In her almost eight years at Juut as a stylist and makeup artist, Maria Candiotti has seen a variety of clients with a wide range of personalities and hair styles.
But only one client ever came to her with burnt hair.
“She lived in an old apartment, and the first time she used the oven, her hair got singed when she pulled a frozen pizza out of the oven,” she says.
Embarrassed, the client came to the salon wearing a hat. She was horrified, but also had a sense of humor.
“When she took off her hat, I could smell the smoke,” Candiotti says. “At first I couldn’t read her, but then realized she had a very dry sense of humor and we both ended up laughing at the situation.”
From there, Candiotti made a plan for her hair and five years later, the client is also a friend. “It became a beautiful friendship that started with burnt hair,” she says.
Reading a client’s mood plays into Candiotti’s Daymaker abilities. “Sometimes they want to be pampered and not talk, other times they want conversation—you have to read them and go with it,” she says.
But occasionally, a client comes along who becomes a learning experience you’ll never forget.
“I’ve had challenging clients, but always look for the good in them,” Candiotti says. “But one client came to me and handed me a two-page letter the first time she saw me. The letter outlined why she disliked Juut and Aveda.”
Candiotti treated her kindly though, as she would any other client. Eventually she found out the client had loved another salon, but her stylist left. The client regularly made Candiotti re-do her haircut, spending two hours in the chair. And one week, she saw Candiotti three times in one week to re-cut her hair.
“It was challenging for both of us,” Candiotti says. “So I went to my manager to see if there was another stylist who could help her.”
The client did see another stylist, but eventually left the salon. Candiotti later found out she had frequented almost every salon in town with the same issues.
While the experience was not the most pleasant, it taught Candiotti patience and perseverance that has paid off with other clients.
“I have one gentleman who has me go through three different haircuts before he’s happy,” she says. “I customize it just for him and he checks every little hair. In the beginning, it was stressful, but I realize that’s just him and now I don’t stress out over it.”
Coming to work with a positive attitude and strong work ethic has served Candiotti well during her years at Juut.
“Have patience, because in the end, it’s worth it,” she says.