It’s time to talk about firing a stylist.

When a guest calls back for a correction service, we typically find that the fail in the service can be traced all the way back to the consultation. In some way, we were misaligned in our communications and expectations.

Similarly, when we find that a team member is no longer working out, we can almost always trace it back to when we hired them and see that there was a misalignment between who they are, and who we hoped they would be.

And honestly, this goes two ways, right? That stylist likely also feels that we aren’t meeting their expectations for who they thought we would be as a salon.

Well today, Salon Owner and Industry Expert, Kati Whitledge, is here to walk you through exactly how to know when it’s time to fire a stylist on your salon team.

In addition to hosting the beloved Beyond The Technique podcast, Kati is the owner of the award-winning Be Inspired Salon located in Madison, Wisconsin, and the creative brain behind Meet Your Stylist, an innovative salon software system that matches potential clients with salon professionals based on services, lifestyle preferences, and personality metrics.

Firing a stylist is never easy, but Kati knows first-hand that it’s better to cut ties sooner rather than later and set both parties free.

Clients choose to do business with your salon because, as Simon Sinek would say, “They believe you value what they value”.  It’s no different with building your salon team! You have to recruit and hire people that value what you value. If you are hiring people based on their technical capabilities or client following, versus hiring based on who they are and how they’ll fit into your salon—you’re going to have a problem. You can help build a stylist’s clientele and work with them on their craft, but you cannot change their mentality or beliefs.

Is Your Stylist Living Up to Your Salon’s Values?

The first and most important sign that an employee should be terminated is when they display behavior that is not in line with your salon values. It is imperative to have company values established that everyone is aware of and knows are the standards for the salon. Examples of salon values are education, guest experience, integrity, loyalty, mentoring and a great attitude. 

The next step is defining what each value means to your salon. Take integrity for example. For Kati’s salon, integrity means you do what you say you are going to do and you make honest and ethical decisions when no one is watching. If someone is behaving in a way that goes against your salon values, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are a bad person, nor does it mean they should not behave that way—it just means they don’t belong in your salon. Do you see that distinction?

How to Know It’s Time to Let a Stylist Go

When a stylist or team member behaves in a way that goes against your salon values, you are faced with two questions. Can you coach them to change and guide them to fit your salon standards? Or, has this crossed the boundaries and become cause for immediate termination?

Kati takes us through an example. Let’s say a stylist is very rude to a client and the client calls to talk to the manager about it. You find out the details of the event and realize that the stylist was out of line. They didn’t live up to your salon value of “guest experience”. You talk with your stylist right away and make sure they acknowledge that they were in the wrong. You document the talk and create an agreement that if, and when, the stylist is in a similar situation with a client in the future, they will choose to behave in a new way. Ultimately, this is a win because it was a one-time offense and your stylist took ownership in their behavior. 

If the stylist had argued about the occurrence, or shifted blame onto someone else, or it just so happened to be the third complaint with this stylist—this might be cause for termination.

Another scenario could be that one of your stylists builds great relationships with their clients. They have massive growth because their soft skills are amazing and as a result, they end up producing the most revenue for your salon. Most salon owners would consider them a star stylist or an “A” player. 

As time passes the stylist becomes proud and at times arrogant. The salon chalks it up as confidence that is admittedly borderline cockiness, but they let it go because the stylist is a total rock star behind the chair. The stylist is given massive perks such as weekends off and they’ve been given the right to no longer provide certain services that they don’t want to do. 

All of a sudden the owner catches wind that the stylist has made a deal with their client to provide services for them outside of the salon at a lesser price point. What do you do? Is this coachable or has this crossed a boundary and become immediate cause for termination? The answer is, they have to go.

Kati says you can’t keep your rock star stylist if they don’t live up to the values of your salon because it sends the wrong message to those who do. You let them go because they are compromising the overall well-being of every single team member.

Sometimes It’s Best to Simply Move On

In Dr. Henry Cloud’s book, Necessary Endings, he shares two profound thoughts, “Without the ability to end things, people stay stuck, never becoming who they are meant to be, never accomplishing all that their talents and abilities should afford them.”

And the second thought that we cannot afford to ignore is, “Your business and your life will change when you really, really get it that some people are not going to change, no matter what you do, and that still others have a vested interest in being destructive.” 

Firing a stylist, manager, assistant or guest service representative is never easy. But the truth of the matter is, even though there are legitimate fears attached to someone leaving, we have to recognize there are greater risks in keeping someone who is not meant to be on the team.

To listen to the podcast that inspired this blog, check out episode 196, and if you’d like to learn a little bit more about our host, Kati, check out her website and don’t forget to subscribe to the Beyond The Technique podcast for more incredible industry insight.

Are your guests excited to spread the great news about your salon to everyone they know? When they do, are they being thanked? 

If your goal is to begin a program that is easy to manage, you’re in luck! 

Salon Owner and Industry Expert, Kati Whitledge, shares how her staff at Be Inspired Salon works to capture guest referrals and how they thank them for their advocacy when those referrals come through.

In addition to hosting the beloved Beyond The Technique podcast, Kati is the owner of the award-winning Be Inspired Salon located in Madison, Wisconsin, and the creative brain behind Meet Your Stylist, an innovative salon software system that matches potential clients with salon professionals based on services, lifestyle preferences, and personality metrics. 

Kati is incredibly passionate about helping others in the industry develop their own success stories, and today she’s sharing her secrets for building an easy-to-manage referral program in order to help you capture those leads.

Capture Data with Client Intake Forms

An easy way to catch wind of a word-of-mouth referral is to ask every new guest how they heard about your salon. You can do this with your client intake form. 

At Be Inspired Salon, the client intake forms are digital. They made a non-public webpage that they have saved as an app on their iPads in the salon. When a guest visits for the first time, they give them the iPad and have them fill out their information. They include the question, “How did you hear about us?” Which prompts each guest to check all that apply.

The reasons they add the disclaimer, “please check all that apply”, is so that they can track their return on investment for all advertising platforms. This could include Google, Facebook, Instagram, Meet Your Stylist, a local magazine, radio, a partnering business, a friend, or other. When a guest selects “friend”, there is a drop down box which prompts them to fill in their friend’s name. 

Even if you’re not ready to go digital with your client intake forms, you can effectively apply these same principles in print.

Give the Gift of Added-Value

After you have an easy way to capture the names of guests who have referred you new guests, it’s so important to show your appreciation. 

That being said, Kati also stresses how important it is to make sure that how you choose to show your appreciation in turn adds value to their experiences at your salon. What she means by that is, you always want to give more, not offer them a lesser price. 

Many salons will promote offers such as, “Refer a friend and you’ll both receive 20% off your next visit”. But did you know that this devalues your services and products and in the mind of the buyer? It tells them that your services and products are actually worth less. 

Instead, Kati suggests that you use value-based propositions such as, “Every time you refer us a new guest, we will gift you with a $10 shopping pass to use at our salon!” In the verbiage alone, there is a huge difference in the value you’re offering.

Show Your Appreciation with a Hand-Written Thank You

Regardless of what value-added gift you give, consider a thank-you note as a touch point in your relationship. 

For example, at Be Inspired Salon Kati and her team sit down once per week with their list of guests who have given referrals. They write each guest a handwritten thank-you note and mail them out later that day. 

“Thank you” letters are a lost art and people love the special feeling of receiving a personal card in the mail. In the note, Kati and her team leave a simple message, such as, “Mary, thank you so much for referring Connie to us! We appreciate your advocacy and we appreciate you. Please enjoy this $10 shopping pass at your next visit!”

The lesson for today is if you employ a referral program, make sure it’s easy to manage so you never have to worry about dropping the ball. Add valuable gifts to show your appreciation, and think of a personalized way to thank each guest who is going out of their way to spread their love for your brand.

To listen to the podcast that inspired this blog, check out episode 189, and if you’d like to learn a little bit more about our host, Kati, check out her website and don’t forget to subscribe to the Beyond The Technique podcast for more incredible industry insight.