QUALITY VS. QUANTITY – Impact Salon Sales

I wanted to write a post because this is a topic everyone is truly confused about. What does QUALITY really mean to you and IS it better than QUANTITY? I have nail technicians asking me how they can be faster? I have estheticians talking about how fast they can do a full leg wax, and I have hair stylists talking about how much money they can make installing hair extensions. All of these show different sides of the QUALITY VS. QUANTITY debate. “...there are people who try to look as if they are doing a good and thorough job, and then there are the people who actually damn well do it, for its own sake.” ? John D. MacDonald, Free Fall in Crimson

1) SERVICE

Again, this is my opinion. I am just telling it like I see it. Let's talk about nail technicians and doing nails FAST. Ok....is it cool to be able to do a fill in 30 minutes? Yes!!!! To be realistic, I only know VERY few nail technicians that can do this and do the nails WELL.....the rest of us need time or there are, to be frank, NOTICEABLE MISTAKES!!!! The bottom line is going to tie into my last blog...our clients come to each and every one of us because we have something to offer that is unique....if you don't, then make the "experience" valuable to your clients and they will not care that you take 90 minutes longer than the next tech out there. Then there is the esthetician that can do a full leg wax in 20 minutes.....as an esthetician that CAN NOT do that? I say WOW!!! If you can do that and not miss a hair on the legs and not break hair, you are someone I would spend my money going to. I HAVE had a quick leg wax before and, 1/4 of the hair on my legs was still there in patches, and I ended up with ingrown hair. I do know of some that are FAST and GREAT, good for you!!! Lastly we can talk about hairstylists that charge A LOT of money to install hair extensions, and some that do NOT charge at ALL to install hair extensions. Well....here are the facts about this kind of thing. There is no value in free. As a consumer I would think something is wrong if I didn't have to pay for a service. On the other hand I do NOT want to pay someone $400/hour when I know that it's actually not worth that.

The bottom line with my explanation is simple “People forget how fast you did a job – but they remember how well you did it”- Howard Newton I always strive to do things as fast as I can by staying at the top of MY game. Do what ever service you do to the BEST of your ability in the fastest and most efficient time possible and you AND your customers will ALWAYS be happy.

2) EQUIPMENT

When it comes to the equipment you use. Quality ALWAYS is better or you end up purchasing a LARGE quantity to replace. Let me explain this from a personal experience that I had. I use to buy blenders from Walmart for as cheap as I could. Then I would try to make nut butters and not even half way through the mixing I would smell the burn out and it would be dead. I continued to try to find an affordable blender to do the job that I needed it to, spending money on items that ended up in the garbage....In the end I finally bought a Vitamix for $500....if I would have just done that in the beginning I would have saved $500!!! I can make thick nut butters and my machine works every time I use it!!! "Lisa, what is your point?" My point is this. Nail technicians....if you want your quality products to cure completely, last and be durable.....make sure you are using quality equipment to cure that product!!! Just because you can get an LED light off of Ebay or overseas for $50, does NOT mean you will be curing that product properly. Which will end up cheapening your service!!! Buy a quality light from a reputable company and you will save money in the long run!!!! Estheticians? If your wax pot is heating up your wax inconsistently, you have to potential to BURN your clients....buy quality wax AND pots! Hair stylist....if you cheap out on straighteners, blow dryers, etc....you can just imagine the damage you can do to your customers hair.

The point I am trying to make is to find a balance of where to invest your money if you expect your clients to invest their money in your services. We ALL are spending hard earned money. My thoughts about how the world is changing? People would rather spend a little more time and money initially if the quality of the service or product they are purchasing lasts. Have a GREAT 2 weeks as next week I will not be posting.

Make money wisely
Lisa Ross