I've been in a stylist for 15 years and I learned something a long time ago.....make your work as easy as possible.

If a client is too tall for you to work on simply ask them to slouch in the chair. It's that simple. If you need them to move their head one way or the other, move it that way....that's why we have necks. Hope this helps.

I'm a shorty too, I'm only 5'2. I also use a step stool for highlights, and the other stylists tease me about it (not in a mean way, we all laugh about it) But even with the stool it's hard sometimes. Even with haircuts, some of my tall men clients make it very hard, and your haircut can suffer if you ask someone to slouch.

If you're scared of standing on the stool, maybe you could look into having a sort of stationary platform built. Something large that wouldn't be as easy to fall from, and then have rubber grips on it so it can't slide. I can't imagine it would be too hard...what about one of those large "steps" that people use in step aerobics?

...I feel like these ideas are a little lame, but I know where you're coming from :)