To some, sitting in a salon chair can be extremely nerve racking. Placing trust in another person to take care of something as personal as your hair can feel like a big leap of faith. Once you find the right hairstylist, you’re likely to stay with him or her for a long time. On the flip side, if you have a negative experience, not only will you probably never go back, but you’re likely to spread the word about the salon too. Unfortunately, the reality is that accidents happen, which is why it’s so important for small business owners in all industries to cover their ass.

13 thoughts Jack the hairstylist had during this appointment.

“Carol’s the worst! She can’t even carry on a conversation.” The awkward silence between client and hairstylist isn’t just awkward for the client: the hairstylist feels it too. Do each other a favour and keep the conversations flowing.

“Okay, hairdryer time for Carol—coffee break for me.”

“Oh boy, there’s literally nothing worse than the smell of burnt hair. Someone’s client is going to be very unhappy. Oh sh**…that’s my client!!” It’s very natural to feel panicked in unexpected situations such as these, but it’s important to stay calm. The look of panic on your face will likely strike panic in your client and then it’ll be shear chaos.

“Okay, if I just keep putting these rolls back on her head, maybe she won’t notice right away…” Sometimes panic can cloud one’s judgement, but trust us, there’s no way she hasn’t already noticed. Sorry friend.

“Good thing I have insurance coverage.” Don’t wait for a loss to make you realize the importance of strong insurance coverage. Did you know that, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), 40% of businesses will never re-open after a disaster? Or that 30% of small business owners dealt with a legal dispute between 2012 and 2015? Insurance is designed to cover your ass in situations such as these. A loss isn’t the only time you may need to use your insurance coverage, either; there are several situations that may require a small business owner to present proof of insurance such as event hosting, commercial lease agreements and equipment leasing. Don’t get caught with your pants down.

“Going to have to remove ‘able to multitask’ from my resume…” We should certainly hope so.

“But does my policy actually cover this?” If Jack was savvy enough to choose TruShield Insurance, then it probably does! Our commercial general liability policies protect you against liability claims related to bodily injury to a third party. For salons, barber shops and hairdressers/hairstylists, we include a specialized coverage in our policies referred to as Professional Liability for Barber Shops and Beauticians Endorsement. This addition would be the coverage you’d need in a situation like this.

“I should probably take a closer look at my policy, and possibly update it…” Our insurance expert Mike Gaba found that many small business owners don’t review or update their policies as often as they should. If you’re still operating with the same coverage you had when you first started your business, you could be leaving yourself exposed to risks you may not even know about. There are specific situations that would prompt changes to your policy, but if you’re ever unsure, just ask your broker or insurance representative.

“I mean, it’s not the end of the world—her highlights weren’t great anyway. Now she’s like a blank canvas!” Trying to focus on the positives in a situation such as this is another good coping mechanism and can be a breath of fresh hair for others involved—like Carol who is probably swimming in a pool of negativity at this point.

“That hairdryer might need some repairs…did I purchase that additional coverage option for when machines and robots breakdown or whatever?” Equipment breakdown insurance doesn’t exactly cover robot malfunctions…but it can help in situations where your electrical equipment breaks down suddenly and without warning. This additional coverage goes above and beyond your commercial property insurance when an accident occurs while an object is in use or connected and ready for use.

 “Maybe it’s still under warranty, and then I don’t have to go through my insurance.” It’s best not to rely on warranties for your equipment’s second combing. Warranties can be very selective on what is and isn’t covered. One of the things that often isn’t covered in a warranty is operator error, which means if the damage to the equipment is found to be caused by the individual using it, your warranty won’t cover the repair or replacement costs—but your equipment breakdown insurance might. For example, if you have too many electronics plugged into one outlet and that causes an overload resulting in damage to your equipment, your warranty likely wouldn’t repair or replace it.

“On second thought, I should probably call my insurance company after she leaves.” When you experience a traumatic event such as this (although, this was likely more traumatic for Carol), it’s important to call your insurance company as soon as you can. It would be wise to write down exactly what happened in as much detail as possible and ask those who witnessed the accident to do the same. If you’re a TruShield customer, you also have access to our Trauma Assist service, at no additional cost. This value-added service is designed to help owners and employees cope with the emotional effects of a loss.

“I should have been a pet food tester like my mom told me to.” We’re insurance experts, not career consultants. You’re on your own there, Jack.