I had a chat with the lovely Bruna Di Cecca from Ritual Spa on how to polish up one’s etiquette at the salon (“polish up” – see what I did there?). Bruna is one half of the power duo that owns Ritual Spa on King Street West. While she reminds that common courtesy goes a long way with her team of service providers, here are some other tips that your stylist/manicurist/esthetician wants you to know.

· Few salons can attach gratuity by debit or credit card, so best to bring some small bills with you to your appointment.
· If you’re pleased with your service, a tip of no less than 15-20% is in order.
· Remember to tip out everyone that helped your service (if your hair was shampooed and cut by different people, leave them both some cash in an envelope).
· The best tip a professional can get? A glowing referral. So if you’re pleased with your service, preach the gospel.
· Be on time. As a service driven industry, salons and spas run like finely-tuned machines. Showing up 15 minutes late to an appointment potentially pushes back every other appointment that day, so please be prompt.
· If you are running late, call ahead to flag it, and don’t be upset if your own service gets shortened slightly to accommodate to your tardiness (so don’t get all bitchy and indignant when your manicure gets turns into a polish change – when you’re 20 minutes late, be grateful that you are squeezed in at all).
· If you are going to be more than 15 minutes late, Bruna advises that it might be best to reschedule all together.

If you want to pound away on your phone when you’re getting your hair or pedicure done, have at it, says Bruna, but put your device on silent so you don’t disturb other guests. And if you must take a call, best to keep it quick and at a whisper. If you are getting a manicure, put your phone away. You’re paying something to fuss with your hands. Concede that your hands are spoken for during a manicure. And for Pete’s sake, you’re not Oprah. You can deal with no phone for 30 minutes.

Another gem from Ms. Di Cecca? When calling to book an appointment, the front desk will absolutely adore you if you have all your ducks in a row. Before you pick up the phone, know what service you want and have your calendar open, with your availabilities sorted out.

Go get sexy.

Questions, comments and conundrums are most welcome at www.twitter.com/schoolfinishing

~ Karen Cleveland