Complete Guide to Hair Salon Conversation Topics in 2024

Looking for engaging hair salon conversation topics? You are in the right place.

Did you know about 65% of women would like to converse with their hairdressers? That’s because it builds trust and confidence before they take your advice and let you play around with their hair.

But what if you are an introvert and have no idea what to say or an extrovert facing a block. Either way, these tips, and topics should help you kick-start conversations the right way.

Jump to The Section You Like

1. Conversations Between Hairdresser and Customer
2. What Do You Talk About in a Salon?
3. Salon Conversation Starters
4. Topics to Avoid in a Salon Small Talk
5. Conclusion

Conversations Between Hairdresser and Customer

A good conversation is often expected since customers see it as part of the experience. Thus, knowing what to talk about and how to start a conversation is important. Always remember to keep it positive and uplifting, to support the impression of time spent with you.

But hey, not every customer likes being social, and that is perfectly normal. Maybe they are having a rough day, perhaps they are introverts, or just tired.

Either way, keep an eye on their body movements and replies. If they use short sentences or one-word responses or look exhausted, cut them some slack and talk only when needed.

What Do You Talk About in a Salon?

Hair - an obvious and relevant start. It makes the customer feel cared about and you come off as someone serious about their job. And if you want them to trust your service and skills again, that’s just the first impression you want to create.

You can then carry the conversation forward based on their answers about the products they use, or why they chose this hairstyle.

Almost anything else can work as well, from pets to TV shows and what they do in their free time. Be observant and a keen listener, something they already said can give you a hint of what can be an interesting topic to a client.

Just ensure you avoid negative remarks. For example, talking about their hair fall or how little there is to work with is a big no. Do not let the client feel judged, or they’ll want to duck and leave.

Do not miss our post on how to talk to clients in a salon to get more ideas on client communication style.

Salon Conversation Starters

Hair-related Topics

• How much time do you spend styling your hair every day?

• What is your daily hair-care routine? (Maybe throw in a compliment before)

• Do you think you look better with short or long hair?

• Do you apply any natural or store-bought hair masks? If yes, how many times a week and what?

• What is your go-to everyday style?

• What shampoo and conditioner do you use and why?

• Did you take any treatments before? If yes, what and why?

• If not, are there any treatments you plan to try?

• Have you colored your hair ever? If yes, which color?

• Or do you plan to get it colored soon?

Check out our guide on hairdressing consultation to further improve your customer experience delivery.

Hobbies and Passion

Talking about hobbies and passions is personal yet not private. And if you work magic with your hands and you both connect on a favorite book or music, they are going to keep coming back looking for you.

Not to forget, the scope of these talks is limitless. So here’s what you can ask.

• How do you spend your free time?

• What are you most passionate about?

• Do you play any instruments? If yes, which one and why?

• Do you like to travel? Where do you plan to go next?

• Where would you recommend a beach/mountain lover go for a vacation?

• What are the latest TV shows or movies you are binging on?

• What’s your favorite movie of all time?

• Do you read books? If yes, which genre do you like the most?

• Which is the last book you read?

Pro Tip: Do not throw spoilers and ruin the show/movie for them.

How do you start a conversation with clients? If you are wondering that, try the questions below.

Events, Sports and Multimedia

Is Christmas coming up? Or maybe it is Super Bowl time. Upcoming festivals, sports events, personal events like a marriage anniversary, etc., always make for a great conversation and build excitement.

Our favorite questions include:

• Do you watch sports? If yes, which is your favorite sport?

• Will you watch the Super Bowl live?

• Who do you think will win the Super Bowl?

• Who is your favorite Sportsperson?

• What are your plans for Christmas or Easter this year?

• Who are you dressing up as for Halloween this year?

• Which is your favorite song or band?

Work and Ambitions

Not everybody enjoys talking about work so unless they respond well to the first few questions, don’t dig any deeper and invade their private space. Here’s what you can ask.

• Tell them how great they look in their attire.

• Do you have an office job or a business?

• Do you work in the area?

• What is your business about?

• What do you like or hate the most about your work?

• What’s your go-to stress buster after a long day at work?

• Your job sounds exciting. How did you get there?

Pro Tip: Do not turn it into an interview and bore them with questions like, Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Pets and Kids

I lost my pet two years ago and still can’t stop talking about him, and trust me, neither can those clients.

They’d also love to talk about their kids, so ask them these questions.

• Do you have any pets?

• Continue it by asking about its breed, age, name, etc.

• How old are your kid(s)? (if you are sure they have them)

• What do you all do as a family in your free time?

• Which of the kids is the naughtiest? (in case they have two or more)

• How did you meet your husband?

Pro Tips: If they recently lost their pet, show empathy and not delve too much into it. Also, compliment the kids or the pets if they show a photo of them.

Random Topics

• Do you know this area/town well?

• What are your plans for the weekend?

• Are you traveling somewhere for the holidays?

• What is your favorite food or dessert?

• What cafe/restaurant would you recommend for this weekend?

• What is your dream vacation spot?

Topics to Avoid in a Salon Small Talk

Politics

There’s a good chance you’ll disagree, and that’s bad for business. In fact, it can quickly get ugly. If your client has strong political opinions, do your best to stay neutral and politely change the subject.

Religion

Another high-risk topic and so avoid it. Religion is personal, sensitive, and thus anyone’s sentiments can get hurt quickly, yours included.

Money

Maybe your client is going through a lean period financially. The last thing you want to do is rub it into their face with questions about their salary or business profits. Do not answer questions about your pay either.

Gossiping

Always avoid gossiping with the clients as you will come off as unprofessional.

Conclusion

A golden rule about how to communicate with clients in a salon is that you never ask anything private.

The priority is to build trust, come off as a thorough professional, and get all the information you can use for the client’s next visit.

Our Salon Software would be a great help here as it allows you to store unlimited notes about your client’s preferences for later use.

Citations

Rules and topics in conversation
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1207/s15516709cog0104_3

Understanding readers: Conducting sentiment analysis of Instagram captions
https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/3297156.3297270

Lectures on conversation: Volume I
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/9781444328301