How long should a hair cut and blow dry take?

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Permalink Reply by mitchell on March 21, 2010 at 12:59pm

mitchell said:

Hello Laure...
Interesting question...
I come from a Vidal Sassoon background where an hour was scheduled for a cut and blow-dry.
Over the years after I had opened my own salons I realized that while some heads do require that amount of time, many do not, especially during the warmer months when some clients leave with damp hair and forgo the drying entirely or simply that many clients have cuts that can be done well in just 40 minutes, thirty minutes or even 15 minutes, (depending on the individual head) and that scheduling a set time for the service was not good business sense except perhaps for first-time clients... so, I began to set a higher price for first-timers so that if I needed more time for the initial cut it I would be available, if not I could work more slowly but whatever the client felt that it was value for money. This is also effective as some clients will not be regulars but will come to get my cut once in a while and then go elsewhere and have the stylist follow my cut at a cheaper price.
Once I know the client and the time it takes to perfiorm the cut then I can tailor my schedule to more efficiently maximize profits.

The reason that an hour was scheduled at Sassoon's was due to a few factors, firstly we did tend to take many small sections and check and re-check the cut over and over. The stylist would cut the hair dry then it would be washed and the whole cut gone through again wet. That did take time. Also and more relevantly was the fact that in the early days of the cut and blow era, the early 1960's, Sassoon's still made the bulk of the income from weekly clients who had shampoo and sets. In those days the cut was a quick service taking perhaps 10 minutes and charged accordingly but the money came from the setting and comb-outs which the client had weekly, as opposed to the cuts, which they had only monthly.

When the cut and blow-dry took over from the weekly set it rocked the Sassoon salon business, (particularly once the clients began to realize that they could blow-dry their own hair at home), surprising as it may seem, in the early days they continued to come every week for a blow-dry just as they had for a set...unlike today, hand-held dryers were not readily available to the general public, particularly the Wigo Taifun model that we used exclusively at Sassoon...

Sassoon got a lot of criticism from other London salons who feared the loss of income as the weekly set business went away, but it soon became obvious that what Vidal had developed was going to be a success and the loss of the income from the 'setting-regulars' could be offset by the raising of prices for the cut, indeed, the cut, formerly the less expensive service, doubled in price, then tripled then quadrupled. However, during the initial introductory years to offset client reluctance to move away from the set it was felt that the point could be best made that the cost increase was valid if the service took a long time, so appointment slots for the cut went from 15 minutes or less to an hour and the blow-dry was not charged seperately as had been the set, but rather it was not rolled into the cut service which came to be known as cut and blow-dry.

The other factor in today's world is that women are not, for the most part, the ladies-who-lunch crowd that they were 45 years ago. Many of Sassoon's clients (it was exclusively female at that time) were women who had all day for personal grooming and often spent at least a morning or afternoon in the salon. Today most women lead different lives and want and need to be in and out of the salon as rapidly as possible, they appreciate a quicker service as long as it meets their service expectations and is value for money.

To be contd...

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Permalink Reply by mitchell on March 21, 2010 at 1:00pm

mitchell said:

mitchell said:

Hello Laure...
Interesting question...
I come from a Vidal Sassoon background where an hour was scheduled for a cut and blow-dry.
Over the years after I had opened my own salons I realized that while some heads do require that amount of time, many do not, especially during the warmer months when some clients leave with damp hair and forgo the drying entirely or simply that many clients have cuts that can be done well in just 40 minutes, thirty minutes or even 15 minutes, (depending on the individual head) and that scheduling a set time for the service was not good business sense except perhaps for first-time clients... so, I began to set a higher price for first-timers so that if I needed more time for the initial cut it I would be available, if not I could work more slowly but whatever the client felt that it was value for money. This is also effective as some clients will not be regulars but will come to get my cut once in a while and then go elsewhere and have the stylist follow my cut at a cheaper price.
Once I know the client and the time it takes to perfiorm the cut then I can tailor my schedule to more efficiently maximize profits.

The reason that an hour was scheduled at Sassoon's was due to a few factors, firstly we did tend to take many small sections and check and re-check the cut over and over. The stylist would cut the hair dry then it would be washed and the whole cut gone through again wet. That did take time. Also and more relevantly was the fact that in the early days of the cut and blow era, the early 1960's, Sassoon's still made the bulk of the income from weekly clients who had shampoo and sets. In those days the cut was a quick service taking perhaps 10 minutes and charged accordingly but the money came from the setting and comb-outs which the client had weekly, as opposed to the cuts, which they had only monthly.

When the cut and blow-dry took over from the weekly set it rocked the Sassoon salon business, (particularly once the clients began to realize that they could blow-dry their own hair at home), surprising as it may seem, in the early days they continued to come every week for a blow-dry just as they had for a set...unlike today, hand-held dryers were not readily available to the general public, particularly the Wigo Taifun model that we used exclusively at Sassoon...

Sassoon got a lot of criticism from other London salons who feared the loss of income as the weekly set business went away, but it soon became obvious that what Vidal had developed was going to be a success and the loss of the income from the 'setting-regulars' could be offset by the raising of prices for the cut, indeed, the cut, formerly the less expensive service, doubled in price, then tripled then quadrupled. However, during the initial introductory years to offset client reluctance to move away from the set it was felt that the point could be best made that the cost increase was valid if the service took a long time, so appointment slots for the cut went from 15 minutes or less to an hour and the blow-dry was not charged seperately as had been the set, but rather it was not rolled into the cut service which came to be known as cut and blow-dry.

The other factor in today's world is that women are not, for the most part, the ladies-who-lunch crowd that they were 45 years ago. Many of Sassoon's clients (it was exclusively female at that time) were women who had all day for personal grooming and often spent at least a morning or afternoon in the salon. Today most women lead different lives and want and need to be in and out of the salon as rapidly as possible, they appreciate a quicker service as long as it meets their service expectations and is value for money.

To be contd...

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Permalink Reply by mitchell on March 21, 2010 at 1:01pm

mitchell said:

mitchell said:

mitchell said:

Hello Laure...
Interesting question...
I come from a Vidal Sassoon background where an hour was scheduled for a cut and blow-dry.
Over the years after I had opened my own salons I realized that while some heads do require that amount of time, many do not, especially during the warmer months when some clients leave with damp hair and forgo the drying entirely or simply that many clients have cuts that can be done well in just 40 minutes, thirty minutes or even 15 minutes, (depending on the individual head) and that scheduling a set time for the service was not good business sense except perhaps for first-time clients... so, I began to set a higher price for first-timers so that if I needed more time for the initial cut it I would be available, if not I could work more slowly but whatever the client felt that it was value for money. This is also effective as some clients will not be regulars but will come to get my cut once in a while and then go elsewhere and have the stylist follow my cut at a cheaper price.
Once I know the client and the time it takes to perfiorm the cut then I can tailor my schedule to more efficiently maximize profits.

The reason that an hour was scheduled at Sassoon's was due to a few factors, firstly we did tend to take many small sections and check and re-check the cut over and over. The stylist would cut the hair dry then it would be washed and the whole cut gone through again wet. That did take time. Also and more relevantly was the fact that in the early days of the cut and blow era, the early 1960's, Sassoon's still made the bulk of the income from weekly clients who had shampoo and sets. In those days the cut was a quick service taking perhaps 10 minutes and charged accordingly but the money came from the setting and comb-outs which the client had weekly, as opposed to the cuts, which they had only monthly.

When the cut and blow-dry took over from the weekly set it rocked the Sassoon salon business, (particularly once the clients began to realize that they could blow-dry their own hair at home), surprising as it may seem, in the early days they continued to come every week for a blow-dry just as they had for a set...unlike today, hand-held dryers were not readily available to the general public, particularly the Wigo Taifun model that we used exclusively at Sassoon...

Sassoon got a lot of criticism from other London salons who feared the loss of income as the weekly set business went away, but it soon became obvious that what Vidal had developed was going to be a success and the loss of the income from the 'setting-regulars' could be offset by the raising of prices for the cut, indeed, the cut, formerly the less expensive service, doubled in price, then tripled then quadrupled. However, during the initial introductory years to offset client reluctance to move away from the set it was felt that the point could be best made that the cost increase was valid if the service took a long time, so appointment slots for the cut went from 15 minutes or less to an hour and the blow-dry was not charged seperately as had been the set, but rather it was not rolled into the cut service which came to be known as cut and blow-dry.

The other factor in today's world is that women are not, for the most part, the ladies-who-lunch crowd that they were 45 years ago. Many of Sassoon's clients (it was exclusively female at that time) were women who had all day for personal grooming and often spent at least a morning or afternoon in the salon. Today most women lead different lives and want and need to be in and out of the salon as rapidly as possible, they appreciate a quicker service as long as it meets their service expectations and is value for money.

To be contd...

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Permalink Reply by mitchell on March 21, 2010 at 1:30pm

Contd...

I guess Laure that my point is that we are all in this to make money and efficiency is the key, whether by the efficient booking of time and/or the efficient use if the stylist's time.
In the days when I had staff (I work alone today as I'm in California where chair-rental rules and it's difficult to impossible to hire commissioned staff) I impressed on them that it was imperative, for a number of good reasons, for them to work fast.
Firstly the clients appreciate that you can provide them with a quality service that doesn't take up too much of their valuable time, secondly, a fast stylist (and the salon) will earn more money than a slow one, it's simple time and motion economics. The salon that turns the chairs more effectively will likely be more profitable than the one which doesn't, I use the restaurant business as the model...turn the tables over as fast as you can while providing the client with a service that is as high in quality and service as you can and provide perceived value for money.
The stylists should all be trying to move the clients through as efficiently as possible, no matter the 'level' they have attained in the salon hierarchy.

As to your original questions...
The 'proper' time to allow for a cut is the shortest time in which your stylists can perform the service to the complete satisfaction of the client, it's up to you to train them to work fast.
I used to train all new hires by setting a timer and requiring them to figure out how to finish each service with an eye to profitability, customer satisfaction and their own personal career growth and earning expectations, as well as mine.

Of course any service that takes longer should be charged more for, it's simple economics.
If a client's needs take more time it's not the salon's fault, time is money and the client should pay for the time taken.
I'll sometimes have a new client who asks me on the phone to allow a lot of time for her appointment so that we can consult and have as much time as needed to get the job done to her satisfaction. I reply that I schedule my time as efficiently as possible given my experience and if she feels that her particular needs might exceed my appointment schedule then I'm happy to sell her as many appointment slots as she feels might be necessary to satisfy her.

My best regards to you and continued success in your career!

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Permalink Reply by mitchell on March 21, 2010 at 1:47pm

ARROJO said:

At ARROJO we book different stylists at different time intervals.

Stylist: 90mins
Stylist Level 1: 60mins
Stylist Level 2: either 45mins or 60mins depending on the interval they feel most comfortable
Top Stylist: 45mins
Senior Stylist: 45mins
Master Stylist: 45mins

We do not charge more for longer or thicker. Hair is Hair. Would you charge someone less because they had less? We have a set ticket price for each level stylist. Man or Woman, you pay the same.

Hope this helps! We find it works very well for us!! Good luck!

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Permalink Reply by mitchell on March 21, 2010 at 1:54pm

I guess that my answer to 'would you charge less if the client had less' is Yes!
If I can do two clients in the time that other stylists take to do one then I can charge less because my aggregate earnings will be higher.
How does one justify a set price to a client whose hair takes me 30 minutes to cut and blow because it's fine while her sister's takes me an hour to cut and blow because it's long and thick?

Incidentally, here in California it's the law that one cannot charge different prices for services based on the gender of the client although it's still widely accepted.
The reason for this also has historical roots, but that's a different discussion if anyone is interested.

My best regards to you and continued success in your career!



mitchell said:

ARROJO said:

At ARROJO we book different stylists at different time intervals.

Stylist: 90mins
Stylist Level 1: 60mins
Stylist Level 2: either 45mins or 60mins depending on the interval they feel most comfortable
Top Stylist: 45mins
Senior Stylist: 45mins
Master Stylist: 45mins

We do not charge more for longer or thicker. Hair is Hair. Would you charge someone less because they had less? We have a set ticket price for each level stylist. Man or Woman, you pay the same.

Hope this helps! We find it works very well for us!! Good luck!

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Permalink Reply by mitchell on March 22, 2010 at 3:02am

So sorry that this post is repeated, I'm just getting used to this message board.

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Permalink Reply by Heather Ramon on April 3, 2010 at 3:40pm

Every stylist is unique and needs to work at their own artistic pace. A salon should have guidelines because they still need to be profitable, but if you are pressuring a stylist to work faster than they are capable of, you are not allowing great quality walk out your salon doors. At my salon, no one is allowed to book longer than an hour ( exceptions are made for certain guests) but they vary from a half hour to an hour. Our software allows us to book uniquely and our guests appreciate the options and uniqueness of each stylist.

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Permalink Reply by Sidoione on April 3, 2010 at 10:40pm

I wonder what it is about the time thing!
New stylists get so wound up and intimidated with the pressure about time.
There are so many variables about how long anything takes. I know there are stylists that can fly through a cut & blow-dry and have exceptional creativity, precision and results. Others, a snail's pace for less stellar results. I think there is a place for everyone's particular style, creativity and timing.

For me pending on the hair type, round, oval or flattened oval the time varies. The length and density will factor in to the time as well. I schedule for a first time (never seen before) hair cut, shampoo-condition and style (which could be roller set- I still do them- or blow-dry) 1 1/2 hour. More times than not I have completed check-in and out in 1 1/4 hour. Gives me time to clean up or catch up where I maybe running late on those added non-scheduled hilites. When you are 5 Star NO is not in your vocabulary!

At the end of the day everyone gets done! If the client has the capacity for happiness: They are! Are they really in such a hurry anyway? I have found, more often than not, they are wanting to be heard, seen, known. When your stylist does that they are in no rush!

It frightens me that so many people train/educate in our industry and leave it frustrated, defeated, turned-off by the crazy, unrealistic time pressure demands! Letting people develop their confidence and self correcting skills, they will eventually get faster...it's inevitable. The more you do anything the better you get at doing it!

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Permalink Reply by Sidoione on April 3, 2010 at 10:55pm

Thank you for saying this. I mean really 10 minutes for the cut (not that I don't have some regulars that I can do in 10 minutes and have great results...but I am following my own lines) & 20mins to dry! is that the cart before the horse or what!
People can dry their own hair and sometimes better than I do! They come to me because they want a cut to be stellar. I can lay a foundation into a haircut that will last up to 16 weeks. That's why I have people coming back and referrals. The comment I hear most often is: My hair looks good even after I think I need a cut... BUT I like what happens next! Your haircuts grow out so well. I never had a haircut do this!
My thoughts are why not????

JohnSantilli said:

For me a haircut should take as long as it takes to get it right. I am not a manager of a hairsalon. Maybe they would say something else. But if you get it right they will always come back and send others to you too. What you lose with one you will make up from another.

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Permalink Reply by mitchell on April 5, 2010 at 3:22pm

Hi Sidoione, thanks for your reply... I don't however think that ...so many people train/educate in our industry and leave it frustrated, defeated, turned-off by the crazy, unrealistic time pressure demands! , I believe it's the poor wages, the poor, often hazardous working conditions, the lack of a secure career-path for advancement, the lack of real benefits, health Insurance, vacation pay, retirement plans, and the lack of real financial security in their workplace. Most hairstylists in the US are earning among the lowest wages in the country, even after their year in beauty school and the cost of that training, their wages are comparable to waitresses, child-care workers and home-cleaners, all with no benefits or security.

Sidoione said:

Thank you for saying this. I mean really 10 minutes for the cut (not that I don't have some regulars that I can do in 10 minutes and have great results...but I am following my own lines) & 20mins to dry! is that the cart before the horse or what!
People can dry their own hair and sometimes better than I do! They come to me because they want a cut to be stellar. I can lay a foundation into a haircut that will last up to 16 weeks. That's why I have people coming back and referrals. The comment I hear most often is: My hair looks good even after I think I need a cut... BUT I like what happens next! Your haircuts grow out so well. I never had a haircut do this!
My thoughts are why not????

JohnSantilli said:

For me a haircut should take as long as it takes to get it right. I am not a manager of a hairsalon. Maybe they would say something else. But if you get it right they will always come back and send others to you too. What you lose with one you will make up from another.

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Permalink Reply by Hilary R Pinkston on April 5, 2010 at 9:35pm

depending on what you are charging i'd say the industry standard is 60 min. i dont believe in charging extra for more hair or for my running over in time. its our responsibility to be on time for our next guest. i know when a client sits in my chair if it will be a challenge to blow dry so i adjust my timing in other areas sufficiently. also, i firmly believe in utilizing the assistants and the clients tend to enjoy the extra attention and knowing that they are a part of someone's growing education.

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