What Would You Do: Confronting a Co-Worker Who Loves to “Borrow”

It’s no secret that the best tools don’t come cheap. So we can only imagine your frustration when you walk into the salon to find your tools scattered around your station when you know you didn’t leave it that way. But you know exactly who did. Every salon has one: The Borrower. How do you confront her without causing the situation to escalate into something bigger? That was the question posed by one of our BTC community members:

“I’m wondering (and I bet a lot of stylists are!) how you can get other stylists to stop stealing or “borrowing” your tools. I pay a lot of money for my tools and I come in and this one girl seems to always have my nice blow dryer sprawled across my station so it looks like a mess when I get in. Luckily I have the extra 10 minutes to clean it up but I shouldn’t have to! I don’t want to make a big deal of it…Help?”

Here’s what some of our more than 930,000 Instagram followers had to say about the all-too-common scenario!

“We’ve had issues like this in the salon. I don’t mind if coworkers borrow my tools as long as they clean them and put them back. It did get to a point where a couple of us couldn’t find our good brushes and would find them in others’ stations. We brought it up at a meeting and it stopped since it was addressed. If it ever happens again though, I’ll be forced to take some things home with me.” – @jbunny1013

• “Take your things home with you. Your investment is in your tools and education and no one should have the right to use what they never paid for.” – @irisjerseycurl
  

   

• “These are tools required to perform your job. It is a big deal. If they get stolen or broken, you will be stuck getting them replaced. Lock them each time you leave work.” – @avmebin
  

   

  
  

• “Tell her to stop using your things. They are yours and no one else should be using them. And then either lock them up somehow or bring them home with you if locking things up isn’t feasible. I’ve had my stuff broken because I allowed people to use it. Don’t let that happen to you!” – @t.dudeck
  

   

• “Why don’t they have their OWN stuff to begin with? That’s not very professional. I’d get a locking cabinet and put my name on everything or a swipe of colored nail polish…I just always make it a practice not to loan or borrow.” – @kimjones246
  

   

• “At my salon I have a very strict rule about tools. Without them you are unprepared to work. Of course things happen during work that are unforeseeable, i.e. blow dryers or other appliances that stop working, and we all help each other out. Definitely bring it up during a meeting. The good money you spend should be used for your clients.” – @toreeag
  

   

  “You just need to address it right when it happens and tell them no. You definitely need to lock your tools and they won’t do it again.” – @hairbylorenabello
  

   

  “Something needs to be said! I’m sure you don’t want to start trouble so I would lock up my stuff for a week then she might get the hint. If she doesn’t, talk to her and tell her to buy her own!” – @alic_85
  

   

  “Carts are easy to break into. Buy a mechanics toolbox. They are perfect . Good luck and lock up!” – @nanettenegrete
  

   

• “You need to tell her point blank that its not OK and follow it up by letting your salon manager or owner know about the situation and that you have addressed it so that they can reinforce it!” – @charmcitycoiffeuse
  

   

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  “Everyone at my salon knows: Don’t touch my station. It’s respected. We invest too much money on tools. Next salon meeting make an announcement that you would appreciate it if no one borrowed your tools. Nothing personal. That way you don’t call that one person out.” – @scissordiva