Tell Me About: Sisterlocks Consultants & Trainees

What are these Sisterlocks Consultants and Trainees anyway? And what's the difference between the two?

Since Sisterlocks is a trademark company, no unauthorized individuals can lawfully offer the system. Every program graduate with "active" status will appear either on the Official Sisterlocks Certified Consultant list or on the Official Sisterlocks Trainee Registry. If in doubt - contact the Home Office.

Graduates of the comprehensive Sisterlocks TM training program are known as 'Trainees' or 'Trainee Consultants' until they are 'certified' by the Sisterlocks Home Office in the U.S.

Once trained, Sisterlocks (SL) 'graduates' may apply for certification, providing they meet certain qualifying requirements demonstrating their abilities to competently install Sisterlocks. A successful application indicates that the 'Trainee' meets the required standards of professionalism, competence and quality of care.

SL Professionals tend to have Sisterlocks themselves and either be stalwart 'veterans' (with mature locks e.g. 5 yrs or more) or 'younger' lockers, many of whom have taken retightening classes and are ready to take that step towards offering Sisterlocks as a service to others.

However, although many Consultants (& Trainees) may have Sisterlocks; it is not unusual to find them rocking bald heads, loose hair or traditional locs: ultimately, it is a matter of personal choice so don't be put off if your Consultant falls into one of these categories.

Main Differences between Consultants & Trainees

Trainees:

• These graduates are freshly qualified/(usually) recently trained so 'things may be fresh in their heads".
  
• The SL services offered by Trainees tend to be priced lower than fully certified Consultants - this of course depends on how long they've been a trainee and how many heads they've completed - as they may very well have sent off their certification application and be awaiting formal recognition (having already received verbal confirmation that they have been successful). The discounted prices are usually a reflection of a Trainee's desire to complete the requirements for certification and build their books & portfolios.
• They may have fewer clients on their books - meaning it'll be easier for you to get an appointment.
• They may have smaller range of photos in their portfolio of 'completed work'.

Consultants:

• Consultants have the added appeal of 'more experience' beneath their belts* (Of course you can come across seasoned Trainees who have just as many years experience and the same number of clients as your official Consultant). They will be faster at retightening and installations (but they may also have picked up a few bad habits - just being honest here).
• SL services offered by Consultants will be higher as they are no longer being discounted. Their prices will reflect their experience, competence (through word of mouth and formal reviews) and the demand for their services.
• It may be slightly harder to get an appointment with a popular Consultant due to the large number of Clients they may have on their books.
• Consultants will usually have extensive portfolios of their work.

Please note this summary of differences includes some generalisations, the actual service you receive will vary between Consultants as well as between Consultants and Trainees.

Three of the most important questions to ask are, "When did you take the Sisterlocks training course?", "How many heads have you completed?" and "May I see examples of your work?" as these questions will help form an an appropriate impression of your Consultant.

You may also wish to ask "Do you have active status with the Home Office?" as some individuals may allow their registration with the Home Office to expire (for various reasons and this may matter to you).

SisterList UK is a directory of UK based professionals - you can use the tags to search for services within your area or close to your own postcode.