Clients should be able to expect certain things when they come to us to get a service. They expect us to be competent in what we do. That means we need to have the "necessary knowledge and skill to provide services effectively." (Ethics in Cosmetology, Page 25) We will need to keep up with our education so that we can provide the new services that are coming out on the market. Our clients will also expect us to have a sense of responsibility to them. If you feel responsible for how your client's hair, nails, or make-up turn out then you won't be responsible enough to give them a service worth what they are paying. Lastly, your clients expect us to enjoy working with the public. Even if you are having a rough day and just want to go home and sleep, your clients deserve to be treated with respect. This will take dedication from you; dedication to your clients, to your job, and to the profession in general. If you treat your clients well, by being considerate to their needs and willing to help them when they are in a pinch and you may have to go out on a limb, they "will appreciate this kind of consideration and, like good friends, will be with you for a long time." (Ethics in Cosmetology, Page 26)
There are areas that are a part of client related ethics that the clients may not expect, but you still should follow the ethics in these areas. Give your clients the full measure of their service. Even if you are running behind, your client deserves to be treated as though you have all the time in the world. Don't skip steps, even unimportant ones like a scalp massage during the shampoo, without consulting your client. Be sure anything you do is in the client's best interests. Don't make invalid extra charges for services, even if Mrs. Smith was really getting on your nerves. Believe it or not, your patience is not something you can charge a client for. Don't misrepresent the services your offer or the products you use for those services. Refrain from misleading advertising. (Ethics in Cosmetology, Page 27) If clients feel that you are trying to trick them, or lie to them, they will definitely stop coming to you for their beauty needs. Observing proper sanitation and public hygiene is a must. No client wants to sit in a dirty chair and get dirty combs used on their hair. They also don't want to smell what you ate for lunch on your breath. The one part of ethics that is most often ignored or forgotten is gossip. A few careless words to the wrong people could have you lose clients. I know one hairdresser that was doing the hair of two couples. The husband of one couple was having an affair with the wife in the other. If hairdresser had opened her mouth to the innocent partners, she would have lost at least two if not all four of those clients. Gossip is sometimes harmless, but at times it will not hurt only others, it will hurt you. This includes gossip about co-workers as well as clients.
The ethics you use in interacting with your co-workers and boss will often determine how pleasant your job atmosphere is, as well as whether you continue to have a job. It is important that you are fair and cooperative with those you work with. Be willing to compromise with them on certain issues. One big thing that can cause a lot of strife in the salon is when cosmetologists start soliciting clients from each other. It is one thing if the client chooses to go to someone else. But if you are purposely trying to take clients from co-workers, there will be problems. This includes offering services at prices way below those in the salon or field charge. It is one thing if you offer a couple dollars off a service to first time clients if you are trying to build your clientele. It is another if you are offering low prices to steal clients from others. In short, "refrain from performing any act designed to promote your own interests at the expense of the profession or professional co-workers." (Ethics in Cosmetology, Page 29)
I believe ethics is a very important thing in the salon, whether it is between co-workers/classmates, or between the cosmetologist and the costumer. If ethics is discredited and ignored, then the atmosphere will definitely not be one that clients can come and relax in. Those outside the professional field of cosmetology will have a hard time looking at us as professionals if we can't use good ethics in our business. Without good ethics, the cosmetology field will lose the quality of cosmetologists, some of its workers, and even some of the clients. For me, when I will be looking for a job I will be looking at many things in salons. One of the things I will definitely be looking at is the ethics of the salon. I believe proper ethics are essential to a good working environment. I will be practicing the ethics and I would like to work somewhere where my co-workers are on the same page as I am. Who wants to pay for a service that is given in an unethical atmosphere?
The ethics with which you treat your clients will in many ways be what keeps them or loses them. Many of the cosmetologists out there are good at what they do. But how many treat their clients with a high enough level of courtesy to keep them? Practicing good ethics with your co-workers will help keep the salon environment nice. Not that there won't ever be personality clashes, but good ethics are there to help those that follow them to have fewer problems. I personally believe ethics are very important in whatever part of society you are in and should be followed.