Criticism about my balayage technique from a client in Boise

A client told me my balayage looked too chunky and lived-in, like I didn't blend enough. I was annoyed at first because I thought that was the style. But she showed me a photo of what she actually wanted - softer, more natural transitions. Now I use a finer weaving technique and take more time on the midsection. It takes me an extra 20 minutes per client but the results look way smoother. Anyone else get feedback that totally shifted how they do a service?

2 comments

2 Comments

paul_thompson671mo ago

The thing nobody talks about is how the lighting in the salon vs. natural light outside changes how chunky the balayage looks. I had a similar wake up call when a client took a selfie in her car and the highlights looked like solid stripes. My salon has warm soft lighting that hides all the harsh lines. Client saw it in her driveway and it looked like a different service. So now I step outside with a mirror before they leave. It saves me from those awkward "I fixed it at home" moments. That extra 20 minutes is nothing compared to redoing the whole thing for free.

brooke711mo ago

Oh man, that is such a good point about the lighting! I started doing the same thing after a similar situation. I had a client who was thrilled under my salon lights, then she texted me a car selfie and the balayage looked like it had these huge chunky sections. Now I always walk them out to the sidewalk with a handheld mirror before they pay. It takes maybe ten minutes tops and I haven't had a single "I fixed it at home" call since I started doing that.