Do Your Magic; Ease That Back-to-School Tension, by Gina Rivera, Phenix Founder, President and Hair Expert

Here it comes. First day of school is fast approaching.
That’s a signal for lots of our clients that fall styles are just around the corner and maybe there’s time for one more beachy, honey-soaked ‘do before shifting to those wonderful, rich reds they’ve been eyeing .
For their kids, this can be a really stressful time. Heading back to school, especially a new school, can be nothing short of scary. That can cause parents a lot of worry, too. As salon professionals, we can be a terrific resource, providing parents with a sounding board and their kids with a new ‘do for that ‘red carpet’ stroll onto campus.
Here are a dozen tips to get you started:

Gina Rivera, Phenix Founder, President and Hair Expert

1. Check online to see when local schools get started.
2. Search for the latest kid cuts so that you can pull up the best photos quickly and make suggestions.
3. Ask your clients whether they’ve got kids or grandkids headed back to school. Everyone has these memories, so this is a great topic.
4. Then see if they’d like to bring them in for a back-to-school cut. Maybe offer a special price for a short appointment. If you don’t have openings soon, suggest an appointment shortly after the school year begins. … you’re generating goodwill and new business.
5. Make sure you have your client’s approval before inviting her child to take a seat.
6. Boys may be reluctant to visit their mom’s salon but this isn’t just for girls. Boys have a lot of cool cuts, too, including fohawks and spikes that are easy to do and adjust.
7. Sometimes the kids are there waiting for your clients. If you have time at the end of their appointment, offer to give the kids a quick blowout with a little product.
8. Some kids don’t want a lot of attention. That’s fine. Simplicity and beauty go hand-in-hand. Make it clean, something that compliments their face and you’ll be golden.
9. Most kids’ cuts are simple for a reason. They’re going from reading to a raucous recess in the flash of a sneaker. Be wary of fragile updos, for example, or anything that requires a lot of hairpins.
10. Some kids have very sensitive scalps. Go easy. … See ‘Gina,’ page 6
Gina continued …
11. If a client’s ‘young adult’ is headed off to college, a trip to the stylist or manicurist makes a fantastic going-away gift.
12. You don’t want your salon to be an arena for a death match between a mom and daughter over whether she can shave one side of her head. If it starts to get heated just suggest that they don’t need to decide right away and can come back another time.
You can do so much good with this. Build goodwill and ease the unavoidable back-to-school stress for a young scholar.
Have fun and, as always, be open to change!