Salon Today - July 2008 - (Page 22)

[FIRST ADVICE] Training Day To get the scoop on how one successful salon has structured its training program, we spent the day with a group of new stylists and colorists at Michael Anthony Aveda SalonSpa in Chicago. From the editors of FirstChair.com F For three hours each week, the ﬂoor at Michael Anthony Aveda SalonSpa in Chicago (which is departmentalized) belongs exclusively to new stylists and colorists and their clients. The trainees come from all four of the salon’s locations, and gather together at one location each Wednesday to work their way through the training program. It’s typically a year long, but it depends on how fast each individual progresses. “We have them work at their own pace,” says Souline Yonan, Creative Director and Head of Color, who oversees the colorist training. “We don’t want to rush them through it.” When new stylists are not working on people, they spend their time practicing on mannequin heads. Step by Step On both the cut and color sides, there are three terms that comprise the training program: on the cutting side they go through basic hair cuts, then get creative in the second term, and during the third term they work on getting out on the ﬂoor. On the color side, they go through single process color, followed by foils in the second term and creative color in the third. Each trainee has to test out of a number of particular styles and techniques before moving on to the next segment. But Director of Education Andrea Piraino says teaching new stylists cut and color is often one of the easiest things the staff does. Part of the Michael Anthony Aveda SalonSpa Education Team with owner, Michael Anthony. From left to right: Ashley Sierra, Master Stylist & Creative Director of the Stylist Department; Lori Emery; Andrea Piraino and Michael Anthony; Jaime Giambalvo and Claudia Mero. in a professional manner, or how to confront difﬁcult situations with customers.” In addition to that challenge, stylists also face changing customer service standards and expectations depending on the client—a 50-yearold woman may expect something different than someone in her 20s. Some things that others might view as common sense are often lessons they have to end up teaching, says Piraino. Beyond Hair The biggest challenge she and other educators face is getting new stylists to “understand today’s customer service expectations.” “They’re not taught customer service in the schools,” she says. “Like how to speak Setting Expectations When it comes to hiring these new stylists, Piraino says the number one attribute she looks for is a strong work ethic. Stylists are required to come in 15 minutes before their shift begins—with hair and make-up done. These are patterns that the educators watch for from the very beginning of the training, and if the new stylist doesn’t follow through, they do not move onto the next level of the training program. “It tells us they’re not taking the job seriously,” she says. While there’s not a lot of turnover in the program, the ones that do end up leaving tend not to know what they wanted to begin with, says Piraino. “Starting out, they want to be here and they say they want the structure, but then once they’re here, they think there’s no ﬂexibility. They’re told what to look for in their ﬁrst job—but they don’t know what they want until they get a foot in the door,” she says. n 22 | July 2008 www.salontoday.com http://FirstChair.com http://www.salontoday.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Salon Today - July 2008

Salon Today - July 2008 Contents Editor's Note Reception Fashion Sense Roundtable FirstAdvice Spa Menu Décor Share Tactics Perfectly Polished In the Bag 25 Years of Growth Products Owner to Owner

Salon Today - July 2008

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