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Hairdresser pushing the sale of hair are products!

(70 Posts)
Linsco56 Wed 06-Jul-16 12:22:47

All I wanted was a cut and blow dry but oh no! According to my hairdresser I needed a new type of conditioner and a new formula heat protection spray. She wanted me to talk her through my hair care regime and was horrified when I said I was using baby shampoo as most others stripped the natural oils from my hair. "Really!!! but you know you're not a baby" followed by laughter. "I use what works best for me, thank you anyway". She then went on to say my hair needed some root lift powder and proceeded to try and sell me that. "No thank you, just a cut and blow dry please". No to be put off her stride she tried to sell my a new styling brush and again I heard myself saying, no thank you just a cut and blow dry...I was exhausted by the end of it. She is the owner of a small salon and I can understand she wants to increase income as much as possible but IMO she will lose clients if she keeps this up. Who wants to run the gauntlet of pressure salesmanship when they visit a hair salon.

Charleygirl Wed 06-Jul-16 12:28:45

I would have picked up my bag and left. You go there for a relaxing time, not the hard sell. I agree, she will lose custom if that is the way she carries on.

Indinana Wed 06-Jul-16 12:29:33

Unfortunately upselling is the new religion in retail and service industries. The 'have a nice day' has been superceded by 'is there anything else I can help you with today?'. For which read 'can I screw any more money out of you today? grin

fourormore Wed 06-Jul-16 12:31:44

Know how you feel Linsco - so infuriating and yes I am sure she will lose custom if she keeps pressurising clients.
I love my 'wash and go' hair style and thanks to my hairdresser listening to me I am able to wash my hair, towel dry it and then let it dry naturally running fingers through occasionally whilst it's drying.
All I ever use is a bit of holding spray if I'm going out in the gales - bliss!
Good luck!

granjura Wed 06-Jul-16 13:13:34

That's how they make lots of money... and yes, I vote with my feet.

Same in restaurants!!! I ask for my dish, then they say 'would you like some olives or garlic bread, etc, first'? Hmm no, if I'd wanted some I would have asked for it, thanks. And it goes on throughout the meal, would you like this, and that, and more of this, etc, etc.

I am always very polite but nowadays make it plain as soon as they ask they I do not want to be harrassed the whole time- and when I pay, always and insist to tell the manager that as far as I am concerned, this is a total turn off.

sunseeker Wed 06-Jul-16 13:43:23

I once had a hairdresser who tried to sell me a "revolutionary new hairspray" cost £15. I read the can - as far as I could tell it was basically just sugar water! Turned it down and haven't been back there.

ninathenana Wed 06-Jul-16 14:47:46

Sadly this is the way retail works now. D has had just this approach factored into her beauty tech course. There were questions in the theory papers on how to promote products.
Anyone working for someone else will be pulled up for not trying to promote products be that 'our amazing barbeque sauce' or ' our amazing thickening shampoo'
I agree it's very off putting. Fortunately my hairdresser of 15 yrs knows better than to try grin

Teetime Wed 06-Jul-16 15:00:10

I moved here to the East Midlands from the South East six years ago and I was amazed that beauticians and hairdressers didn't try to sell you any products when you had a treatment. This has been common practice where I lived and in the London area for decades. I don't mind it I just say no thank you to what I don't want and that's the end of it. If I was in business that's exactly what I would do.

PRINTMISS Wed 06-Jul-16 15:48:38

My hair dresser does not have any thing on show for sale, and certainly never tries to sell you any thing. If I ask what it is, he will tell me, and if I ask the price he will also tell me, but other than that it is up to me. He does sometimes ask if I want to make another appointment, but again the only time he advises me on this is when the annual holidays are looming. He does actually talk all the time though.

TerriBull Wed 06-Jul-16 16:15:16

I've had hard sell from hairdressers promoting their products in the past, not so much anymore. I got quite good at fobbing them off though saying maybe I'd come back for the the suggested thingy another time. I like to get out now just paying for whatever I've had done plus a tip, good God that's more than enough without factoring in unncessary hair products as well hmm

granjura Wed 06-Jul-16 16:15:32

What if it is counter productive teetime and actually puts people off? Not good business practice then.

Linsco56 Wed 06-Jul-16 17:04:39

It has certainly put me off! If and when I decide to return and she starts the 'hard sell' I think I'll say "well I can buy the product or give you a tip...you decide".

jevive73 Wed 06-Jul-16 17:06:17

Specsavers tried to sell me some anti macular degeneration vitamins. Just £1 per day.Hmmm 365 pounds per year. I found it very unpleasant. I have no problems with my eyes, spent some time worrying about it, then decided it was a sales pitch.

sweetcakes Wed 06-Jul-16 17:31:35

I must admit I haven't had the hard sell but have been asked if I was interested in certain products which you can buy cheaper online and i don't tip the hairdresser only the trainee as I feel they earn enough

Ana Wed 06-Jul-16 18:07:34

I remember about 30 years ago being badgered by a hairdresser about using 'products' on my hair - I had no idea what she meant! confused

Not one of my hairddressers has tried to sell me anything since, although they sometimes have a display of certain lines on a counter in the salon.

granjura Wed 06-Jul-16 18:18:45

Out of interest, if I may, what does a cut and blowdry cost these days? Suppose it changes according to location.

Eloethan Wed 06-Jul-16 18:32:55

I've just tried a different hairdresser. He is very good but he also does the hair products sales pitch, which is very annoying. I'm not going to pay £18 for a shampoo or conditioner until I know that they suit my hair but, needless to say, they don't do trial samples.

A cut and blowdry at this salon is £55 and that's just about as much as I want to spend, and I don't want to incur further hair product costs.

He is the owner - and has several other businesses - so I don't tip him but do tip other staff.

M0nica Wed 06-Jul-16 19:12:25

I pay £55 as well, without any hard sell.

janeainsworth Wed 06-Jul-16 19:40:53

Unfortunately lots of people don't understand that if they want someone to buy anything, they have to spell out the benefits to that person of whatever it is they're selling. This applies to political parties and sellers of vacuum cleaners as much as it does to purveyors of beauty products.

Perhaps Linsco if your hairdresser had said to you 'do you have any particular concerns about your hair?', then listened to you, and then offered you a product that would have effectively made your hair look shinier/had more body/stopped you looking like the Wreck of the Hesperus, and followed this up with evidence, like before and after photos, testimonials from satisfied clients, you might have felt more inclined to buy what she was offering.

If anyone tries to hard-sell me anything, I ask them what the benefits are. It quickly sorts out people who understand the product they're selling, and also whether they understand me.

I pay GBP80* for a cut, shampoo, blow dry and having my roots done.

*on an American laptop with no pound sign.

Lyndylou Wed 06-Jul-16 19:46:47

I pay £65 for a colour, cut and dry. (And sometimes the same amount for daughter's treatment) I've been going to my hairdresser for about 15 years, I followed her from one salon to another, then to her own and now back to the second one where she is now in charge. She's just got the right amount of chat, tells me when she is putting something new on but doesn't pressure me. Very occasionally I buy it if I like it, depends on how flush I'm feeling.

aggie Wed 06-Jul-16 19:58:22

Good grief !! I pay £20.00 for a cut and blow dry , this is on "pensioners day ". they never try to sell me anything , mind you I get fed up trying to explain WW1 to a slack jawed junior , so pretend I am deafer than usual hmm

Linsco56 Wed 06-Jul-16 20:26:34

I pay £60 for shampoo, cut and blow-dry and with a £5 tip added to that I feel that's quite enough to spend on my hair every 6 weeks. I have already told her I have all the products I need at home but the sales pitch is relentless.

I think I will try aggie's ploy! grin

granjura Wed 06-Jul-16 20:32:22

OMG- I can't believe those prices - wow.

I thought mine at 48 Swiss francs was extortionate- but it works out at about £30!

Stansgran Wed 06-Jul-16 20:49:23

£23 but I wash my hair and the hairdresser comes to the house and uses my electricity.

annsixty Wed 06-Jul-16 20:51:39

Well I can top thauy. I have a girl come to the house every 5 weeks. I have a cut and blow,she gives H a trim. £21,she won't take any more but I give her a generous tip at Christmas and give her C spends when they go on holiday. I am obviously very easily pleased or totally oblivious to how I look.