I got a haircut on Sunday. It was terribly overdue. But in doing so, I came up with a few ideas on how to make the haircutting experience better.
Truth be told, I love getting my hair cut (straight-razor shaves are great, too!). Probably because I wait so long in-between trims that I’ll end up shedding half a pound of hair before walking out the door. But there’s one thing I don’t like – that, upon departure, I’ll be covered in tiny bits of cut hair. Worse still, the stylist just put gel in to set me up for the day.
In practice, you can easily (and quite obviously) remedy this by going home and showering. But why? If you go to a hair salon that’s posh enough to wash and shampoo your hair before the cut, why not send you back for another round afterward so that I’m not covered in prickly hairs?
A hair salon is a two-service business. On the one hand, it’s a physical service: I walk in, pay you, and walk out with less hair. On the other, it’s an emotional service: I walk in, pay you, and walk out feeling like a million bucks. Does a $60 haircut cut four times as much hair as a $15 haircut? No. Does it cut four times as precisely? Maybe. Do I walk out of the salon feeling four times as confident and handsome? Better hope so.
There’s a reason why most elite hair salons will wash you hair before sending you to the stylist: damp hair is easier to cut. It makes the physical service better. But it makes the emotional service better, too – clients are treated like royalty, and receive a nice head massage. That’s something entirely separate from the actual haircut.
Now consider if the salon added a second wash, just before being sent on your way. 1) Does this add to the physical product? Maybe. Perhaps after clearing out some clumps of hair, the stylist can be more positive that everything is trimmed evenly. But it also takes more time to finish the service, and clients’ time may be even more valuable than their dollars. 2) Does this add to the emotional product? I’d say yes. If the stylist makes the purpose of the second wash very clear (wash away all the stray hair bits), I’d happily oblige. I might even become more brand loyal, after thinking back to other haircut experiences in a less positive light.
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The second change is something that’s already being employed, and I just feel more people and salons should know about or use themselves. The haircut place I like to go is called A Cut Above the Rest, on Big Bend and Forest Park. While I suppose the physical haircut is nothing special, the price is right ($15) and they offer something I’ve never seen anywhere else: After every cut, the barber promises that if I decide I’d like something changed over the next few days, that I should just come right back in and he’ll fix it free of charge.
Of course, I bet you’d be hard-pressed to find a hair salon anywhere that wouldn’t practice this policy were the situation to arise, but that’s hardly the point. The point is that they’ve managed to attach a warranty and return policy to an intangible product. And it costs them nothing! Practically speaking, how likely are you to mull your haircut for four days, and decide it needs adjusting? But how much happier am I going to feel about my cut knowing that I can get it fixed anytime? Loads. Psychologically speaking, even, the mere fact that I’ve decided not to go back for a fix will subconsciously align me more positively with the original cut. And how often am I going to go back knowing that every time I buy I’ve got a return policy. Once every three months or so (re: every time, if you’re not on a Josh haircut schedule).
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All this differentiation, product enhancement, and benefits. And I haven’t even said a word about scissors. Goes to show you how many ways you can make your product unique, valuable, and awesome if you think a little outside the box.
This is probably the most feminine thing I’ve ever written. To balance, Matt and I have been making our own home-cooked beef jerky over the past few days. That’s probably the most manly thing I’ve ever concocted. Fair?