Pocketful of Joules

Yes. I meow’ed. And not in a fluffy little kitty cat kind of way. Or even a, ‘grr check out that hot guy’ kind of way. I’m talking about that meow sound that tends to pop up when a woman is being catty or a girl fight is about to happen.

Okay, now we’re in the right frame of mind. So, let me ask this: why is it that so many professional women try to undermine each other, instead of helping and supporting each other?

This obviously isn’t every professional woman out there, but like the “Mean Girl syndrome” there seems to be a few Ms. Kitty’s everywhere you go. It’s like they were told that it’s a guy’s world and there’s only room for one woman. So in order to succeed they need to destroy all of the competition.

Sound familiar?

According to a 2010 survey by the Workplace Bullying Institute, 35% of workers have experienced bullying at work. What’s really sad is that women target women in 80% of the cases. So not only are we not supporting each other, we’re actively trying to sabotage each other by preventing work from getting done, verbal abuse, threatening conduct, intimidation and humiliation.

I’ve experienced it myself… in fact, it’s happened a few times. I had one lady come in to replace the Executive Director and immediately inform me that although I may have been in charge of my department in the past, she was now and I must request permission for anything I do. She then made every day a terrible one until I finally decided that the place wasn’t a good fit for me anymore and went elsewhere.  In another position, I had a subordinate spread rumors about me to my co-workers which made it very difficult to build relationships and even do my job on a daily basis.

Meow.

Wouldn’t it be easier to help other women succeed in business, rather than tearing them down before they even get started? Why is it that some of these Ms. Kitty’s think that the more they push other people down, the higher they‘ll get? When you’re a bully or hell-bent on destroying the “competition” at work, it doesn’t really make people like you much. Or trust you.

So ladies: Cut. It. Out.*

Instead of being threatened by each other, try learning from each other instead. Support each other. Mentor each other. Help each other. And maybe we’ll ALL get ahead.

 

* Yes, this might have been a Full House reference.

I was going to start this post by asking what happened to good customer service. However, after thinking about it, that is a bit too harsh. The truth is that I actually do receive great customer service every now and then. However, something odd has been happening in the hair salon world.*

I go to a fancy salon to get my highlights done a few times a year. I actually go out of my way to this salon to see a specific colorist, because I’m really picky about my highlights and I think she does a great job. After my last visit though, I’ve decided to break up with her.

Tell me if you think I’m overreacting.

When I arrive at the salon, a concierge-type person greats me, signs me in and shows me where to sit to wait. While waiting for my appointment, I hang out by a soothing fountain and help myself from a selection of complimentary drinks.

Once my colorist is available, which is typically on time, she takes me over to get into my robe thingie and then we settle into a chair in her area. I have had some issues with her in the past about not getting the exact right color, so she listens to exactly what I want and applies the highlights. I wait until they are fully baked and then I’m walked over to the rinsing station where an assistant reclines the chair for me, washes out the dye and gives me a super great head massage.

Sound pretty great, right?

Once my hair is washed out, a glaze is applied to tone down the brightness of the color. My colorist comes over to check on the timing of the glaze, tells the assistant how much longer until they can rinse it out, and then leaves. When the time is up, the assistant washes out my hair, dries it with a towel and sits me under a hairdryer.

And I never see either of them again.

Neither the assistant nor the colorist comes back to actually check and see if the highlight color is correct. More importantly, nobody seems to care whether I’m happy with their work. They’re involved with me as a customer right up until it’s time to ‘unveil the finished product’… then they’re gone. This is weird, right?

What if I’m unhappy with the results? Is it so wrong of me to expect the salon experience to last until I actually leave the salon? Oh, and this isn’t just a one-time thing, this is their policy!

Now, I’d understand if I were going to a beauty school where they’re just learning, or a cut-rate salon that keeps their prices down by shortening their services. However, the salon I go to is really expensive. I deal with it though because I’m afraid to start breaking in someone new.

I’ve asked my friends and this has started happening to them too. I don’t understand why this is becoming the norm! Do people actually like this kind of treatment? Wouldn’t the proper customer service experience begin the moment you enter the salon and end upon your exit?

As it is, instead of walking out of the salon feeling like a gorgeous Pantene girl, I leave feeling somewhat unfulfilled and a bit ripped off. I call for the return of great salon customer service. If anyone has had a great salon experience, let me know…I’m looking for a new highlights gal!

* Wow – that sounds like I need a well coifed McGyver to go undercover with his fancy straighter and handful of ‘product’ to solve this case!