US hair and beauty academy Pivot Point recently conducted a research study engaging 500 consumers to find out more about their relationship with their stylist and the salon overall.

Key take-outs included:

• Client loyalty: consumers are very loyal to their hairstylist; particularly women aged 36 to 60+ and men aged between 26 and 35. More than half of loyal clients have been seeing the same stylist for three years or more.
• Trust: hairstylists were on par with a client’s therapist in terms of trust. The importance of continually improving both technical skills in hair design and the softer skills of stylist-client communication are interpreted by Pivot Point as the key to this trust.
• Professional training: respect for styling suggestions, product suggestions and willingness to pay more for services all increase when a stylist informs clients they receive regular training.
• Relationship with stylist: friendliness, technical skills and professionalism rank highest amongst the list of attributes. And the consultation at the start of an appointment is viewed as the most important conversation between the client and stylist.

Read the full report from Pivot Point.