Well, under the hat of hairdresser, people tend to not fully see the drama that unfurls at a hair salon. Almost a year ago, I left one salon for another, thinking I would avoid the drama the last place had. While I fully understand that life has it's own form of drama every day and that even places of employment will have it's dramatic moments, I was truly hoping for LESS with this move.
Upon roughly three seconds of pondering what I call the change in scenery from my crumbling castle that I call "home", and the establishment that I happen to work at, I somehow starting coining the phrase "As The Hair Curls: The behind the scenes of a salon soap opera", I was told that I should write about it and share with the masses what really goes on behind the scenes. With a tweak of sarcasm here and a few name changes there (to protect the innocent... DUH), I will be sharing a tale of foolishness that just might have you scratch your head in wonder. I should know.... I might be scratching myself bald as I type this. Well, maybe pulling my hair out would be a better assessment. So.... without further ado..... here is my synopsis for As The Hair Curls....
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Working at a salon can have it's perks, but there are times that having this perk is a curse. Really, a person that has a love of working with people and creating looks to bring a smile to their face is pretty awesome, if you ask me. With a keen eye like an artist and a chemist's ability to change nature, a hairdresser can change a person's outlook in one visit. Not all are perfect, but if your batting average in happy clients surpasses the ones that guarantee they will never be happy.... you are successful. Of course, with that success, there is a totally different level of success that needs to be achieved, that is, if you want to pay your bills, eat, and keep gas in the car.... you have to earn your keep.
Ah, the life of a hairdresser! We are magicians to your hair, a shoulder to cry on, and a sounding board that lets you vent your feelings. Sometimes, we have sage advice... other times... not so much. I recall my favorite time is during the finishing stage. The roar of the blowdryer and the finesse of a round brush, creating lift and curl to hair that was once flat and lifeless. Of course, with the hampered ability to truly hear what the client is saying, I have managed to miss hearing about being set up on a date with a client's grandson once. That was a long time ago, and the uncomfortable experience of turning down a date from what I saw was a stage one clinger was enough for me to get a more quiet blowdryer. Yep, no more just smiling and nodding as a client droned on about something because it can end up with a stalker and a client you had to lose by changing salons.
While everything looks all happy and joyful when you walk into a salon, there is an undercurrent of drama that is being held together within an inch of being exposed. That forced smile, the voice going up an octave, the word "fine" being used far too often... all signs of chaos lurking around the corner. Never to be seen because it is unprofessional to talk about the animosity that runs rampant behind the scenes. Sure, there are probably some salons that are drama free in every way somewhere out there, but I have not found it. Hmmm.... is there a GPS locator for Fantasyland, USA?
Teamwork is essential in any work environment in order to be a cohesive machine producing their sell-able product, whatever it may be. This is where the drama begins.....
In the salon I work at, there are about four people renting and the rest are part time employees. Only one has been considered full time and she is the owner. Roughly six months ago, the owner of the salon was in a really bad car accident that left her with a shattered elbow. She has not been able to work since the accident and has put trust in her part time staff to take care of her clients in her absence. While everyone was concerned about the well being of our boss, we agreed to help her out.
Some increased their hours to accommodate the changes, while one in particular, made it their life's mission to not share the workload. I think I will call her.... C. Well, C is not the most likable person. She claims to be a devout Catholic/Christian, but has greed that runs really deep. Definitely not a team player, but feels that Christian counseling is the answer to everything. Oh, and since she has two kids in college, so nobody has a need to make money anymore because our bills don't count. Total toxicity overload once she steps foot in the salon.
Life is war! Especially in a salon. The desire to build a steady clientele is not only because we would be bored just sitting around, but the fact that this line of work, in this salon like many others, you only earn a paycheck from a percentage of your billable services. Part of what each clients pays goes to the stylist and the rest goes to the salon to pay the bills and purchase supplies. If there is no work to be done.... you earn nothing. What can create a war zone like no other is having a team-like atmosphere implode because one person is determined to take every client that walks in and does not share. Yet again, C has outdone herself by walking away from one client in her chair to claim another client that walked in, and right in front of another stylist talking to the client that walked in! If I was the client in the chair being ignored for a new client.... I would never return to that salon and definitely not THAT stylist, but sadly people are sympathetic to her tale of needing money and offer her a second chance. Now, usually I don't let her antics bother me because I have my own clients to attend to and the walk in clients that I have gotten when C is not there are happy to see me again. It is that one day that we both happen to be working that she tends to get me angry. Especially since she tried to poach one of my clients right in front of me. Luckily, my client has been loyal to me for years and told her as such. They decided to wait for me and I was happy about that. Of course, I was completely ticked off that she would do such a thing, but obviously she refuses to see the error of her ways. Since that day, she has been in my sights and I am determined to shine a light on her when she pulls this garbage when the boss comes around.
Fortunately, in times of war, there are moments of peace. Sadly, the only time that there is peace is when C is not there, or when the owner of the salon (as known as... the boss) is present. Suddenly, that greedy little monster is back on her chain and behaves. It is C's classic move to make everyone look delusional. I have a strong desire to change that game.
Now, we cannot just talk about C and her inability to play with others. We need to share with you yet another facet of drama and that is.... The puppet master. Every salon has one. Heck, they probably have more than one, but this puppet master is one to keep the toxicity flowing with a dash of insane. I think I will call her.... L. L is a self-diagnosed gluten intolerant person that claims to be bipolar and has attention deficit disorder. Talk about it being a mish-mosh of crazy. I'll admit that she does seem nice.... on her good days. On all the others, it is like watching a fully grown person pull a temper tantrum that a two year old does. She has announced to every client that she cannot do a haircut in under 30 minutes (it usually takes her an hour or more), and don't get me started on how long it takes her to do any chemical services. She is more vocal about her frustrations with C. Probably because C manages to always take clients from L's chair and put them in hers. The only thing I can really say about L's work ethic is that if you have a day to spend at the salon and she is on her "A"-game, she does do some good work. All in all, L enjoys pointing out C's greed and does round up everyone else in the same category when things don't go her way. Not all that sure if there is a way to control that kind of drama, but I have some ideas. They will most likely fail miserably. I'll keep you posted...
Now, to add a little more drama on this environment that is supposed to be my happy place... There are at least three people that are so part time that I could easily forget they work here. These are what I call "the ghost" hairdressers. The protocol goes as such.... A client calls in to make an appointment with one of the ghost stylists (and I will call them GS from here on out). While the GS does not have an actual schedule, per se, a phone number needs to be taken with the promise of a return call of confirmation if the GS can come in for them. After roughly three texts and four phone calls, an appointment is finally made. Of course, the GS manages to forget the appointment and does not show or arrives at least 15 minutes late for the appointment. Trying to assure a client that their hairdresser is to arrive shortly is stressful enough. Especially when they don't show up and won't answer the darn phone!
Now, since you have a feel for the characters I deal with, I can consider doing journal entries for the antics that happen "behind the scenes" in a salon. Not sure if there is much to go with, but I do have some things I can mention in the future, that is, if it happens to change into something story worthy.
This looks like a good place to stop for now. Have a good day!
