This is a great question..
I have more salon horror stories than a little bit so I'll add my humble opinion. In addition, I'm buying space in a few years to open a salon of my own so these are some things I've thought through...hope they help...
1. Customer service is first & foremost above all else.
2. It's 2005; a credit card processing machine is a MUST. All this business about not taking checks and cards is ridiculous. Charge a fee for returned checks and call it a day.
3. I like one stop shops although they are EXTREMELY rare for women of color...well, maybe they're not rare, but in the ones I've seen, the hair stylist is wonderful, but the manicurist or esthetician is not so great. So offering a full line of spa & hair care services that were outstanding would be a great advantage. Clients will likely be loyal simply because of the convenience & quality.
4. Eating should be done in kichens ONLY. Nobody wants BBQ sauce in their hair, and it's rude to eat in front of people anyway. I plan to provide employees with a nice kitchen/patio area where they can enjoy their meals.
5. Stylists should not be using the company phone for personal calls nor should they be handling personal calls/business while at work. PERIOD. If they were working a 9-5 at a corporation, they wouldn't govern themselves that way. The same standard of professionalism should be maintained.
6. A client shouldn't feel like setting an appointment is an ordeal. It's important that stylists are sensitive to scheduling needs and provide clients with flexible options. Clients tend to be very loyal to stylists who accomodate their special needs. Double booking and overbooking should be a big no-no. It's a sign that the stylist doesn't respect the client's time and is more concerned with making money be doing as many heads as possible instead of maintaining the quality of his/her work.
7. Consultations can make a huge difference in client retention rates. When clients feel listened to, they are likely to share concerns & preferences that may otherwise go unmentioned. A simple 5 minute conversation about products, heat, styling preferences & lifestyle can dramatically change the tone of an appointment and put the client at ease.
8. There should be NO solicitation in the shop! I can't stand when I'm sitting under the dryer and someone rolls in selling jewelry/CDs/DVDs/Louis Vuitton bags/Zanebooks/clothes/candles/hair care products/newspapers/perfume/cell phone accessories. I don't appreciate having to listen to a sales pitch when I'm trying to enjoy what should be a relaxing & pampering time. These people are not allowed to roll up in Sally's or Burger King so they shouldn't be allowed in the salon either.
9. I LOVED it when I had a stylist who tracked every single thing she did to my hair. She noted the condition of my hair at the beginning and end of the service and she noted what products she used. Before she even started, she would ask how my hair did the previous week and whether I thought we should make changes. I loved her to death just for being so detail-oriented. There was never any guessing about when we last did a relaxer or protein treatment. She had files for every client. It was wonderful. Interestingly enough, my hair was at optimal health while I was going to her.
10. Discounts should be offered for referrals. I stopped going to a stylist because I sent 5 new, regular clients to her and she never once thanked me. These were people needin prom hair styles either. These were weekly rollerset type clients, and she didn't bother to offer a free trim or shampoo/style or even $5 off of a service. It really disturbed me that she didn't understand how vital it was to her survival that she get referrals because if she was to maintain that business, her marketing expenses could be slashed in half.
11. There should NEVER be animals or kids in the salon unless receiving services. A special area with toys, books, and a TV/DVD combo can be set up for kids to play while parents are being serviced. I once had a stylist who brought her 3 month old to work with her and had to stop doing my hair to feed the baby!!!
This is *not* acceptable. I went to another salon where this lady (not the one doing my hair) brought her dog to work and tied him to her chair. What if the client doesn't like dogs? Californians LOVE their dogs, but it's rude to assume that can everyone can appreciate a stylist bringing Fluffy to work.
12. The stylist who kept track of things also sold me the products she used on my hair. I loved this because I could never find the stuff she used, and I appreciated her making the effort to make sure I could care for my hair at home. She taught me how to wrap it properly, and she instructed me on how to use the products so I could get the results she got. It was great!
13. Stylists should be consistent with using product lines. More often than not, using the same brand of poo & con works better than mixing and matching. One of my pet peeves is stylists just using whatever is at the bowl rather than thoughtfully considering what my hair needs. I don't appreciate the randomness of that situation at all.
14. The conversation content should be carefully monitored. Personal lives should be left in the personal bush outside of the door and picked up on the way out. Discussions on religion, politics, and drama should all be avoided as much as possible so as not to alienate any clients. Music should also be relaxing & unoffensive. I *hate* having to listen to 50 cent or R. Kelly in the salon. Stylists just have to be mindful that tastes differ, and music that is instrumental is far less likely to offend clients, particularly those that are Christian.
15. Prices should be discussed before an appointment begins to avoid unpleasant surprises. The last time I got a relaxer, she told me on the phone that relaxers were $65. After she finished, she explained that she was charging me $80 because my hair was "long and thick" and "a lot to handle." You're a freakin stylist, deal with it! I was *not* pleased with her or her bait & switch. Needless to say, I haven't been back to her. Had she told me on the phone that she was going to charge more for longer hair, I probably would have gone to her anyway because I've gotten use to having to pay more for having longer hair. But her actions were borderline duplicitous in my opinion, and I didn't want to have any further dealings with her. Clients who take care of their hair should not be penalized with exorbitant prices.
WHEW! I've said waaaaay too much, but there are just *some* of the things I plan to fix, and hopefully it will be helpful to someone else.
. I don't go to the salons often because of the following reasons: 
. 
disgusting. I wanted to vomit everytime I went there and they were always out of tissue 
, not only is it unsanitary but it's invading and disgusting. Separate waiting area and hair styling area, it decreases the preoccupation with waiting when it's not right in your face. 
, Christmas, have guest speakers like a head stylist or make-up artist and have Q&A, have luncheons where clients can ask questions. 
