Any business that deals with service provision must maintain good relationships with clients, suppliers and other stakeholders. Since eyelash extension falls in this category, the way you relate with other people will determine the success of your business. You must mind how you interact with your students, fellow lash technicians, and clients. Clients and students also need to reciprocate the same by treating their lash technicians with respect. Here is what you need to know about interacting with people to make life easier for everyone.
Clients vs. Lash Technicians
The customer is the sole reason why lash technicians are in business. Without them, your business has no future. As a lash technician, you need to value and respect your clients in the best way possible. For instance, if you are working on lash extensions, you must practice how to create great fans way before you start working on real clients.
However, clients also have a responsibility of giving lash technicians an easy time. As much as you are bringing business to the technician, treating them with respect will make service provision better. For instance, if you don’t get what you expected, it’s only fair to let your technician know in a polite way. At the end of the day, we are all human. You also need to honour appointments by being timely and doing what your technician requests during the session.
Before you book an appointment, always remember to ask your technician about their:
• Experience Level
• Professional background/qualifications – Are they competent in doing classic, Russian and Mega Volume?
• Retouch policy- Do they offer a 5-day guarantee in case the lashes fall off too soon?
There should be tell-tale signs of an incompetent lash technician. One of them is the price. If they charge below $70, chances are they are beginners. However, price is not an automatic indicator of how competent a person is. You might find a person charging over $100 for a classic or volume set, only to realize later they are beginners or even when they charge $200 above being a well experienced technician but the work doesn’t really make a great job.
The speed of the lash technician in executing their work is a great indication of how experienced they are. Another consideration is the kind of products they use and how good they understand the different qualities of lash products. For instance, at Luxe Lashes, we are able to distinguish a great quality products. Our lead technician, Mary, is also fast, which shows she has been doing this for long.
Before working on the lashes, a qualified lash expert should be able to educate the customer about the amount of lashes ideal for them. There is an ideal style for each individual client. There is no “one-size-fits-all” when it comes to lashes. Volumetric calculations must be carried out for every client. It takes an educated and experienced technician to implement this.
For the client, it’s important to listen to the advice of your lash technician. If there are risks involved, don’t push your expert to do something they think is not right.
If you are not too sure about the background of your lash professional, ask for their past work. This can be in terms of photo or video evidence. Feel free to voice your complaints as long as they are legitimate, but do it in the right way. The best solution is to be understanding; discuss matters to come up with an amicable solution.
Technician vs. Other Technicians
In most cases, lash technicians spend a lot of time and energy trying to outsmart each other. As much as this is a competitive industry, technicians face the same problems. For instance, there are times when glues don’t work well no matter how experienced a person is. This can weigh heavily on a techncian’s emotions, especially if they are beginners.
The best way to solve such problems is by working together to better each other’s skills. Be patient and try to learn from other experienced technicians to know how to go about such scenarios. Instead of blaming your technician or your trainer, try to source information from other experts to understand the lashing process holistically. Remember, people have different techniques for doing things. It’s only by combining these techniques that you can learn to perfect your craft.
Do technicians need to join lash competitions?
Yes. As much as you might be an established technician in the lash industry, there are many advantages of taking part in lash competitions. Although most contests require an entry fee, the benefits you get are many. Some of these benefits include:
• Competitions test your abilities
• They help you to perfect your skills
• Markets your brand by making you known in the lash industry when you win
• Winning an award gives you confidence and self satisfaction
However, you should avoid participating in many competitions just because you want to outsmart other technicians. Another thing to avoid is joining such contests for the purpose of validation. If you don’t believe in yourself, start by improving your weak points. You should learn when to stop competing once you get the skills and confidence you need from such contests.
Eyelash Trainers vs. Students
The lash industry is growing at a high pace and more people are interested in joining this promising career. For the past 3.5 years I have been in this industry, I have managed to interact with many students and trainers alike. Before you decide to become a lash technician, it’s crucial to ask yourself one important question, “What’s my inspiration to study eyelash extensions?”
Just like any other job, you won’t make it in this industry if you are not passionate about eyelashes. My main motivation for becoming a lash technician came from the time I used to get my lashes done. I had the desire to learn from the most humble and great lash technician locally who taught me many things about the craft and then I further my study with the advance volume to one of the greatest trainer internationally. I also coupled my lashing skills with lessons on how to market my services on social media and other platforms. I learned this from a reputable entrepreneur and marketing expert.
One thing you should understand is that learning never stops. Always aspire to learn new things no matter the amount of experience you have gained over the years. Instead of comparing yourself to others, come up with your own milestones and focus on achieving them.
It’s common to find students moving from one trainer to another just because they feel the first one was not competent enough. It’s very important to self-critic and focus on overcoming your weaknesses as a student. Learn to be patient and practice regularly to improve your skills. After the learning process, it’s upon you to decide whether lash extensions is your thing or not.
Bottom Line
My only advice to lash clients, students and trainers is to be patient, kind, understanding and respectful to each other. As a client, understand that not every length, thickness or style can apply to you. Lash technicians are trained to examine the condition of natural lashes before recommending a style. In case you are not satisfied with the results, don’t spoil the name of your technician. Let them know your concern and solve the issue peacefully. This also applies to students.
