The consultation
The consultation is the highest-stakes conversation in the job, because a misunderstanding here is visible for weeks and cannot be undone. Words alone are not enough; numbers and images are what make it reliable.
The technique is to convert every vague request into something measurable or visible, and then confirm it back.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 今日はどうされますか。 | Kyō wa dō saremasu ka. | What would you like today? |
| どのくらい切りますか。 | Dono kurai kirimasu ka. | How much shall I cut? |
| このくらいでよろしいですか。 | Kono kurai de yoroshii desu ka. | Is about this much all right? |
| 写真はお持ちですか。 | Shashin wa omochi desu ka. | Do you have a photograph? |
| 前回と同じでよろしいですか。 | Zenkai to onaji de yoroshii desu ka. | The same as last time? |
| 確認させていただきます。 | Kakunin sasete itadakimasu. | Let me confirm. |
Narrating what you are doing
A running commentary is expected. It reassures the client, it gives them a chance to intervene before something is irreversible, and it fills what would otherwise be an uncomfortable silence.
The most important of these are the ones before an irreversible step. A client who is told what is about to happen can stop it.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| これから、シャンプーをいたします。 | Kore kara, shanpū o itashimasu. | I will shampoo your hair now. |
| 少し前に倒しますね。 | Sukoshi mae ni taoshimasu ne. | I will tilt you forward slightly. |
| 熱くないですか。 | Atsuku nai desu ka. | Is it not too hot? |
| かゆいところはございませんか。 | Kayui tokoro wa gozaimasen ka. | Is there anywhere itchy? |
| ここから短くしていきますね。 | Koko kara mijikaku shite ikimasu ne. | I will start shortening from here. |
| 鏡で確認してください。 | Kagami de kakunin shite kudasai. | Please check in the mirror. |
Check in the mirror before the last irreversible step, not only at the end. It is the last point at which a misunderstanding is cheap.
Small talk that fills an hour
Salon small talk is a genre with a fairly fixed topic set, which makes it preparable. Travel, food, the weather, work in general terms, and the client's plans are the standard subjects.
Following the client's lead matters more than having good topics. Many clients would rather be quiet, and offering that is a courtesy rather than a failure to entertain.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 今日はお休みですか。 | Kyō wa oyasumi desu ka. | Are you off today? |
| どこかお出かけのご予定ですか。 | Dokoka odekake no goyotei desu ka. | Do you have plans to go somewhere? |
| 最近、暑くなりましたね。 | Saikin, atsuku narimashita ne. | It has got hot recently, has it not. |
| お仕事はお忙しいですか。 | Oshigoto wa oisogashii desu ka. | Is work busy? |
| よろしければ、ごゆっくりどうぞ。 | Yoroshikereba, goyukkuri dōzo. | Please relax if you prefer. |
| お疲れでしたら、遠慮なくおっしゃってください。 | Otsukare deshitara, enryo naku osshatte kudasai. | If you are tired, please do say. |
When a client is unhappy
The complaint conversation follows a specific order, and the mistake is to invert it. Listen fully, apologise for the outcome, then offer a remedy. Explaining what you did, however accurate, reads as arguing.
Offer something specific rather than asking what they would like, which puts the burden back on them.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ご期待に沿えず、申し訳ございません。 | Gokitai ni soezu, mōshiwake gozaimasen. | I am sorry it did not meet your expectations. |
| どのあたりが気になりますか。 | Dono atari ga ki ni narimasu ka. | Which part are you unhappy with? |
| すぐに直させていただきます。 | Sugu ni naosasete itadakimasu. | Let me correct it right away. |
| 店長を呼んでまいります。 | Tenchō o yonde mairimasu. | I will fetch the manager. |
| 次回、無料でお直しいたします。 | Jikai, muryō de onaoshi itashimasu. | I will fix it free of charge next time. |
| 貴重なご意見をありがとうございます。 | Kichō na goiken o arigatō gozaimasu. | Thank you for your valuable feedback. |
Ask which part specifically. It converts a general dissatisfaction into something you can actually address, and it shows you are listening.
Bookings and the counter
The front-of-house exchanges are short and highly repetitive: booking, confirming, paying and rebooking. They are the easiest part of the job's language and worth drilling first because they happen with every client.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ご予約のお客様でしょうか。 | Goyoyaku no okyakusama deshō ka. | Do you have a booking? |
| 何時のご予約でしょうか。 | Nanji no goyoyaku deshō ka. | What time is your booking? |
| 少々お待ちくださいませ。 | Shōshō omachi kudasaimase. | Please wait a moment. |
| 次回のご予約はいかがなさいますか。 | Jikai no goyoyaku wa ikaga nasaimasu ka. | Would you like to book your next appointment? |
| お会計は八千円になります。 | Okaikei wa hassen-en ni narimasu. | The total is eight thousand yen. |
| ありがとうございました。またお待ちしております。 | Arigatō gozaimashita. Mata omachi shite orimasu. | Thank you. We look forward to seeing you again. |
Practising the two that matter
The counter phrases drill easily and the small talk develops on its own, because the job supplies an hour of practice with every client. Two conversations need deliberate work.
The consultation is the first, because accuracy there prevents the second. Rehearsing it with its confirmations, including asking for a photograph and confirming in the mirror, is worth doing until it is automatic.
The complaint is the second, and it is the one you cannot practise on real clients. Running it with an AI Sensei in Unihongo's immersive 3D classroom lets you rehearse listening first and apologising for the outcome rather than defending the process, which is the part that goes wrong under pressure.
This job gives you more speaking practice than almost any other. An hour of conversation per client, several clients a day, is a volume most learners never get.