Digital Tools for a Hairdresser
Miyako Hirata
BEFORE YOU READ:
What digital tools do you think a hairdresser might use?
Beyond the Scissors
I work as a hairdresser. Mostly, I use scissors, hair products, and a blow dryer, but I also use digital tools.
Communicating with Customers by Text
My customers often make appointments six months in advance. Naturally, sometimes you have to change the times. In the past, we had to make a lot of phone calls. We left messages and waited for the person to call back. Sometimes, it took a long time. Now we text. It is simpler, and it takes less time.
The phone corrects my spelling errors. English is not my first language, so I am happy to have this help. Thankfully my phone has autocorrect. Before I send a text to the customer, I check the spelling in the telephone dictionary.
Translation Help from My Phone
The phone can also translate many languages. I wish I could have had this digital tool earlier in my career. Now, I can communicate with people even if we don’t share the same language.
So Many Hairstyles at Our Fingertips
Also, my customers can go online and show me pictures of any hairstyle on their phone or computer. They don’t have to carry several fashion or hair magazines.
There are other benefits of this digital tool. Previously, I went to Europe and went to several hair shows to learn new styles and color techniques. Now, anyone can just go online to YouTube or Google and discover new styles.
AFTER YOU READ:
1. What are two ways that being able to text customers is helpful for the author?
2. What are three ways the author uses her phone in her work?
3. In your opinion, what are the advantages and disadvantages of being able to look up hairstyles by phone instead of traveling?
Miyako Hirata is a student at Alameda Reads in Alameda, California. She came to the U.S. in 1980 from Japan. Her boyfriend told her she only needed to know two words — water and bathroom. Seven years ago, she wanted to learn how to use a computer, so she attended classes at the Alameda Senior Center. She had difficulty with spelling. The instructor recommended Alameda Reads, and she has been a student there for seven years.