Bad Hair Cut Etiquette?

[Amal Shukup]

Fusangite has the right of it.

If someone comes back to complain, we know that that client is lost and almost nver refund their money. We'll offer to fix it as best we can, but too short? Tough.

Not a lot you can do about 'too short'...

I was just teaching a class on Customer Service to a bunch of small biz types last week, and the "Customer is lost anyway so why sweat it?" argument came up as a justification for NOT trying to fix the situation. Obviously every business has to set policies that are right for them (as determined by their bottom line), but I'm gonna throw out a couple of thoughts:

1. A screwed up transaction has the potential of hurting future business. People who have a REALLY bad experience tend to spread their displeasure around (sadly, much more than when they have a positive experience). This is Not Good - particularly in a smaller, or well connected, community. Making it up to them somehow (repair trim and a fix of the highlights, say) might prevent that negative word of mouth even if the customer IS a write off.

2. I've seen good Customer Service actually save the relationship*. This is particularly important if the customer is any sort of regular (a number of 'good' transactions followed by the screw up). Marketing Math says that NEW customer tansactions cost 5 times as much to obtain as REPEAT customer transactions. So even if you lose the value of, say, 3 sales (transactions) but keep the customer, then that is a 'win' so far as the 'bottom line' is concerned.

Part of the secret to this is that you don't 'fight' the customer (it's not that they're always right - just that being 'right' costs you money). If you get to the point where they're screaming about lawsuits, you've waited too long....

* Example: Normally excellent restaurant pooches a meal (slow, cold, messed up order). Manager immediately apologized, 'Comp'ed the meal AND gave credit for 50% off the diners' NEXT meal (which they made sure was perfect). Customers saved. No negative word of mouth. Probably got positive word of mouth actually...

Sounds simple right? Except that they have no idea what they mean by "A little bit" so you either wind up doing the cut a second time because after looking at it they think they need a "little bit" more off, or you go too short because they only meant a "little bit", not the amount you cut off...that's too much

Too true.

I now cut my own hair (Bzzzzzz). For a while, I actually brought along polaroids (front oblique and back) of me with a 'good' haircut so there'd be no confusion about what "really short sides and back, tapered to about 'this' long on top" meant.

In response to the original poster: It never hurts to ask. I also suggest honey over vinegar. If they treat you like cr-p, though... Pickle em (MrFilthyIke - I'm loving that evolution of '...vinegar' to transitive verb!).

A'Mal

 

[Turanil]

I have absolutely no advice to give.

I just wanted to say that I am extremely statisfied of my local hair-stylist. He knows what I want (always the same thing, a simple hair-cut), does it very well, for a decent price (18 euros). Plus the guy is sympathetic, works alone in his small shop, and you don't need to call in advance, just go there and see if you have to wait or not. Well, in a life where so many things go wrong and I am dissatisfied so often, I am glad that at least it works fine with the hair-stylist!!

 

[talinthas]

times like this i appreciate being a guy. i grow my hair out until it's too long, then shave it all off. i get my hair cut around three times a year as a result =)
very convenient.

 

[Queen_Dopplepopolis]

Now that it is the day after, my shock is wearing off. Will be re-visiting the salon this afternoon to have my highlights touched up - the hair is a lost cause (oh my beautiful length! You will be missed!)

And, TB, thanks for the advice... but, I really thought I explained to the woman, "I want the same hair cut buy 2 inches shorter." Alas, I think her english was not-so-good and maybe she just didn't understand (here I thought she just wasn't very talkative).

I've learned my lesson... and will be reminded of it in the mirror every day for 6-8 months.

 

[Greylock]

o_0


[Sorry, my bad. Staring is not polite.]

 

[Rel]

I don't know if you'll read this before you go back to the salon and it may not have an impact anyway. But I'd go for a sort of "iron fist in a velvet glove" approach. I'd probably call them and say something like:

"Hi, I was in yesterday for a haircut and I'm REALLY not happy with the results. I thought I explained pretty clearly what I wanted and what I told the stylist is NOT what I got. Now it's not like you chopped off my earlobe or anything. It'll grow back. But I wanted to give you the opportunity to do something to compensate me for the shoddy job the stylist did. If you refund my money or offer to fix the highlights then you still probably won't have me as a future customer. But I won't be telling anybody who will listen about how terrible your salon is like I am thinking I'll do right now. What do you say?"

 

[ph34r]

...iron fist...

I like this idea!

 

[MrFilthyIke]

Bane the Barber.

Well, even overlords need a hobby I guess.

 

[ph34r]

Bane the Barber.

Well, even overlords need a hobby I guess.

Where do you think Fzoul gets his color done?

 

[jeff37923]

I've learned my lesson... and will be reminded of it in the mirror every day for 6-8 months.

It doesn't have to be that bad. The next time you wish your hair done, drive over to Knoxville, TN and go to Venus Salon. Ask for Shannon the Hair Goddess, explain what you would like done - you'll look so good afterward, that you and your hair will find religion.