Let's face it—clients are going to start to do their own haircolor at home as more salons close due to COVID-19. Rather than face a messy color correction down the road, consider offering your clients a temporary solution, like what Redken Celebrity Colorist Tracey Cunningham and her staff at MèCHE salon are doing. After her friend decided to do her own roots, she called Cunningham and said her hair look Eddie Munster black. "When you are stuck at home with nothing to do but obsess about everything that is wrong ....emotionally no one can handle their hair being a shade too dark in these dark times," she shared on IG. Here's how Cunningham and her staff are reinventing the haircolor appointment.
Where did you come up with the idea for curbside delivery? Have you ever done something like this before?
TC: We’ve never experienced times like this and are being pushed to come up with new, safe solutions that will hold stylists and clients over during these difficult times. Curbside delivery of professional at-home root retouch kits, like Redken Root Fusion, means clients won’t make a rash decision they might regret, and we’re able to stay safe. Redken Root Fusion is just enough product to blend around the hairline and down the main part, to hold clients over until their next appointment. For me and my team, it is all about working together and being available for our clients in a safe way. These curbside deliveries wouldn’t be possible without the support of my team.
Some colorists are worried about their clients applying haircolor improperly and being held responsible.
TC: My advice is to walk your clients through the process every step of the way, starting with a FaceTime consultation and following-up with a FaceTime appointment, where you take them through the application steps and provide detailed instructions. During the consultation, you can explain why results may be different from when they come into the salon. This will help set expectations and motivate them to re-book quickly when salons re-open.
What is your advice for colorists who fear that their clients will continue to do their haircolor at home when normal life resumes?
TC: Stay in touch with your clients and be positive and supportive in your communications. This could mean phone calls or texts to see how they’re doing, offering temporary at-home solutions and supporting them virtually. Maintaining communication and reinforcing the difference between at-home solutions and a salon service will be beneficial in making sure they re-book when salons are back up and running.