Blog Spot. Gary Latham

CH CH CH CHANGES

By the Boiling Frog aka Gary Latham

Next year Wild Life celebrates 30 years which has made me some what reminiscent in the last few weeks. Yes I must admit it has aged me more than Jayne. She is “Petra Pan” after all and my excuse is I have had to deal with staff while she has had to deal with hair.

Hair on the whole is softer, better behaved and more open to change than staff. This period has seen a digital revolution that has spored massive changes at a startling speed and for those things that weren’t changing fast enough Covid and climate change has come along to give them a kick up the arse. But how much has really changed in hairdressing? Computers, iPads and phones have replaced appointment books and clients can book online but hairdressers still value the regular rebooking client, above all others.

The biggest change I can think of, is smoking is no longer accepted in salons. It was a big decision as to what style of ashtrays we would use in the salon when we opened. Coffee was the final frontier for salons, instant to filter to plunger and finally espresso. Not much has moved on much since then, although I was told once at a seminar by a salon owner that he had a slushy machine… I died of envy.

Does anyone remember cash, the plastic notes will do, you don’t have to go back far enough to remember paper notes. Hairdressing, like most small business, was very much in the black economy and it is only since covid that most salons have had to make considerable price adjustments to regain margin. Home hairdressers are hanging in there but we are speeding towards a cashless economy of touch, crypto and transfers.

Young staff have been hard to find all the way through. I don’t really want to get into a debate over quality and work ethic, as I don’t think too much has changed. The main problem I have with apprentices, is that they have remained the same age while each year I age. The hairdressing equivalent of Jamie Oliver is still yet to emerge, along with plumbers pay cheques to drive young people into hairdressing.

Product wise we are still waiting for the big game changers to come along. ghd is one of the few products to come close. While I was excited to see Dyson join the beauty space, they are playing more in the consumer world than the professional. Colour wise the biggest change has been filtered pictures of the back of clients’ heads as they leave the salon.

Have skills improved? This ties into the young staff and training category... Your answer will probably be more influenced by your age, than by any facts. For mine I’m going with the best are better and the worst even worst. We have definitely lost some skills overtime, I’m still looking to get a booking for my “Mr Brady” perm.

One area that has taken a big leap ahead I am glad to say, is salon fit outs. I have always thought this is the starting point to raising hairdressing prices as a body. Rather than looking like an under performing laundrette, we should set the bar at the best café in the area or even restaurant.

Marketing has definitely changed as we all have been chasing followers, friends and likes. Although the old quote still holds true. “I know 10% of my marketing works… I just have to work out which 10%”.

So in summary, in this era of hyper change, not much has changed. Maybe it is all coming at once, or has happened so slowly, I’ve been like the frog in the water being brought to the boil and haven’t noticed.

*Dear Reader

For those you that read and enjoy these blogs I’m handing the next one over to you. If you would like to draw on my 30 odd years of experience in hair and have any questions or topics you would like my opinion on I would love to hear from you. Please email me at gaz@wildlifehair.com.