I’m an employee at 7 in the downtown location of Seattle. My name is Cher Hansen and I’m a stylist there and have been for just about three years now. I’m not only an employee at 7, I consider myself a customer of 7 too because I make a choice to work there every day. The reason I choose to work there is for the same reasons I choose to do business with Nordstrom; I like the company and the way they do business, I like the products they sell, I enjoy the level of service they provide and most importantly, I feel valued by them because they go out of their way to make sure I’m happy when I walk through their doors.\r
As a stylist at 7, I have a very keen interest in the knowing what you, our clients are saying about the job we’re doing. So, I read your reviews on this site and others as a way to keep my finger on the pulse of what you’re saying about us and how you rate us.\r
Overall, it appears that most of you really “get” what we’re trying to do. And what we’re trying to do is offer an extraordinary salon experience, from the hair we do to the service we provide. I’m sure I speak for every team member when I say, thank you for seeing how hard we work to create what we hope is the best and most unique experience you’ll ever have in a salon. We appreciate you letting us know that we’re on the right track by rating us highly and spreading the word with your luminous online reviews.\r
There are some reviews, however, that rate our effort as rather disparaging and speak of some displeasing experiences. Nevertheless, I want to equally thank you for your reviews too, because they motivate us to improve on every level. It’s unfortunate that we somehow, fell short in your view. However, we are human and it can happen when communication breaks down…but it’s certainly isn’t the standard we’re held to at 7. \r
Some reviews say that we’re “trying too hard.” But my question is; is that actually possible? I mean; isn’t trying hard the whole point? Sure, we’re trying hard with our barista’s, our coffee bar and our chocolates. And yes, we have a coat-check for your personal things and our live DJ’s spinning really great music for your enjoyment. And of course, we have excellent products and yes; we have a luxurious interior design that creates for you comfort and ambiance. But what you might not know is that it doesn’t stop there; not even close.\r
What a lot of people don’t know is, that 7 not only has two salon locations, we also have a training academy located on 4th Avenue. And at that academy is a extraordinary education team that is committed to providing our stylists with the most comprehensive advanced training program available in this city, state or even on this coastline, I’d wager. Beyond that, we’re provided an ongoing education to keep our skills sharp, current and on the cutting edge of style and fashion. We attend monthly meetings to help keep us motivated, focused and attentive to the details that drive our overall success. On top of all that we’re assigned mentors who track our progress and coach our careers and our success upward. You could say we’re guided through narrow margins of far reaching depth.\r
And sure, with all this training and education we might not hit the mark every single time, but I also can say that it’s certainly not from lack of us “trying.” There are a lot of variables that go into styling hair that can make pleasing a client challenging at times. But in my longstanding experience in the salon industry, the employees at 7 try exceptionally hard to do every aspect of their job very well. It’s expected of us and those who don’t do it don’t stay with us for very long; I assure you.\r
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So, if 7, whether at our Seattle or Bellevue salon, is “trying to hard” to provide our clients with an outstanding salon experience then I’ll take that critique. After all, it certainly beats not trying hard enough.\r
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