Two Instagram posts.

Two completely different messages. But somehow, they told the same story.

The first video stopped me in my scroll, not because I followed the stylist, but because the algorithm knew I’d care. Her message? A pitch for “how to go digital” by removing the professional recommendation from the retail experience. If her client said they used something, anything, she’d simply send them a cheaper link to reorder it online. No consultation. No opinion. Just a transaction.

Now, contrast that with another post, an image of professional haircare products on supermarket shelves, yellow discount tags blazing beneath the bottles. The comment section lit up with frustration: “Why would brands sell out like this?” “Where’s the support for stylists?” “This is why I can’t retail anymore.”

But here’s the paradox: if stylists aren’t showing up for professional retail conversations, what are clients supposed to do? It’s not about blame. It’s about the gap.

When Professionalism Takes a Back Seat

When we reduce our service, or the products we recommend, to just a price tag, we lose the very thing that makes our industry so special: the experience.

Think about it like this, imagine spending a full day at Disneyland, soaking in the magic, but buying nothing, only to later order a Mickey mug online. You’ve separated the transaction from the experience. And it just doesn’t feel the same.

That’s exactly what’s happening in salons when aftercare isn’t part of the conversation. The consultation, the service, and the products used and recommended, that’s the full experience. When we skip any piece of that, we’re training clients to detach.

 

If you don’t offer them guidance, they’ll go to Google. Or Ulta. Or TJ Maxx.

 

So… Are We the Ones Short-Cutting the Experience?

Here are a few hard, but necessary, questions:

• Have you convinced yourself that it’s easier to let clients “do their own thing” when it comes to products?

• Are you relying only on service pricing increases to grow your business, instead of delivering a complete service experience?

• Is your consultation detailed enough to update a client’s aftercare based on what’s changed (hormones, stress, seasons, color, etc.)?

• Are we, as pros, confusing convenience with professionalism?

Because if we’re not having these conversations, we’re teaching our clients not to have them, with us.

Every Salon Can Make Professional Products, Professional Again

This isn’t about pushing product. It’s about packaging the experience differently:

• Build it into the service price. No room for clients to skip it if the aftercare’s already included.

• Offer trial sizes. Simple take-home touches matter.

• Create an in-salon loyalty program. Reward clients who invest in their hair health beyond the chair.

No matter how you do it, the key is to show that aftercare is part of your craft, not an optional add-on.

You didn’t spend thousands on professional shears or years perfecting your technique for your work to end when they leave the chair.

What This All Really Means

These two Instagram videos couldn’t be more different, but both reveal the same issue: when professionalism fades, our industry suffers.

We start cutting corners, offering shortcuts, simplifying what should be sacred. And in doing so, we give clients permission to do the same to us.

But that’s not you. If you’re reading this, you’re part of the Goldie Locks® community that values craftsmanship, education, and results-driven care.

We’re proud to stand beside stylists who are bringing professional back. And we’ll keep giving you the tools to lead that change.

Don’t Leave Money on the Table (Literally)

Did you know that your tools, color, backbar, retail, aren’t just professional choices. They’re business assets.

What you stock by year-end also draws down your taxable income. That means that fully stocked color bar, freshly stocked retail waiting for 2026 clients? That inventory matters. Come tax season, it can reduce what you owe and increase what you keep.