Thanksgiving 2022

 

Black Panther Wakanda Forever Fan Artistry

Happy Thanksgiving! 

I am thankful for you my followers and supporters. This blog has been receiving traffic for over a decade now. Wow!

Sometimes I use my own articles to refresh my memory banks. Truth stands the test of time.

My Sisterlocks articles get the most traffic. People have to remember - it's not where you start, it is about where you finish.

Social media platforms are precious when you feed your soul with inspiration, fantasy, and a full dose of reality. It is all a balancing act.

This blog still keeps me relevant so thank you for sharing and stopping through.

Be safe out there.

Hugs and Kisses ❤️ Happy  Holidays 2022

No shade. Native American vibe.

 A Christmas story leg lamp acrylic painting by Benita Blocker.

Successful Mediation regarding Sisterlocks

I had a reader to reach out to me regarding her Sisterlocks.  She was trying desperately to get in touch with her Sisterlocks consultant, and she had really just given up.  She needed a listening ear.  Initially, I gave her general advice that I would give to anyone displeased with their Sisterlocks experience; however, when she gave me the name of the consultant, I went into shock!  I knew this Sisterlocks consultant from one of my many Sisterlocks training classes.  I immediately went into mediation mode because I just was in disbelief that this particular Sisterlocks consultant (not naming any names here) was not up to par with superior customer service.  So I called the consultant, and I left her a message.  She returned my call.  I reminded her who I was in relation to our Sisterlocks training class.  She remembered me which set the tone for mediation.  I explained to her that one of her customers was frustrated enough to reach out to me for a Sisterlocks referral for her area.  I told her that my heart sunk to discover that the name of the consultant that was failing to return her phone calls was indeed a name that I held in high regard in the Sisterlocks world.  The consultant thanked me for bringing the misunderstanding to her attention, and she assured me that she was committed to providing this young lady with the customer service that we all expect from Sisterlocks consultants.  I emphasized to the consultant that this was not a question about her technical skills.  It was a customer service issue.  A young woman was so frustrated with her hair that she was searching abroad for answers.  Not a good look in the name of Sisterlocks, but obviously, this type of complaint is not new in Sisterlocks World.  Anyway, the young lady did hear from the consultant and wrote me this "thank you" note:

"Thanks for helping.  She did call me after I got your email.  We spoke and hopefully everything will work out.  I really appreciate your help.  Hopefully this was just an unfortunate misunderstanding.  But again thanks for helping me get in contact with her!  I know this might have been extreme just for hair, but I really appreciate it.  Thank you again."

I am so happy that this mediation went so well.  I wish that Sisterlocks headquarters was as dedicated to mediating complaints.  I can only assume that they get too many complaints to even invest the time to help consumers who are desperately seeking help for something so personal as their hair that they spent their hard earned money to get Sisterlocked.

So how much did I charge for this successful Sisterlocks mediation?   Zero dollars. It was indeed my pleasure and my passion to build and foster good Sisterlocks communications.  The "thank you's" from both sides was payment enough.

Reader Appreciation: You all Inspire Me!

Some people comment directly on my articles and others email me separately.  All of your feedback is welcomed! Thank you! Please continue to email me and share your success stories!  I will try to add them here!

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Hello Ms. Blocker,

The next time you are in Socal, can you post or email.  I tend to do my own hair because the last few times I tried a "hairdresser" I ended up losing my hair.

In short, I'm pretty sure the last one used super relaxer on my fine hair when I clearly requested Affirm normal (I even had a tub in the car--in case).  With the hairdresser, I had burning (they were heavy handed), breakage and split ends after she trimmed.  I left the house with hair below my shoulders and within weeks had breakage so bad that there was barely enough to braid for tracks. When I relax my own, no burning or even tingling.  A friend's mother that is a hairdresser said that she thinks they used super relaxer.  Unfortunately, she is in IL.

I have followed your blog for about a year and you really car about healthy hair.  I followed your tip about not tying my hair down at night and my edges are filling in.  So, if you are in town, I would like a consultation.  

Thank you,

Melanie

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Benita! I'm so grateful to have found this article:http://phenomenalhair.blogspot.com/2013/06/should-you-sue-your-hairstylist.html

 Once again, you've saved me from hair ruin. I went to a beauty supply store for Affirm relaxer. I had the owner specially order it for me. Since, Affirm is manufactured for use by salons only, the activator came is a large bottle. He apportioned me a large amount into a separate bottle, which, upon review, seemed to be too much. In attempting to make sure that I relaxed my hair in the proper method I googled Affirm relaxer and this article came up. Thanks to your measurements and marking the bottle at 1.3 ounces, I was able to eyeball roughly the same amount to mix with my relaxer, and discarded the rest. Can you imagine if I had simply poured in what the salesman gave me? I'd have had no hair left!! My hair turned out fine. 

I ended up using Affirm Sensitive Scalp. I understand that it can be drying to hair and bad for hair over all. But with that understanding I've made committed myself to using chelating shampoos, shampooing and deep conditioning weekly, and regularly moisturizing my hair. I think I've also found that relaxed hair really just thrives with roller sets. So I've broken up with my flatirons.

Thank you for the articles you write. Keep them coming.

Regards,

Becky

P.S. I'm studying for the bar exam now and it was great to see you apply tort law to the salon predicament. Back to studying for me!!

Turning a 45 cent investment into a 45 dollar return

You may be wondering what does a stamp have to do with hair? Well, it is a long story . . . As you know, I have been "flat iron free" for about a year and a half now - and it has been the best decision for both me and my clients that stuck with me.

Well, before I went "flat iron free" I had a client that swore that the flat iron was not healthy for her hair. I was not ready to believe this. All the hair shows were pushing "flat irons" as healthy. So eventually, she discontinued patronizing my salon. Her words as with all of my clients' feedback stuck in my head.

After finally seeing a consistent pattern of results from the use of the ionic flat irons, I stopped using them and went back to the traditional stove and marcel irons. Oh boy, I still had a learning curve to get used to the old school stove and heat, but finally, I got my rhythm and everyone is back on the right track with their hair. I am so happy of my decision and now, I cringe every time I see a flat iron being used on television or youtube video. All I am thinking is: "they are cooking their hair from the inside out" and they do not even know it. It pains me, but life will go on.

So one day recently, I decided to write this former client a nice little thank you note saying "You were right!" The flat irons are damaging to the hair. I was not ready to receive the information back then, but I sincerely appreciated her feedback. I was listening to her, and I just wanted her to know that I appreciated her past patronage.

Well, believe it or not, she came back for hair services over and over again. It turns out that she had just received a relaxer that was too strong, and she knew that I was the only hairstylist that kept a variety of treatments and product lines for all the different hair types. She was asking God for a sign of what to do next, and my "thank you" letter arrived in her mailbox.

God works in mysterious ways. After about five to six visits, her hair is back on track, and we both are happy. I hate that I was not able to fulfill her hair needs during my "flat iron" phase, but no one is perfect. I thrive for perfection, and as far as the changes that I continue to make in improving my service offerings . . . I am now on a million dollar track. Of course, I am dependent on manufacturers not to alter their products, and that I make sure I keep fresh product, but life is good in my hair world . . . a salute to healthy hair!