On Point Hair by Sherri

Have you ever had a client say, "I'm not happy with my hair," and immediately felt your stomach drop?
Before you even know exactly what she's unhappy about, your mind starts racing. Did I mess it up? Should I offer to redo it? Should I give her money back? Is she going to leave a bad review? Maybe I'm not as good at this as I thought I was…
That moment can make even an experienced hairstylist question herself.
But how you handle those first few minutes matters.
Because handled well, an unhappy client doesn't necessarily mean a lost client. In fact, the way you respond can actually build trust and strengthen the relationship.
Handled poorly? A small concern can turn into a much bigger problem — and leave you replaying the entire appointment in your head for days.
In this episode of Cutting Through It, I'm sharing a simple framework built around one word: STOP.
It will help you slow down, listen to what your client is actually telling you, respond professionally, and confidently lead the conversation toward a solution — without immediately becoming defensive, giving everything away, or deciding you must be terrible at what you do.
Because the goal isn't just to fix the hair.
It's to protect the relationship with your client, protect your business, and protect your confidence behind the chair.
If client complaints make you nervous or you've ever walked away from one questioning yourself, this is an episode you need to hear.
Want More Clients in Your Chair?
If you're working on building your clientele, grab my free 5 Easy Ways to Attract New Clients & Fill Your Chair training.
In about 20 minutes, I'll walk you through five practical things you can start doing to get yourself in front of more potential clients and start filling those openings in your bookFree training link: https://www.onpointhairbysherri.com/free-training
And if this episode helped you, share it with another hairstylist who could use it and subscribe to Cutting Through It so you don't miss the next episode.

Before you ever start cutting a shaggy bob, there are a few things you need to look at first. ✂️

Because a great haircut starts before you ever make the first cut.

I’m looking at the hair texture, density, growth patterns, head shape where I want the movement and weight to live.

The same shaggy bob isn’t going to work the same way on every head.

That planning is what gives you the confidence to know why you’re making each cutting decision instead of simply following a formula and hoping it works.

And this is exactly how I teach haircutting.

It’s not just about knowing how to cut the hair. It’s understanding why you’re making each decision before you ever pick up your shears.

That’s where confidence behind the chair really starts.

If you want to feel more confident with your haircuts and better understand the why behind the cut, check out Cutting with Confidence through the link in my bio. ✂️

Save this for the next time you have a shaggy bob on your book.

This was the very first haircutting class I put together after moving to Phoenix.

I rented a room in a hotel I could afford, ugly carpet and all 😂 and it ended up being one of my favorite classes.

And looking back at this footage reminded me of something I was teaching then that I still believe today:

Stop trying to memorize haircuts.

You can’t memorize every haircut that’s going to sit down in your chair.

When you truly understand what layering, graduation and one length do to the hair and you learn to look at the head shape, the texture and the shape you’re trying to create, you start to understand how to build a haircut instead of just following someone else’s steps.

And that’s where confidence behind the chair starts. ✂️

That’s exactly why I created Cutting with Confidence, to help hairstylists understand the foundations of haircutting so they can approach a haircut knowing not just what to do, but why they’re doing it.

👉 If you’re ready to stop second-guessing your haircuts and start cutting with more confidence, check out Cutting with Confidence through the link in my bio.

Pixie cuts and short haircuts can feel intimidating, especially when a client shows you a photo of a haircut you've never done before.But here's the thing: you don't need to memorize every haircut. You need to understand how to break down what you're looking at.In this episode of Cutting Through It, I'm walking you through how I approach a short haircut before I ever pick up my shears.We'll talk about:* Why understanding your client's head shape matters so much with short haircuts and pixie cuts* What to look for in the crown, occipital bone, nape and hairline* How to break down an inspiration photo instead of trying to copy it* How one length, graduation and layering work together to create shape* Why texture, density and growth patterns can change how you approach the haircut* How learning to really see a haircut can help you build the confidence to stop second-guessing yourself behind the chairIf you've ever said, "I don't do pixies," passed a short haircut to another stylist, or steered a client toward a haircut you felt more comfortable doing, this episode is for you.Ready to feel more confident with short haircuts and pixie cuts?If you find yourself sticking to the same few haircuts because they're the ones you know you can do, you don't need another haircut to memorize. You need to understand the foundations of haircutting well enough to look at a shape and know how to create it.That's exactly what I teach inside Cutting with Confidence, it was created so you can stop second-guessing yourself and start trusting your skills behind the chair.Check out Cutting with Confidence: 👇https://www.onpointhairbysherri.com/cutting-with-confidenceAnd if you know a hairstylist who's nervous about short haircuts or pixie cuts, share this episode with them.If something in today's episode helped you look at haircutting differently or you have a haircutting question you'd love for me to talk about, I want to hear from you!Come find me on Instagram and send me a DM.Tell me what clicked for you, what you're struggling with, or what you'd like me to teach about next.I may just turn your question into a future episode!

Silence communicates something too.

When a client is unhappy, you don’t have to know exactly how you’re going to fix the problem before you pick up the phone.

You DO have to be willing to listen.

Because avoiding an unhappy client rarely makes the problem disappear and as we saw in this viral TikTok situation, sometimes it makes it a whole lot bigger.

And salon owners, this applies to you too. Whether the stylist is commission or renting a chair, the reputation of that salon rests on you.

🎙️ In Episode 47 of Cutting Through It, I break down what happened, where I think things went wrong, and what we as hairstylists can learn from it.

Listen to Episode 47 now👉link in bio and you can find it on your favorite podcast app😊

You know that feeling…

You look at your book, see a certain client’s name and immediately think, Ugh. I don’t want to do this.

😂 And no, Joanne” isn’t a real client. She’s just the name I used in this example!

But the situation IS real.

Especially when we’re building our clientele, we tend to take anybody who wants to sit in our chair. And in the beginning, sometimes that’s what we need to do.

But as you become more established, you have an opportunity to be more intentional about who you want to work with and what kind of work you want to do.

Because if your book is full of clients you dread seeing and services you don’t enjoy doing, that full book can eventually lead straight to burnout.

The goal isn’t just to fill your chair.

It’s to build a clientele you actually enjoy showing up for.

take a look at your book this week.
Is there a client or even a service you consistently dread seeing on there?

That might be telling you something about the business you.

👇Tell me in the comments, what’s ONE thing you wish you had less of on your books?

You can be great at doing hair and still be the thing standing in the way of growing your clientele.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned in this industry is that building a successful hairstylist business takes more than being talented behind the chair.

Sometimes it means getting comfortable doing the things that feel uncomfortable.

Asking your clients to rebook.
Asking for the review.
Asking for referrals.
Dealing with a client who’s unhappy with their hair.
Setting boundaries with clients.
And putting yourself out there so new clients can actually find you.

And because so many hairstylists are people pleasers, sometimes it feels easier to just… not do it.

But here’s what I want you to remember:

You are the CEO of your chair.

You don’t have to be pushy or become someone you’re not to build a loyal clientele.

But you DO have to be willing to step outside your comfort zone if you want to grow your business behind the chair and build the career you say you want.

👇 Hairstylists, what’s ONE thing you know you need to get more comfortable doing to grow your clientele?

Tell me in the comments. I bet you’re not the only one struggling with it.

One of my favorite things about teaching is hearing what actually clicks for a stylist. ✂️

You’re not supposed to be great at something the first time you try it.

Whether it’s a haircut, a new technique, consultations, building clientele ,whatever it is, confidence comes from doing it over and over again.

Practice. Learn. Adjust. Repeat.

Don’t quit in the learning stage.

Keep doing it. The results will come.💪