Although some experts credit Marshall Field as the brains behind the saying, the likelihood is that it was Mr. Selfridge who put a spin on the maxim originally coined by hotelier César Ritz; “The customer is never wrong.” Bottom line, it probably doesn’t matter because the expression took root a very long time ago and I’m not so sure it has —or should have — the same power, today. Strong words.

The problem is unrealistic expectations when it comes to customer service. And it’s pervasive. One industry particularly prone to excess, or some would say abuse, is the hospitality industry where a typical cliché involves a disgruntled wine snob demanding replacement of a half-empty bottle. This is not to suggest that the motivation of every complaining “connoisseur” is deception but to point out that the responsibility for absolute and total perfection falls on restaurant owners.

A constant refrain, some would say mantra, during my courses on dining is: show respect to people in hospitality. The importance of this respect was reinforced just last month, during a stay at my son’s Ottawa home. The kitchen was under renovation and every morning the contractors arrived with hot coffee for all. We would stand around and chat until the work got underway. Towards the end of my visit and after several days of watching the kitchen take shape, I was intrigued to learn that before his renovation business, one of the senior partners had owned a banquet hall in Quebec. He was a professional chef and graduate of Le Cordon Bleu, Paris. Wow!

Here was a man with extraordinary attention to detail, a fine sense of craftsmanship, conscientious to a fault, and obviously the skills to manage and organize his construction team — I had to ask — why did he throw in the towel?
“No actually,” he said, “it was my apron. I threw it out the window!” He simply got tired of all the rude customers, their imperiousness and the endless demands on his staff. (Privately, I couldn’t help but think that impassioned homeowners are probably more inclined to make unreasonable demands than people dining out!)

Unquestionably, the customer has a right to certain expectations. Take for example, the experiences of a forty-something woman we’ll call Cindy. New to the slightest touch of grey, she was encouraged to stretch her hair-care budget and book an appointment for colour and a cut at the salon favoured by younger colleagues. Things did not go well. Cindy paid her bill and silently cursed herself for overspending — poor coverage of her grey. And then things got worse. As she tried to blow her hair dry the next morning, it was pretty obvious she’d had a bad cut. Cindy was furious.

Apparently, the referring colleagues convinced her to call the salon. The owner immediately offered to provide a refund — or correct both the colour and cut.
So back Cindy went, to give them another chance. No charge, of course. As luck would have it, disaster struck again. This time, the colour coverage was fine but the result was abysmally dark. Oh no! Cindy left in tears and by the time she got home, could barely contain herself.  I guess she had worked herself up into such a rage that she called the salon back demanding they see her immediately. And again she went back.

This time, miraculously, all went well. Perfect. Gorgeous, in fact. But the tale doesn’t end here because about six weeks later, it was time for a touch-up. Cindy called the salon and was declined an appointment. “Too much stress,” said the owner. “Thank you and good-bye.” Not my business but personally, if I had an unhappy client, right or wrong, I’d do everything in my power to regain the highest level of customer confidence. Imagine the benefits of a satisfied Cindy happily broadcasting her enthusiasm. Chacun à son gout.

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As Liz candidly shared her Personal Journey, we watched her evolve from the strained stance of the Before image to her effortless sense of poise in the After picture. She embarked on her journey as an attractive, clever young woman but emerged transformed by self-assurance; I also want to point out the wonderful gift of self-esteem bestowed on Liz as she discovered her own style. When you present yourself well dressed, well accessorized, well groomed, it’s pleasing to the eye, displays harmony, demonstrates respect for others — and causes people to be more receptive. 

Today, we enthusiastically embrace professional help on a vast range of subjects. With this series I wanted to make the point that to look our best, we can all use some help. We all have a unique look and physical assets. What we do with what we have often conceals the real beauty; our liabilities govern, not our assets.

During the past few years, we’ve been inundated with extreme, some would say excessive makeovers and in the parlance of the reality shows, reveal after reveal. We’ve watched as medical wizards reconfigured every part of a woman’s anatomy and the equally bizarre effects of media doctors retouching a young model’s torso.

Here, in this series — the reality show called life — what you see is what you get. No retouching — no slimming nor trimming, no eye brightening nor teeth whitening, no fine-tuning — simply put, no photoshopping. Just pure Liz!

Liz has some final thoughts:
“I told Diane, at the end of our final session, that I feel like an entirely different person, more confident  — and it shows.  My look has been transformed dramatically and now I look like a young professional. Throughout the process, I’ve received compliments from my friends and coworkers and both my manager and director commented on my new image.  My director feels very strongly about the importance of image and presentation. His positive comments confirm that I’ve achieved my goal to project a capable and confident image. I’m fortunate that I met Diane and had the opportunity to go through her Image Enhancement Programme at this early stage in my career.  It will undoubtedly have a profound effect on my career development.  I highly recommend this programme. Thank you so much Diane!”

Stay tuned!   (Note that you can now have our blog posts delivered to your Inbox by clicking on the Subscribe link on the right side of this page.)

———————————————————————————————

How Is Your Personal and Professional Image? 
Is your style congruent with your brand? Are you confused about what suits YOU best, how to manage trends, dress age appropriate?

Join me for my FREE, 55 minute pre-training class:  Style for Women Virtual 4-part course where I will share tips on how to create your own look of success!

Tuesday, January 26, 2010, 3:00 pm Eastern, 12:00 pm Pacific

Register Now!

Subscribe to our FREE monthly newsletter

The precise timing of when a “bad hair day” became universally known as a bad day, period, is difficult to pinpoint. We all understand the implications though, all too clearly. Unruly, unmanageable hair can be measured on the same scale as a day that falls apart— in a word, stressful.

Great outfit, new shoes, impeccable makeup — nothing can suppress a bad hair day vibe. I always tell my clients that when hair is “wrong” it’s impossible to feel poised and confident. “Wrong” is not a case of bed-head or wake-up-hair — both usually remedied with a quick shampoo and blow-dry — but a cut and colour calamity. Sometimes, the nightmare is confined to one or the other but they seem to go hand in hand. The dreaded “black beret,” the dried out thatch of straw, the weird greenish tinge  — these are all too familiar hair catastrophes. Sadly, they’re often the result of poor communication between the hair professional and customer. A word of caution: always make sure the people you work with have your hair condition as their main consideration.

When you’re thinking of making changes it’s important to explain to both your colourist and stylist what your goals are. When in doubt about their plans — remember it’s your hair — ask to see pictures. Having said that, you have to be realistic, too. You may have worked out a promising style for your face shape, but lacked the expertise to know if it’s right for your hair — its texture, structure and weight. A good hairstylist will be able to tell you right away.

I accompanied Liz to Salon Solis for her colour and cut. At this stage, Liz understood her personal style, or clothing personality, along with the most flattering colours for her eyes and skin tone.

As an image consultant, my job is to tell the colourist and hairstylist what we want but not how to do it – that’s their job. I rely on their expertise to assure me that the hair is in good condition and that the texture and weight will support the style I’m suggesting.  If not then we negotiate and settle on a style and colour that will work for my client. 

I am very happy to report that for Liz, it was “all systems go!”

By texturizing and softening the interior of the haircut, Ernesto Domanico created a versatile, classic style that can be easily transformed from everyday wash and wear to a glamorous evening look.

Lindsey Bober coloured Liz’s hair using one level darker than her natural colour to deepen the overall appearance and enhance the natural shine.  Highlights were applied in a shade three levels lighter to add interest and dimension through the layers.

Ernesto and Lindsey are all about making their clients happy.  At Salon Solis, it’s not just any other hair affair. There are no over-priced services; there are no rush jobs and there’s no attitude.  They thrive on hospitality and great hair! I encourage you to visit Salon Solis www.salonsolis.com if you live nearby or are visiting Toronto.

Liz has some thoughts to share, too:
“I’ve been going to Salon Solis for just over a year now.  I found the salon online after receiving a haircut that I was ‘not so fond of’ and ever since Ernesto cut my hair I won’t go anywhere else.  He always has wanted to colour my hair but I was afraid of the maintenance.  I hate the ‘roots look’ but I’m not inclined to visit the salon every month for a touch up.  On Diane’s advice, I finally gave in and agreed to try something not too extreme. The goal was to add some shine and a few highlights— they really bring out my eyes.  Lindsey made sure the colour would require minimal maintenance.  I love it!  While my hair dye was being coloured Dina gave me a French manicure and we discussed eyebrow shaping.  In the end my nails looked great and I agreed to come in and see Dina over the next couple of months for reshaping.   I left the salon feeling pampered.  Next step, makeup to complete my new look!” 

Stay tuned!   (Note that you can now have our blog posts delivered to your Inbox by clicking on the Subscribe link on the right side of this page.)

———————————————————————————————

How Is Your Personal and Professional Image? 
Is your style congruent with your brand? Are you confused about what suits YOU best, how to manage trends, dress age appropriate?

Join me for my FREE, 55 minute pre-training class:  Style for Women Virtual 4-part course where I will share tips on how to create your own look of success!

Tuesday, January 26, 2010, 3:00 pm Eastern, 12:00 pm Pacific

Register Now!

Subscribe to our FREE monthly newsletter