Bad Hair Cut Etiquette?

[nakia]

To be fair, I don't think Rel was advocating extortion, just wanting Queen D to be up front with her proposed course of action if the hair place blew her off.

How about an approach more in the middle, something like: "There may have been some miscommunication the other day when I got my haricut. I thought I was pretty clear on what I wanted, but it's too short and I don't like the highlights at all. Maybe we can redo the highlights?"

This doesn't put them in a corner or overly lay blame. The use of "we" makes it seem like Queen D and the hair place are working together toward a solution. You are not asking for what they cannot give (your two inches of hair back), nor are you being overly antagonistic or threatening. You are giving them an out -- redoing the highlights. If they say no, you can just say "well, that's too bad, as I was looking for a permanent hair salon. I'll just have to get it taken care of somewhere else." They may not care, but you've done all you can.

 

[Amal Shukup]

My response would be as follows... <much amusing verbage omitted>

• get the out of my shop<<<

Woah Dude!

I confess that I don't instinctively respond 'well' (matter of perspective) to threats... I understand the response. And you're not 'wrong': Threats should NOT be made in the course of a business negotiation - it lacks class.

But, dude, you just DON'T respond thusly to customers (viscerally satisfying as it might be). If they're intractable, threatening or abusive you get rid of them, but you do it POLITELY ("...until it's time to NOT be polite..." And that ain't yet by a long shot).

I KNOW a lot of business owners (particularly in large urban markets) THINK that the odd angry customer doesn't threaten their business. They're WRONG (really stupidly wrong, too IMNSHO).

As observed by others here: Normal business fluctuations occur in an environment with or without negative stimuli. But what is perhaps less obvious is the fact that these fluctuations can easily be magnified or trended downwards by unhappy customers spreading the word. To maintain profitability in the face of these enhanced fluctuations, businesses must spend money (marketing) or cut costs (laying off staff who tell customers to "get the - out of my shop" would be top of my list...).

I'm NOT suggesting that an unhappy customer or two is going to RUIN a business or anything, but their economic impact can EASILY exceed the cost of fixing the situation. If a business loses $100 in profits because they're unwilling to spend $25 to fix the situation (at least well enough to offset the future loss), that's just a BAD business decision.

Yes, there are lots of fish in the sea, but they TALK to each other... All this said, however:

When complaining and asking for some sort of compensatory action, don't threaten (or get into somebody's face). It sends the wrong message and engages on an emotional level that is not beneficial to ANYBODY...

If you walk away unsatisfied, channel your annoyance into something effective...

A'Mal

 

[Rel]

Rel,

Extortion is only effective if you've abducted somebody's loved one or are otherwise holding catastrophic power over them. Sure, if you, by yourself, had the power to shut down the salon, then you might be able to extort something from them.

Whoah, whoah whoah!

I know that TB started tossing around the word "threat" and I suppose that what I proposed meets the definition of that word on a certain level. But "extortion"? We obviously have two very different ideas about what that term means.

If I walk into the salon and say, "I've never been here before in my life but unless you give me a free haircut then I'm going to tell everybody who will listen that you screwed me over." then that's extortion (it's also stupid because I don't let people near my head with sharp objects when I've just threatened to try and ruin their business).

If somebody messed up at their job and I ask the company to make it right then there is nothing wrong with that at all in my opinion. If I further say, "If you fail to acknowledge your mistake, return my money or try to fix the problem then I'm not going to be a happy customer. Unhappy customers are not people you want spreading the word about your business." then I see that as being a simple fact.

And I thought I made this clear before but I'll say it again just in case: IT'S JUST A FRIGGIN' HAIRCUT. I'm not talking about trying to put Geraldo Rivera on the case and writing a four part miniseries about my trauma. I'm suggesting that you ASK them to fix the problem that THEY created with the understanding that if they have a callous disregard for such things then I'm going to feel compelled to share that with family and friends when they say, "I'm looking for a new hair stylist. Got any recommendations?"

I just went back and read what I wrote in my earlier post and it sounds to me fairly resonable for somebody who is an unhappy customer. Maybe I needed to add a smiley at the end to help get across the idea that you aren't pointing a gun at the stylist's head when you're saying it.

<- Smiley added to show Rel's appreciation for Gun Safety

 

[Michael Morris]

When I drove a truck I dealt with many different barbaers and salonists. I was one of those "trim it back but not too far" guys. Well, a lady in Youngstown Ohio changed that. When she got done, and I liked the results, she explained to me what she did.

Now my instructions to a haircutter I don't know is, "Use a #4 guard and burr it."

 

[Mercule]

Now my instructions to a haircutter I don't know is, "Use a #4 guard and burr it."

As my hairline receded, I kept getting it cut shorter and shorter (my hairline pretty much followed Bruce Willis', who has a similarly shaped face, so I followed his length). When the stylist said, "I think I could just use clippers and get that effect, do you mind?" I let her. Then I asked what she did.

Next time I was at Target, I saw a clippers that was $22. A haircut cost me $11. Short trip, mathematically, considering my hair (what there is of it) grows faster than average. That was eight or nine years ago. I think it's finally time to replace my clippers (or start shaving my head).

 

[Teflon Billy]

I'm suggesting that you ASK them to fix the problem that THEY created with the understanding that if they have a callous disregard for such things then I'm going to feel compelled to share that with family and friends when they say, "I'm looking for a new hair stylist. Got any recommendations?"

I just went a re-read it as well, and I'll summarize what you put if that's ok (and feel free to correct me if I am wrong. Here's the quote I am referring to...

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?"

So what you are basically saying is that you want me to invest my time, or refund your money...or you will be "giving a bad review" to my Salon. That's the threat I am talking about.

What I am saying is the threat doesn't worry me.

I know you aren't coming back, what you are promising to me is that unless you get your way you are going to bad-mouth the salon.

I'm saying--in this instance--that your threat (the bad-mouthing) means nothing.

It won't affect my business. It might if your hair was right and truly screwed, but if it is just marginally shorter (two inches more than you were hoping) and the highlights aren't light enough (rather than being fried and/or falling out) then you aren't going to look all that persuasive when you bitch to people

Your aren't offering to recommend us to other customers if I "Make this right", you are just--I think--claiming that you won't bad mouth the salon if a discussion comes up.

I say go to it.

People who are crying in their car over haircuts that are marginally too short are the kind of drama queens that make Hairdressing a hellish job at times.

Unless we are desperate for clientele (which may be the case) the salon can do without them.

 

[Teflon Billy]

As my hairline receded, I kept getting it cut shorter and shorter (my hairline pretty much followed Bruce Willis', who has a similarly shaped face, so I followed his length). When the stylist said, "I think I could just use clippers and get that effect, do you mind?" I let her. Then I asked what she did.

Next time I was at Target, I saw a clippers that was $22. A haircut cost me $11. Short trip, mathematically, considering my hair (what there is of it) grows faster than average. That was eight or nine years ago. I think it's finally time to replace my clippers (or start shaving my head).

Is that what you are suggesting a Woman who just bid farewell to her "Beautiful Length" over a 2 inch overshoot should do?

 

[Rel]

I know you aren't coming back, what you are promising to me is that unless you get your way you are going to bad-mouth the salon.

I'm saying--in this instance--that your threat (the bad-mouthing) means nothing.

It won't affect my business.

I'm not in the haircutting business but I'm operating on an assumption here that there's been a screw up. If you say that "two inches too short" is no big deal to you then I've got no reason to disbelieve you. But I've been around women who've just had their hair cut and my anecdotal experience is that most would consider two inches longer or shorter than they wanted to be "bad". So again, my starting point was to take QD at her word and go from the position that a mistake had been made.

Now given that the salon has her money they've got all the power. They can try and make her whole either by fixing whatever they can about her haircut or they can refund her money. Or they can decide not to try and fix it at all.

If there is no economic incentive to fix things then I get your point. If business is so good that you're turning away customers already then there is no need to try and fix something for someone who probably won't come back anyway (I'll note that if you're in this position you should probably raise your prices a bit). I still maintain that you're better off to just send them away than to say something nasty and guarantee that they'll go away mad.

If I can get my own business to that point then I'll be thrilled. And rich!

EDIT - I just realized something else that I might not have made clear when I first posted in this thread and it might be what rubbed some people the wrong way. I wouldn't resort to the "you don't want me as an unhappy customer" routine right out of the gate. I'd start with, "I hate to be a pain but this is not the haircut I asked for." and go from there. If you ask them to fix their mistake and they say yes then you thank them and move forward. If not then you move forward on that front. Sorry I didn't make that more clear up front.

 

[Teflon Billy]

If there is no economic incentive to fix things then I get your point. If business is so good that you're turning away customers already then there is no need to try and fix something for someone who probably won't come back anyway (I'll note that if you're in this position you should probably raise your prices a bit).

I've been trying to convince my boss of this exact thing

I still maintain that you're better off to just send them away than to say something nasty and guarantee that they'll go away mad.

Point taken there I was taking issue with your prepared statement for The Queen that involved threatening the salon with unleashing the might of her poor opinion.

My point was she could very easily get laughed out of the place particularly if they arte successful enough to be charging a much higher price than her previous place (which was stated).

Hairdressers are fussy, tempermental lot on the whole (Either No-Hopers or Artistes generally speaking) and threatening them with anything is a long shot.

You suggested the "iron hand in the velvet glove" as a solution. I'd give you less than 20% chance of "Iron" anything working based solely on the info we have.

If I can get my own business to that point then I'll be thrilled. And rich!

We do allright

 

[Rel]

You suggested the "iron hand in the velvet glove" as a solution. I'd give you less than 20% chance of "Iron" anything working based solely on the info we have.

TB, I'd take it as a personal favor if you go read the edit I just made to the post before yours. I think I kinda botched my delivery to start with because I didn't mean my "iron fist" idea to be delivered as a monologue but more of a "weapon of last resort."

My bad.