cherriedlove
Active Member
Okay hopefully this is in the right place because I have a bit of a rant.
I'm working in a small salon in a somewhat conservative town. I'm pretty much newly qualified and so thankful for the opportunity to build up my experience. Within a month and a bit, I've already got a handful of regulars, I pay out of pocket on my ridiculously meager wage for external training so I can be the best therapist I can be. In the time I've been at the salon, gross profits went up by almost 50% and this has been the most profitable month in 2 years (which is NOT ONLY because of me but mostly because another extremely hard working therapist) and things have really been looking up. I feel really excited about the salon and just making the business thrive.
But today I am not so sure. I don't consider myself radical, but I believe in treating men and women the same. So I really am not phased by things like male waxing, pedicures or massages.
I was told that one of the therapists was fine with male clients. She wasn't. I didn't realise that the salon was "women only with the inclusion of some partners/relatives" and I booked in a male client for a pedicure and massage (even though the owner was standing right next to me while making the booking). There was a bit of complaining behind my back by the therapist because she didn't want to do a male client. So I got called in to do a half-day specifically for this client and obviously I helped set up treatment rooms and did a lot of cleaning so I wasn't there just for that appointment.
I spoke to the therapist who was upset about the booking directly and she told me she had negative experiences before and didn't like being alone in the salon with males. Fair enough, I understand and I don't blame her for feeling that way because personal experiences can really shape you.
But what upset me today was that I had to do my male client's pedicure upstairs hidden away from the female clients. We have a beautiful pedicure station set up but instead I had to take him upstairs and do a pedicure on the bed because there were female clients downstairs. It worked out fine because I adapted and we did a massage afterwards, in fact it worked out better because it was a wayyy better set up for my posture. But it was mostly the principle that annoyed me. Should male clients be "hidden"?
Downstairs the client (it being a local town, clients are often friends of the owner and therapists) and my fellow therapist were having a bit of a chat about me because I was doing a male client and made a comment or two when I came downstairs. I found that extremely disrespectful. I'm not ashamed in giving treatments to men whatsoever. My client today was absolutely wonderful: respectful, polite, receptive and warm and not inappropriate at all.
Now my male client wants to make a rolling fortnightly appointment with me. His monthly total for appointments would be like 7% of gross profit for a slow month. But because of our "no males" policy I've pretty much had to tell him tactfully that I'll speak the owner but the chances are it might not happen.
Personally I think it's fine for individual therapists to decide to decline male clients. But I don't believe serving male clients is a taboo. It's not about the metro trend blah blah. I DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT. I think males should have the exact same privilege to look after their skin, their hands and feet. It's not just about appearance but skin health and well-being.
I'm a feminist and I really am a huge believer of treating men and women as equals and to me, it's an unfair policy that is borderline discrimination.
What do you think? Do you think having male clients will ruin a salon's reputation? Or should I shut up and just deal because it's not my salon and I don't know what this town is like?
I'm working in a small salon in a somewhat conservative town. I'm pretty much newly qualified and so thankful for the opportunity to build up my experience. Within a month and a bit, I've already got a handful of regulars, I pay out of pocket on my ridiculously meager wage for external training so I can be the best therapist I can be. In the time I've been at the salon, gross profits went up by almost 50% and this has been the most profitable month in 2 years (which is NOT ONLY because of me but mostly because another extremely hard working therapist) and things have really been looking up. I feel really excited about the salon and just making the business thrive.
But today I am not so sure. I don't consider myself radical, but I believe in treating men and women the same. So I really am not phased by things like male waxing, pedicures or massages.
I was told that one of the therapists was fine with male clients. She wasn't. I didn't realise that the salon was "women only with the inclusion of some partners/relatives" and I booked in a male client for a pedicure and massage (even though the owner was standing right next to me while making the booking). There was a bit of complaining behind my back by the therapist because she didn't want to do a male client. So I got called in to do a half-day specifically for this client and obviously I helped set up treatment rooms and did a lot of cleaning so I wasn't there just for that appointment.
I spoke to the therapist who was upset about the booking directly and she told me she had negative experiences before and didn't like being alone in the salon with males. Fair enough, I understand and I don't blame her for feeling that way because personal experiences can really shape you.
But what upset me today was that I had to do my male client's pedicure upstairs hidden away from the female clients. We have a beautiful pedicure station set up but instead I had to take him upstairs and do a pedicure on the bed because there were female clients downstairs. It worked out fine because I adapted and we did a massage afterwards, in fact it worked out better because it was a wayyy better set up for my posture. But it was mostly the principle that annoyed me. Should male clients be "hidden"?
Downstairs the client (it being a local town, clients are often friends of the owner and therapists) and my fellow therapist were having a bit of a chat about me because I was doing a male client and made a comment or two when I came downstairs. I found that extremely disrespectful. I'm not ashamed in giving treatments to men whatsoever. My client today was absolutely wonderful: respectful, polite, receptive and warm and not inappropriate at all.
Now my male client wants to make a rolling fortnightly appointment with me. His monthly total for appointments would be like 7% of gross profit for a slow month. But because of our "no males" policy I've pretty much had to tell him tactfully that I'll speak the owner but the chances are it might not happen.
Personally I think it's fine for individual therapists to decide to decline male clients. But I don't believe serving male clients is a taboo. It's not about the metro trend blah blah. I DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT. I think males should have the exact same privilege to look after their skin, their hands and feet. It's not just about appearance but skin health and well-being.
I'm a feminist and I really am a huge believer of treating men and women as equals and to me, it's an unfair policy that is borderline discrimination.
What do you think? Do you think having male clients will ruin a salon's reputation? Or should I shut up and just deal because it's not my salon and I don't know what this town is like?