Silence at the salon: A new trend

Chat-free hair salons proving popular An Ottawa salon owner joins Sarah Freemark to talk about a new concept at salons: hair appointments with no chatting with stylists.

There is a new trend in the personal care industry, offering silent appointments for clients who want to relax and not hold a conversation.

Fiorella Di Nardo adopted the "silence at the salon" concept in her shop, Salon Fiorella in Ottawa, after the idea was brought up by a co-worker.

"We haven't seen some people come back based on post-lockdown social anxiety, not sure what the busy salon will look like. So we decided to integrate silent appointments and it is very easy to do," Di Nardo said.

"There's no embarrassment, there's nothing to feel shy about. You call, you basically say you want a silent appointment. You can book online and just indicate in your note that's what you want. The only conversation basically is consultation so the stylist knows exactly what to do and just enjoy your appointment."

The salon owner said there was also a lot of anxiety among stylists and estheticians throughout the various lockdowns and subsequent reopening with limited capacity.

"Some people just don't want to talk and they just want to enjoy their day at the hair salon. Whether it be manicures, hair styling, whatever it may be," she said.

While stylists can often sense whether a client wants to talk or not, she said, booking a silent appointment takes the guesswork and puts everyone at ease.

"Honestly, we just started the concept but the response has been incredible," Di Nardo said.