Colour correction ...

[Tess Warwick]

Just wondering, but what do other Geeks do about colour correction clients?

People come to us asking to correct 'box' colouring' (surprise!). We've been happy to do colour correction so far but we're finding that clients (and young ones in particular) want a magic wand waved at them. They want an instant fix and they don't want to pay for the service. We give a really good consultation and we advise clients that the colour correction process is a process and not a quick fix and that the precedure will take up to 4 appointments of corrective treatments. Of course, when they see the results of the first part of the procedure they're rarely happy - which they have been warned about - and which puts us on the back foot.

I find it very stressful and so do my girls. I'm about to put a stop on all remedial colouring services. It really doesn't pay, clients don't want to go the a lengthy process and the stress nearly kills me and my girls.

What do other Geeks think?

 

[-sophisticutz-]

Unfortunately, people who pay for box colours in the first place will always baulk at the price. If they weren't price concious they would have got it done properly in the first place.

I try and remind clients, as gently as possible, that if colouring hair was that straight forward and easy, they wouldn't be needing to seek my expertise now.

Before I go beyond the consultation process, I expect my clients to agree to a certain standard of aftercare and I am quite blunt in the fact that this is my good reputation on the line and I am not willing to risk it if they are not prepared to keep their end of the bargain. I go through, thoroughly, their expectations and the potential outcomes. I never sugar coat.

Don't wavier at all on price, you are the expert and they need you, and be confident.

Maybe a refresher course on colour correction would help you and your team and give you confidence. With the tools available now, you should be able to get the results in less that 4 appointments. Use all the resources available to you, your colour company should have a technical team that can help you choose the right method. This will also reassure the client that you know what you are doing and you are worth the money they are paying.

 

[skankinchar]

I find I have the same problem as you tess, and it's getting to be a real pain!
I always tell the client it's unlikely that the will get the result they want instantly, and when they say "oh can't you do so and so" I get just tell them that I'm not willing to compromise the condition of the hair, and that it needs to be looked after in between treatments to get it healthy.
Test cuttings are very handy as well- that way I can show my clients the results that I am able to achieve, and then they can decide if they want to continue with the service!

 

[HairSquared]

It is not often that the need for correction arises after one application of a box dye. I take the first opportunity to explain to them that it took more than one application to get them here, therefore it will likely take more than one appointment to sort out the mess.
I also point out that yes, regular trips to see me cost more than a trip to the drug store, but when you average out the costs of corrections, plus the damage the box job does, the extra few bux are hardly worth compromising your hair.... (with the added bonus of pampering and no mess at home.)
We make most of our money from color and would never dream of turning these clients away, but the key here is consultation. They need to understand that it is unpredictable, as is the cost, but their only alternative is to have the hair they themselves have created,until every last strand grows out. Its all in how you communticate it to them. I have gained more faithful color clients from home disaster than any other means by far.