Is Your Hairdresser A Technophobe Or Technophile?

On a scale of 1-10, is your hair stylist a technophobe or a technophile?

A technophobe is a person who dislikes or avoids new technology.  The technophobes of the world feel more comfortable with pencils, paper, flat file folders and dislike computers, text messaging or anything that is obviously wired.

(Image of the always adorable Janine Jarman creating one of her award winning hairstyles on last season's Shear Genius 3.  Janine utilized Facebook and Twitter to encourage fans to vote for her as Fan Favorite, which she ultimately won - Image courtesy of BravoTV.com - All Rights Reserved)

A technophile is the exact opposite of the technophobe.  A true technophile thinks technology's cool, can cope with its frustrations, and enjoys figuring out ways to use it to improve your life.

While it's possible to be a great hairdresser and a technophobe today's hair clients are transitioning to so many new technologies they are showing a preference for hair stylists who are technophiles. 

With the introduction of the iPhone, Facebook and Twitter many hairdressers are losing out on legions of potential clients if they refuse to engage in social media, texting or tweeting.

Yes hair professionals who are technophobes still exist.  The other day I received a phone call from a hairdresser in Missouri who wanted me to explain how our HairBoutique.com salon directory worked.  I told her it was a free service we provide to any hair salons who email, Facebook or tweet us with their salon info.  We provide free listings for our millions of visitors to reference when needed.

She asked if she could just send me a letter with all the details of her salon.  I agreed that would be fine and then asked how her business was doing.  She hesitated "not so good these days."  I asked if she did any promos via Twitter or social media.  At that point she sighed and said "I don't like computers and have never been on Facebook, Twitter or any of those other things."

No, I didn't try to convert her.  There's no point.  However, I know how much I appreciate the fact that my own hairdresser comments on my Facebook posts, sends me reminder texts about my need to come get my highlights refreshed and is on Twitter.  Could I ever go back to a hairdresser who's not a technophile?  Definitely not.

I have to admit I was a little surprised to hear from a hair pro who's not wired in any way.  In today's world you have to stay technologically aware and advanced to remain competitive.

Of course a great hairdresser will always be great regardless whether they are technologically advanced or not.  However, to stay competitive in today's economy it's worth engaging with potential new clients on every possible avenue.

Meanwhile a special thank you to my fabulous hairdressers Robert Hallowell (LA) and Rose Zuniga (Dallas).  Keep those FB messages, tweets, emails and tweets coming.

What do you think?  How important is it for a hairstylist to be technologically advanced in today's hair world?

More Information

Please follow me on Twitter at: http://Twitter.com/HairBoutique. I look forward to meeting new people from all walks of Twitter and learning from their Tweets. Visit us at Hairboutique.com located at: http://www.HairBoutique.com, on Facebook, MySpace and YouTube.

Thank you for visiting us at The HairBoutique Blog and for leaving your comments. They are very much appreciated. We apologize in advance but must remove any direct advertisements or solicitations.