From A Barber, On Bad Haircuts, How To Avoid Them.

FROM A BARBER


I would just like to say that bad haircut's ruin my day too..

I would just like to say that I am a hair cutter, barber actually, meaning that I cut men's hair. I've worked 60hrs a week for 14yrs now.. . .I hate my job. I always have. But of course if you were to ask me in person I am (required) to answer (its great). I made a lot of mistakes in the beginning ,not on purpose of course, but sheer lack of skill . Some people have rare types of hair, and it took along long time to learn how to cut all of them. Years, but I did learn, and I quit making mistakes in cutting hair after 3 years into it. .



Now Allllll of my problems are from peoples that are incapable of communicating or there personality. By now the hair that I cut of is exactly what I meant to cut off. The problem has happened in communication, exclusively for the past 10 years.

What happens is that they sit down in my chair, they run their fingers through their hair which only communicates that he likes to touch his hair look back at me with direct eye contact, Which is unwanted, and very awkward being that I am 12 inches from them. He will say something like I want a little off, but not too much which I am know thinking what is a little? it could be anything. . . I want brush it, and my wife likes it like that.

If I am lucky, he will say that much, most of the time, less.

(I need specifics),what is a little? Its like telling someone there date is a little fat, what is a little? is it 15 pounds over weight? or 100? I need to know how many Inches they want me to take off of there hair. (YOU CAN NEVER BE TOO SPECIFIC AT THE START OF A HAIRCUT.) We will always stand back and listen to you. We cant read your mind, and we can't remember 3000 people, and it is somewhat egotistical to expect us to remember you. Pictures are great too, They say 1000 words. If you are a man, chances are good that your hair gets cut uses clippers, and that means clipper guards, know your guard # 0 is skin, 1 is 1/2, 2 is 1/4, 3 is 3/8, 4 is 1/2, 5 is 5/8, 6 is 3/4, 7 is 7/8, and 8 is one full inch. or scissors at that point.



I remember one guy told me he wanted an inch. so when I left him with an inch , he then told me, O' no no I wanted an inch taken off. I had just taken off 5 inches. So just think about all the ways someone can interpret what you are telling them. They want you to tell them, what you want.

If you don't vocalize it, then the barber doesn't know it. It does not matter what you think or thought in your mind, or meant, if it was not said then it is not real, and did not actually happen.

1. When you go get a haircut, and sit down in the chair, tell the barber what you want, there are all ears, be picky, be long winded . . . use pictures, use inches, etc. Be specific it is a kindness to us You are doing us a favor.

2. Do not tell them what to think of the haircut, it in the middle of the haircut, they don't care. YES it looks funny, because ( you are in the middle of the haircut) If you are turning your head every time I take a snip we are no longer friends. You are making my job a lot harder, and it is very easy to take a gash out of your hair, because you are jerking around. you are undoubtedly making the hair-cutter emotional and upset, and therefor they are now unable, or no longer care, to give you the best cut that they can.

Also in the middle of the haircut, try not to talk to your barber excessively, the more talking you do requires us to entertaining you, and the less attention your hair is getting. You are actually distracting us. We wont tell you that because its offensive, but true.

3. Do not talk to them about the haircut after the haircut. It is not the time.

I remember a guy telling me that his haircut was good, and he was done, Which is very common I had not yet cut the back of his hair, he was not done. at that point in time it looked awful. I of course fixed it.


For people that have been cutting hair for years and years.
(They already know that you were given a good haircut at the end.) Even if there was some misunderstanding along the way, I could have 100 other people I cut the same on them, and are happy with it. it was not necessarily a bad haircut, it was just not what they wanted.

Honestly
You the costumer, might think that your giving us a compliment, or an insult (your not) your not qualified to cut hair, and therefore you are not qualified to compliment us . . . .I do not feel complimented or insulted at the end of a cut. It simply either is, or it is not what you asked for. (If you could adequately articulate the haircut you wanted in the begging or if anything that was said was discernible.. . ) It is not worth getting emotional about. We want to help you, But you have to tell us. You have to tell us what you want, Not so much how to do it. but what you want.


Again step one is where you tell them about your hair. Even if they cut it great the first, second or third time, tell them. If you are not logged in a computer system, they can not remember you.

We might care a little bit, about what you think of the hair, at the end of the haircut, but not as much as you think we would.

We care a lot about what you said in the beginning.
We care if we ourselves approve of it. If we believe that we have done the very best job that we can do.
We care if other people will like it. After all it is our name, that is on your haircut.
We care a great deal what other professionals will think about your hair cut. We have a lot of professional pride, and rivalry. I cant have Miss Betty Jones making fun of me.. Therefore on some people I care about there hair even more then they themselves do.

I hope this helps.