Heard a client say she only trusts stylists who went to a certain school

I was at a coffee shop yesterday and overheard a woman telling her friend she'd never let a stylist touch her hair unless they graduated from the Paul Mitchell academy in our city. I mean, I get wanting good training, but I learned way more in my first year on the floor than in all of cosmetology school. Maybe it's just me, but does where you went to school really matter more than your actual skill and experience? What do you all think?

3 comments

3 Comments

nathan5453mo ago

My old salon manager (a Paul Mitchell grad) told me she had to unlearn half her school techniques to actually work fast on real clients.

lee_bailey652mo ago

I had the exact same problem with my HVAC contractor a few years back. Paid extra for a company that advertised 'certified master technicians' but the kid they sent couldn't figure out why my unit was icing over. Sometimes those fancy names and schools just teach people to pass a test, not to actually work through a problem step by step. It's like buying a name brand tool versus something that actually grips the bolt tight. At the end of the day, those corporate programs push one way of doing things but real life throws you curveballs they never covered.

the_alex3mo ago

Honestly, that reminds me of my friend who went to a fancy school but still can't do a basic men's cut well. Do you think some clients just use the school name as a shortcut because they don't know how to judge real skill? Like they're paying for the brand name on the diploma instead of looking at a stylist's actual portfolio.