Greetings to all! I am here writing to all of you out there just before this year comes to an end. In hopes that maybe I can spread awareness to this particular industry, it's workers and all of its clients. My name is Stephen for those who don’t know. I have roughly 20 years of experience of getting my haircut, haha, soon to be 10 years behind the clipper and a few years of being behind the chair in a local shop. With past experiences of being a paying client, a servicer within the industry, as well as experience from past customer service oriented jobs, I’ve compiled a list of issues that I still see present in today's modern barbershop. But of course, there’s no reason to rant/point out problems unless we can come up solutions to help aid the situation. Here’s 11 Problems With Today’s Modern Day Barber Shop as well as 11 Solutions For Today’s Modern Barbershop. Lets just jump straight into this, shall we!
1. Awkwardness when walking in.
It’s that time of the month (or maybe longer for some of you) and you head to your local shop where your face is remembered but your name probably isn’t. You walk in and you’re honestly lucky if you get a proper welcome/greeting, but most times it’s just eye contact possibly followed by a head nod. You walk up to your “regular” guy only to find out he’s got one to two more till he can see you. This is where it leads to my next issue.
Solution: A warm welcome is always great to experience when arriving at any business. A genuine smile and proper greeting followed by positive body language can go a long way. If you are excited and enthusiastic chances are your clients will be as well. Positivity is contagious!
2. Waiting your turn.
Its 2017, about to be 2018 and everyone has access to a computer, if not at least a cell phone with mobile internet access. How often have you encountered having to sit and wait around for your turn to get your hair groomed. Or when texting your barber is such a challenge and it seems almost impossible to get a hold of him. Barbers can be very busy at times, so you can’t always blame him for not responding in a timely manner. Side note: If your barber seems to always be busy, thats a good problem to have. That means he/she is good at what they do and that they are in high demand.
Solution: For the Barber, there are many online bookings sites to help manage and have smoother running work days. Such as Booksy, GoPanache, and Resurva, just to name a few. These services allow Barbers to post availability online in which clients are able to book a time slot without having to try to “get a hold” of their Barber. Arrive at the designated time, receive your service and continue about your day. Time is the most valuable entity that we can both receive and give to others.
3. Poor communication before a service.
You’re obviously no hair expert or guru which is why you leave it up to the said “professional” and the most research you’ve probably done is follow a few barbershop instagram pages that post photos and videos. But have you ever sat in the chair and tried explaining a desired style or look to your barber/stylist and you weren’t completely sure if you and him/her had a complete mutual understanding? It’s okay, it happens, I’ve been there and I know the feeling. A haircut should never begin without complete confidence and faith in what is about to happen.
Solution: This is more on the barbers end. It’s our duty to stay up to date with current styles and trends. It’s our duty to understand theory and technique all while being able to explain it clearly to someone who might not be familiar with all the terminology and lingo. Consulting is always key to a successful service as well as transparency. It is also our duty to give our professional input when certain styles or looks may not compliment certain facial structures of some clients. We do not want our clients walking around with hairstyles that do not suit their facial & head structures.
4. Too fast of a haircut minus the attention to detail & a lack of conversation.
We’ve all experienced it at one point, sat in the chair and then BAM! Your heads being thrown to the left, to the right, forward and back. Clippers are buzzing up and down your head as if your barber’s trying to beat his personal record for ‘Fastest Haircut I’ve Ever Done”. Then it proceeds to a complete drenching of the hair by the spray bottle. Now droplets of cold water are rushing down your face and sides of your head down to your neck, and yet your barber seems to not notice it at all. A few big snips and large chunks of hair are removed from the top. Everything seems to be going alright, despite that your barber hasn’t taken any interest in you or your personal life, checked his phone maybe once or twice, but chances are you don’t know much about the guy/girl either. Oh and wait till you go home and realized they missed a spot here and there. That’s always fun.
Solution: Okay, so speed isn’t necessarily a “problem”. I’ve seen barbers and stylist execute flawless haircuts in fast amounts of time. The ability to do such, takes a lot of skill and a lot of time and experience. The issue here is when a barber cuts too quickly and compromises quality. If you’re a barber that hasn’t reached that elite skill level yet, then take your time, don’t take shortcuts. Do not risk the quality of your work. Always be mindful of the client and make sure they are comfortable at all times. Avoid drenching the client and constantly brush and clear a clients face of any loose hairs that can be irritating to them. As far as the head throwing and turning, utilize the fact that your barber chair can spin both left and right and adjusted higher or lower in height. Grooming services should be peaceful and relaxing. Some of the best most relaxing haircuts I’ve ever gotten were the ones when I barely felt a thing. Also, for barbers and stylists out there, take the time to know your clients, know who are they are as people, build rapport, a good relationship, be their friend, you’d be surprised how much you can learn from each person, as well as how much they can learn from you. Also, be humbled and grateful towards them since your clients are the ones who contribute to putting food on your table, a roof over our heads, gas in the car tank, pay for children’s dance classes, just to name a few.
5. No hair styling tutorial.
Once again, you’re no hair expert or guru yourself. I would say you’re lucky if you’ve gotten a proper blowdry and styling after a haircut. Most times it’s just big old slab from the huge jar or gel and a quick combing, and that’s what most will think of as “styling”. But if you’ve stood in the aisle of your local hair/cosmetics aisle lost in a gaze of all the options of products without knowing where to begin, its okay, it happen. If you’ve managed to purchase something for the meantime and made it home, all to be standing in front of your bathroom mirror, gazed in confusion as to what to do, wondering “How do I get my hair to look like that one photo I saw?” *looks at photo on instagram, looks into mirror, looks back at photo, looks back at mirror* its okay, that use to be me too.
Solution: It’s a barbers professional duty to be educated in diverse styling techniques for all hair types and textures as well as educate the client on how-to achieve such desired looks. The directions on a jar of pomade can only do so much in comparison to a live demonstration catered to you specifically, from a professional themselves. The explanations and demonstrations done in one visit can determine how a clients hair will look throughout the next 14-31 days up until they see you again. Remember, your work is walking billboard to the public eye, have your clients looking their best at all times.
6. The “Whatever” Complex
15-20 minutes have passed and your barber says “all right, you’re all done”. You’re surprised that 1. How is he done already?? 2. This hairstyle isn’t exactly what I had in mind.. Which results in the “Whatever Complex” which is when you’re somewhat satisfied (but not fully) and you don’t feel like offending the barber or being an inconvenience to him. So instead you shrug your shoulders, pay the cost for the service, and even tip the guy, despite not being totally satisfied. Again, we’ve all been there.
Solution: Again this goes back to #3. Proper consultations and planning will result in successful servicing. Barbers, you should be open and honest with your clients and encourage them to let you know if theres something you can do to alter or improve their hair while they are still in your chair. Again, we are not complete mind readers (sometimes we are, haha) and cannot always know exactly what a client had pictured in their mind. Clients, don’t be afraid to be open and honest as well, you worked too damn hard for your money to not get what you wanted.
7. Drugs/Narcotics present within business.
This is a given, not just for a barbershop but for any business trying to operate with professionalism. Sad to say that this made the list, but it’s something I still see till this day. I won’t get into a debate about moral standings and views on drugs, but let’s just say there’s a difference between one’s personal life and professional career. The two should never mix. What one chooses to do during his or hers personal time shouldn’t cross over into his professional life. That being said, keep the barbershop a wholesome gathering place of community and leave the recreational drug use/transactions for another place and another time.
Solution: Barbers, leave the recreation for another place and another time. Work is work, your shop's name is on the line, the owners name is on the line, and your reputation is on the line. If you're not making ends meet financially and selling and hustling on the side is needed, it’s time to step your game up, improve your craft, expand your education within the industry, network and promote, if not, you’re only hurting the industry. That’s not cool at all.
8. Vulgar & distasteful conversations.
You know what I mean about this one, the typical “barbershop talk”. It is often forgotten that a place of gathering and community can have such influence on its people. We have a constant choice to make it a positive one, if not, then the outcome can be rather negative. This trails back to one’s deep rooted values. A lost of respect for others will result in demoralizing conversations within an establishment. In which, we fail to build each other up as well fail to set a good example for the younger generation thats present within the walls of a shop.
Solution: This ones mainly for the Barbers/Stylists out there. We have to set the bar and keep ourselves and clients accountable. We have to be able to know when to draw the line and confidently say that certain topics aren’t suitable for this environment.
9. Lost of artistry & failure to reach full potential.
I’ve seen many barbers become stagnant in their craft. Monotony, clock in day in and day out. The same routine and complain about not making enough financially or being “underpaid”.
Solution: Know your “Why”. Know why you do what you do. Your why is what will drive you to become a better version of yourself. Constantly grow, learning never stops. Set goals. Continue educating yourself. Do stuff you've never done before. Take risks. Attend workshops, events, networking events. Meet new people and see what others are doing and contributing to this industry and the world. In doing all these things, you will certainly find inspiration and rekindling of passion. Believe in your product, believe in yourself and others will follow. It starts with you and you alone.
10. Lack of self worth.
To the barber: I’ve seen people fail to move forward and progress in their trade simply because of fear and lack of risk.
To the client/customer: For most men, besides the gym, a haircut at the barbershop/salon is the most that your average guy will do to pamper/treat himself. Its rare to even see a guy go to nail salon, if he does, chances are its because his girlfriend convinced him to.
Solution: Take smart risks, push the boundaries and expand forward. Look good, feel good. Seek to take care of yourself before anything else. Be active, stay fit, treat yourself well. Eat good food, take of your body physically, emotionally, spiritually. Find a barbershop in which most of these issues do not exist.
11. Barbers & Stylists
Yup, thats right, barbers and stylists themselves are the problem. We are responsible for a lot of these common, existing issues that we see today. It starts with us. We are responsible for raising the standard of quality and professionalism the moment a client walks into an establishment. A lot of clients do not know what good quality craftsmanship entails. Its up to raise the bar.
Solution: For the clients, find a barber for the long run that’s worth your time and hard earned finances. For the Barbers and Stylists out there, be the change that people didn't know they were looking for. Work hard, work smart, be patient in your craft, value your skills and charge an amount that's worth your talents and efforts, never stop learning, and let’s finally start making people look even better than they already do!
Conclusion:
These are my 11 problems that I can easily think of when it comes to getting your haircut. I would like to thank you, the reader, for getting this far! The new year is approaching and is just around the corner. With all the negativity that’s circulating throughout the world, let’s strive to pour more positivity into the cities that we live in, the community that we are all a part of, and the souls that surround us. For a lot of us, that starts in the chair, with an open mind, a pair of scissors, a comb, clippers a big smile and a spark of passion.