Had a client yesterday who made me rethink how I do consultations

This woman came in for a balayage and kept saying she wanted "low maintenance." I did my usual thing, painted it up nice and soft. She paid and left. Two hours later she texts me a picture of some super chunky money piece and says "this is what I meant." I felt stupid for not asking more questions. How do you guys really dig into what a client actually wants without sounding like you're interrogating them?

3 comments

3 Comments

baker.christopher8d ago

Wait, did she actually say "low maintenance" while showing you a picture of a chunky money piece after? Because that's the opposite of low maintenance. Those chunky highlights grow out harsh and need touch ups every 4-6 weeks to not look weird. What she probably meant was "low maintenance for me personally, meaning I don't want to do anything at home but I still want to look like I just left the salon." You gotta be careful with the word "low maintenance" because everyone defines it differently. I've started asking clients to show me three pictures of what they DONT want too, that clears up way more than asking what they like. Next time someone says low maintenance, push back a little and say "okay so if you can't get here for 4 months, will this still look good to you?" That usually gets them to think.

tessa_carr8d ago

The 4-6 week timeline is EXACTLY what I tell people now after getting burned one time too many. I had this client last year who swore up and down she wanted "barely there" highlights that were "super low maintenance." Showed me a picture of this soft, lived-in blonde. So I did a nice subtle balayage with lots of dimension. She came back a week later crying because her roots weren't stark white and she felt like the highlights were too dark. Meanwhile I'm sitting there thinking you asked for LOW MAINTENANCE not a full bleach and tone every three weeks. The three pictures of what they DON'T want trick is genius by the way. I'm stealing that for sure because I've learned the hard way that clients think "low maintenance" means "I want to do nothing and still look like a magazine cover." It's basically a trap word at this point.

fiona_hunt717d ago

The three pictures of what they don't want thing is smart but honestly I think it can backfire. Some clients get overwhelmed by too many options and shut down. I keep it simpler now, I just ask "when this grows out in two months where do you want the line to be?" That one question separates the real low maintenance people from the ones who just like the idea of it.