Pretty Over Prepared: What Clients Really See
- Jacqueline Weesner
- Apr 1
- 2 min read
There’s a difference between being clean and looking clean — and our clients can tell.
We’ve gotten really good at creating beautiful salons.
The lighting is soft. The shelves are curated. There’s a quote on the wall that feels just inspirational enough — like it gives your client a small window into who you are and what you believe.
It’s intentional. It’s thoughtful. It’s branding.
But somewhere along the way, we started confusing aesthetics with actual cleanliness.
They Walk In With Fresh Eyes — You Don’t
As stylists and salon owners, we spend so much time in our space that we stop seeing it. We learn to look past the things that feel normal: the slightly dingy towel bin, the faint smell of chemical residue near the shampoo bowls, the baseboards that haven’t been wiped down in weeks.
But your client? They notice everything.
They walk in with fresh eyes. They sit quietly while you’re mixing. They take in the room — not just the beautiful parts you designed on purpose.
They notice the dust behind the retail display. They notice if the bathroom smells off. They notice that tiny stain on the cape you meant to toss two weeks ago.
And when something feels a little off — even if they can’t name it — they remember that feeling.
This isn’t about perfection. It’s about awareness. It’s about creating a space that earns trust without needing to perform.
Because if your clients are picking up on things you’ve stopped noticing…it might be time to start looking again.
It’s not just the hair that builds trust — it’s the stuff we think no one sees. It’s grabbing a clean comb from a labeled container without thinking twice. It’s your station still feeling intentional at the end of the day, not just when the first client walks in. That kind of consistency leaves an impression.
A Practice That Keeps Me Grounded
One thing I’ve started doing — and I recommend every stylist try it — is sitting in my own chair.Not to post a reel. Not to catch my breath between clients. But to really sit there, like a guest would. To look around the room with fresh eyes and notice the things I’ve stopped seeing.
It’s amazing what comes up when you stop moving for 60 seconds.
You’ll see what your client sees when you leave to mix. You’ll feel what they feel when they settle in to trust you. You might notice a corner that’s been forgotten, a smell that lingers, or a piece of clutter that doesn’t belong.
And instead of judging yourself for it, take a moment to respond.
