How to find a good beauty salon

To tell the truth, my memories of bad haircuts – leading up to bad hair weeks are more prominently implanted in my memory than the good ones. 

There are beauty salons' that specialize in making you feel beautiful when you exit, only to realize the next morning that the exclusive products they have been using did the trick – you know the expensive goods that funny guy was aggressively trying to upsell to you throughout your brief stay.

If you live in a big city like Los Angeles or London you could be one of the many people like me who are severely perplexed at the thought of finding a place to have a decent haircut or pedicure. You aren’t looking for the most expensive beauty treatment there is in your city. You’re not planning on going on a thousand dollar shopping spree! You only want something decent done, and if you get it, you will return.

So, it makes sense for the beauty salon to give you good treatment at reasonable cost. I’m not talking of a $1 haircut is Soweto, neither a $200 treatment in Hollywood. So, how do you find a good friend, a reliable friend in the beauty industry, close to home?

Here are 5 tips to know you have a friend in need. Your beauty salon should comply to these factors. So here we go:

1. Do they have a web site or a Facebook page?This is important, because if they represent themselves on the internet, it means that they are willing to take responsibility – publically that is. You can also see the experiences of other clients, such as in a Facebook page. It also means that they are serious about their image. If someone is complaining about a particular painful waxing, that should be a red light. If you see lots of compliments on their Facebook page, you would feel more confident to go there. 
2. Does this salon offer their regular customers things like a manicure as a ‘thank you gift’?If they offer gifts to regular clients it shows that they value people, and they value their services.
3. The proof is in the pudding. Even if they have good representation online, you will still have to test them out in person. Go for something small, such as a trimming, or a shampoo to observe the energy in the place. Do the stylists look tired and unenthusiastic, or do they give you a good energy? 
4. Do they handle their clients in a haphazard way? This is very important. Does it seem asif they just want to finish the job? Of course, you are not the Queen of England, but you are another person in the world, just like anyone else, and you deserve respect and consideration. 
5. Does the cook put love into his/her food? Meaning – do they enjoy their job i.e. making you look and feel beautiful? 

And finally, if aunt Mary told you about this fantastic beauty salon around the corner, but the windows are dirty, and there’s a fowl little smell inside – just trust your instincts…and walk on.