stylists in the salon during the whole day more people will come into the shop! "Not" little does this guy know, the only way your SPH stays at $20 is if your busy from the time you clock in to when you leave. If your busy for only 1/3 of the day and it's all walk-in under $20 hair cut/kids cuts, sitting for the remainder of your day will only kill that number and most men and kids who come into the shop will (ONLY) Get haircuts! Rarely can you up-sell them! It's not all about what the numbers were last year! Several other factors come into play! So corporate salons need to stop "ONLY" Looking at the numbers, and help stylists to maintain your expectations! It's more than running your mouth! Provide some incentive for your staff and better results will come! Maybe I wouldn't In this rut I'm in if I had more support from the salon I'm working for!!!!
I have been a licenced Cosmetologist for 28yrs, I used to be so proud to say that, well not so much any more. I think I'm pretty good in my career, but over the last 6 months more times than not I have said "I'm done" on the other hand I struggle with "what else will I do?" I have hit a wall, it may be the change in industry or the company I work for that did me in, or both!
When you move and are not in the industry for a few yrs, most stylists know it's starting all over again! I feel like the RedHeaded step child of the shop, even though I have more experience than two people I work with. I work for a corporate salon, we have to "now" maintain a SPH (services per hr) of $20 and 14% combos retail +a service ( im always well above the %)or were written up and threatened the loss of employment. I agree that in this industry you have to sell yourself to get those repete clients. It's even harder today than 20yrs ago when clients pre-booked appointments weeks in advance. And where I work we have limited walk-ins, and being that RedHeaded step child, I work less than 20hrs a week if that, because were slow I go in at least 1 to 2 hrs later than my scheduled time along with 3 days off per week! So usually I'm there between 1 and 6 So I may have 2 hrs where we can be steady. And how am I supposed to keep my SPH up? "IMPOSSIBLE " I'm being set up to fail! Last month my SPH was over the $20, the month before it was $19.08 I was writtin up. ( less than a dollar)And its going to happen this month because im under. And if I ask for more hrs, I'm told there are no more to give, I ask for a few opening shifts? Now I'm complaining!!! Stylists with less experience and one who calls out at least on e a month gets those hrs and the best shifts to make more money and they ALWAYS keep there SPH up.!!!! So here I am stuck, unsure of what to do!! I really hate my job. I don't think I have ever said that in my career! Im 46yrs old and feel like a burger flipper! Most stylists know when you go from salon to salon you loose some of the clients you have keeped. I really don't want to start over in another salon. It's going to be another struggle until I prove myself to yet another salon, probably with a manager who wasn't a twinkle in their parents eyes when I started my career and has not a clue how to manage. And where I Iive there are sooooo many salons soooo much competition! I can't really afford to start again, I have two teenage son's and we struggle cuz I'm my tiny little paychecks. Luckily for my husband's job or we would be homeless! I have worked since I was 15yrs old, my husband and I are a team and I will not put all our finances on his shoulders.
I didn't write this to be that "wo-is-me" or feel sorry for me, or even just to put all my problems out there. I'm really writing cuz it clears my mind a bit, and because I know there has to be a stylist out there that is either feeling the same way or works for. Corporate salon that has unreasonable expectations because the higher-ups have never worked behind the chair and have no clue what they are talking about! Corporate salons should be "Only" run by ex-cosmetologists! The big guy my bosses boss answers to believes that if we have more stylists in the salon during the whole day more people will come into the shop! "Not" little does this guy know, the only way your SPH stays at $20 is if your busy from the time you clock in to when you leave. If your busy for only 1/3 of the day and it's all walk-in under $20 hair cut/kids cuts, sitting for the remainder of your day will only kill that number and most men and kids who come into the shop will (ONLY) Get haircuts! Rarely can you up-sell them! It's not all about what the numbers were last year! Several other factors come into play! So corporate salons need to stop "ONLY" Looking at the numbers, and help stylists to maintain your expectations! It's more than running your mouth! Provide some incentive for your staff and better results will come! Maybe I wouldn't In this rut I'm in if I had more support from the salon I'm working for!!!!
