This complaint from a client looking to have her hair done, was posted on the I Love Fourways group on 10 December, a closed community group in Fourways with a membership of 70,000.
Specific problems that were mentioned by the client at some of the salons she visited (there were names named but we have removed them) included the following:
“they weren't wearing masks at (salon named) and told me it's okay because I wore a mask, the guy was touching his nose and mouth and wanted to touch my hair - by the way he removed his mask once I sat in the chair.
(Salon named) seems to think masks are a joke, the woman's mask kept falling off and she continuously touched it basically using it for the sake of it.
(Salon named) stylists also seemed to use masks for the sake of it and there was no sanitizing happening, their attitude told me that they weren't interested.
By the way, all 3 salons are based in Bryanston so I'm not sure if it's an area based thing.”
This serves as a very important reminder that it is easy to let your standards slip and start becoming tired of the stringent Covid-19 protocols and then become careless about them.
It serves as an even more important reminder that clients notice these things! They might not speak about it on a community group as this client has done, but they are noticing just the same. With a second wave now upon us, everyone needs to keep their standards extremely high.
Not wearing a mask might not mean much to you and that moment of carelessness might not even be noticed by yourself. But clients are watching, and they are fearful, and they are annoyed that they can’t go anywhere for a fabulous hairdo and TLC, without feeling exposed, unsafe, and at risk.
Please let this be a warning to the whole industry to keep your hygiene and safety standards high.
Do you want your salon name mentioned negatively, on a community group with tens of thousands of members? Do you want to think for one moment that you might be responsible for the illness, suffering or death of any of your clients?
It is tiresome to wear a mask correctly all the time, but you are professionals in your salon and are in the public eye. Wear the mask correctly, find a well fitting one that you do not have to touch the whole time. It might be a little uncomfortable, but remember that at the end of their 12+ hour shifts, the doctors and nurses wearing their N95 masks have actual bruising from the very tight mask contact, and are far more uncomfortable.
Hairdressers are community leaders that can set the standard and fly the flag. Please, fly it for safety and for the reputations of your salons. Don’t let your guard down!
HERE are the EOHCB protocols that must be followed in salon.
