I Can’t Believe What I Saw….
Goal: To check out an established Salon & Spa in Arizona
Outcome: Disappointment and Shock
In case you missed Part 1 of this email, email us atinfo@thesalonandspainstitute.com and we’ll send right out to you!
And here is Part 2…
I was waiting on the Salon Owner to finish up with her appointment and come up to the front, so I could talk with her about what I just witnessed. It wasn’t comfortable for me to do, but it was indeed the right thing to do.
But before the owner could meet me at the front, the employee and her fellow stylist walked right past me towards the back of the salon. Are you kidding me? I was shocked! They both came back into the salon!!
It was about to get interesting to say the least.
I saw and heard crying, actually sobbing, coming from the gal who stole the products. She was wrapped in the arms of her fellow stylist who was with her during and after the incident. I heard a door close and another door close. It became very quiet. The client who was finishing up her appointment with the owner came up to the front to check out. She then left the building a little confused.
And… I was still standing there.
A few minutes later, the Salon Coordinator informed me that it would now be a bit longer. She said to me, “I assume you know we have an incident of some nature going on, but I’m sure our owner will be up to speak with you soon.” She also asked if I would like a cup of tea while I waited. She was definitely trying to stabilize the energy.
She went towards the back room of the salon where the owner and two stylists were. She and the owner emerged from the back room and walked together towards the front.
The owner kindly smiled at me, reached for my hand, shook my hand, and asked me what it was she could do for me. Her poise, her demeanor, her attitude, and her energy were unexpectedly calm and inviting. Generally, I don’t introduce myself, other than my name, but in this situation, I felt it was necessary to explain to her who I was and what I do.
Why? Because I felt it was important for her to know that I have seen so many situations in my 14 year career of coaching and consulting with Salons & Spas. I wanted her to know that I understood how she may or may not be feeling and it was okay to just “be” at the moment. She didn’t have to worry about anything other than handling the situation at hand.
She expressed to me her feeling of sadness, betrayal from a long-term employee, some confusion as to why it would happen, and so on. I just stood there and listened. She also said that she’s relieved with the situation as well….
I tilted my head to the side and asked, “Why?”.
The owner gave me a little background on the two stylists involved in the situation. The gal who stole the product has been there for a little over 2 years, incredibly loyal, and recently had some life-changing personal yuck going on. The fellow stylist who was with her has been there for 7 months, is very quiet, and generally keeps to herself. It was the newer stylist who convinced the gal who stole the product to go back inside and talk to the owner. (side note: I’m not advocating the behavior as excusable or tolerable)
The owner said she felt relief because she works very hard on the culture of her organization and even though sometimes a bad situation or a bad decision by one single team member happens, it doesn’t necessarily mean her whole culture is poisoned. She was elated that the newer team member was looking out for her fellow team member’s best interest and the entirety of the business. She’s always instilled peer-to-peer loyalty, trust, communication, and direct dialogue.
She’s witnessed her hard work payoff through an unfortunate situation.
You may not always see immediate change in your culture when you put your focus there, but if you’re effectively creating change… The change will occur.
Here are some questions to think about:
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What would you do if you witnessed a fellow team member make a bad decision?
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Would you get involved with the situation? Or would you ignore it?
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What kind of ripple effect could occur from ignoring the situation or trying to help in the situation?
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How would your current teams’ culture handle this?
As I stood there and listened to the owner, it became very very clear… This owner has had so much success in her business, because she values the culture, she values her team members, and she is so passionate about making every single team member in her Salon & Spa a total success. It truly is a team effort.
She took my name and number and said she would call me and give me an update.
Two weeks later, I received a phone call from her…
Stay tuned for Part 3…. Being sent to you in 48 hours! Keep an eye on your inbox (check your spam filter if you don’t see it in your primary box!) Find out what happened after I left the Salon & Spa and what transpired within those 2 weeks after the incident.
Until then and always…
Be a Team Player!
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