You are absolutely right. This ISN’T professional or competent management whatsoever, and I’d be sure to get her into a private, non-confrontational meeting to discuss that. (Be gentle in your communications with her, as owners like her tend to get defensive and take things personally. Just tell her you’d prefer it if she speaks with you directly about work issues and that you promise not to react angrily or emotionally. She’s likely accustomed to the behavior of less professional employees and has probably been burned in the past when she has attempted to assert herself as an authority figure. Sometimes, owners like her become that way through a series of really bad experiences.)

I’d also point out that you’re not in charge of salon marketing. You’re an employee of the business, and unless your compensation and job description include lead generation and marketing, you shouldn’t be punished for expected to draw business to the facility. That’s HER job. It’s HER business.

Finally, from today forward, stop allowing clients to change the service. Once it’s booked, that’s what they’re booked for. If they need/want more, tell them they’ll have to book another appointment. You’ll get them out the door within the time parameters you’ve been given, but then I’m sure she’ll start complaining about your ticket sales. That’s your cue to ask her, “Well, which would you prefer? Previously, the problem was that I wasn’t getting clients out the door fast enough. Now, I’m not allowing clients to extend the appointment to ensure I’m executing the services they booked on time. You claimed the way the appointments were being scheduled wasn’t the problem. Can we agree that it’s unreasonable to expect anyone to complete a 2-hour service in 1-hour? As a commissioned professional, obviously it’s in my best interest to work as fast as possible–do you think I’m sabotaging myself? No. We need new policies. Either we prohibit last-minute appointment changes or we conduct pre-service consultations to ensure we book adequate time in the first place.”

When you speak with the owner, ask her why she doesn’t require clients to schedule pre-service consultations for chemical services. If she’s an Aveda owner, she should know better. Patch testing and strand testing need to be performed. The client and the professional have to be on the same page with regards to the service price, time requirement, and expected outcome. If she’s not booking these pre-service appointments (at least for first-time clients and those seeking big changes), she’s shooting herself in the foot (not to mention looking amateur AF–this is 2019, not 1990).

If you want to stay long-term, start to position yourself as her ally. She sounds like she really needs guidance, because her method of booking and doing business aren’t up to modern standards–not by a long shot.

Have you tried speaking with the owner about the manager? If you don’t want to leave, I’d recommend going above the manager’s head. If you don’t want to initiate a report, start by asking for a transfer to another location. When the owner asks why (which they will), you can explain the issues at the location you currently work at. I’d also recommend bringing proof, which doesn’t sound as if it would be difficult since licensing information is public and screenshots are forever. At the very least, I’d start documenting everything. Keep notes of everything the manager does, and–more importantly–what they aren’t doing that they should be doing. Owners and regional managers tend not to know what’s going on at every location, so they rely on the professionals to report badly behaving location managers. If you’re working in a corporate chain, be aware that you have rights. You also likely have corporate resources to draw upon if you feel you’re unlawfully terminated.

Unless these concerns of yours have proven to have merit (meaning that you’re actually being expected to take on a bunch of unexpected responsibilities), I wouldn’t worry about crossing that bridge until you come to it. You could preemptively bring up your concerns and set some boundaries in advance, but if it isn’t a problem yet, it might not be worth it.

In the meantime, ask yourself if you really need to be doing the tasks you’re doing, or if you’re choosing to because you’re a team player. If the owners are already paying receptionists to handle a lot of those tasks, stop doing them and let the receptionists work for their wages, otherwise, you may find that they rely on you to do their jobs for them (which isn’t good for you or your employers).

I would also recommend that you not concern yourself with their wages. You’re an hourly vs commission employee, while they’re just hourly. They aren’t capable of earning tips or commission, so their wages will never increase without wage negotiations (unlike yours).

Additionally, just so you’re aware, commission-only is NOT legal. You’re commission vs hourly now, and according to federal law, that’s how you should always be getting compensated. Commission-only is not something to strive for, since X% of $0 is $0. You have bills to pay and your time must be compensated, so never allow any salon owner to transition you to a system that doesn’t ensure you get a paycheck. Your wages should be as guaranteed as your bills are.

The owners just recently let go of the salon manager that has been with them since they opened. It was very sudden and we were all very shocked when they informed us that they will not be hiring another manager and that they feel like we have such a strong team that we can function without one. They feel like we just need 2 receptionist to cover the front desk.

My worry is that I’m going to have responsibility that is not apart of my job description. I am all about helping out the team that will make the salon run smoothly. From shampooing and assisting other stylists when I’m free to answering phones, booking appointments, and checking people out. I am currently on an hourly wage vs commission basis until I get my books built up to make commission. I recently found out the receptionist they recently hired are making more an hour than me and some of my teams feel that i am being taken advantage of because of how much I do. I’m just so worried because I don’t know the owners goal of where the want the salon to be and even though I’m meant to eventually be commission if it’s even worth asking for a raise. Do I just start looking somewhere else and keep my options open? I know I’m so early in my career but I’m so scared to make the wrong decision an start from scratch.

I would recommend choosing a place with a more sustainable compensation system, as one that has rates that start at 50% a.) is likely widening their margins through other methods (like wage theft) and/or b.) will not be open for much longer. I also wouldn’t recommend starting over unless you have absolutely no choice. https://thisuglybeautybusiness.com/2014/02/why-commission-only-doesnt-work-for-anyone.html

They’re wrong. You should never be made to suffer a shitty, hostile, miserable work environment in exchange for a paycheck. No amount of money in the world is worth that. You deserve to be happy where you work–or, at the very least, not miserable.