“Just a trim”
A few weeks ago, my husband was in getting a haircut, and as I really needed to get out of the house, I tagged along to our tiny local shopping village.
Not much there, a Chemist Warehouse, couple of places to eat and a small IGA. Not a lot of browsing space. After perusing the aisles of the pharmacy, marvelling at just how many types of fish oil there are, I made my way to the bottle shop attached to the IGA. I know - from health foods to booze. But I really wanted to check if they had any new Kiran Hyoketsu flavours and if they were on sale. Seriously, if you’ve tried the alcoholic Solo drink - Hard Rated I think it’s called - and liked it, try the Hyoketsu: HEAPS less sugar and still yummy. Anyway, I digress.
The lady working there greeted me and I responded with “just browsing while hubby is getting a haircut”. And that, my friends, started a great little conversation.
You see, only a few months earlier, she had gone on a lovely holiday in Europe with her husband. They were about half-way through, and she’d done plenty of souvenir shopping for the kids and grandkids (although she didn’t look old enough to have those!). One morning they had some spare time and she thought “you know what, I’ll do something for ME on this vacation - I’m getting a haircut.”. Now you see the correlation to my initial response, yeah?
She had seen a salon down from where they were staying, and made her way past the cafes and shops, only to find the door closed. A sign said they opened at 9:30am. Well, it was 9:45, so maybe they’re just running a little late, it happens.
After grabbing a coffee, she headed back, by now it was after 10. Still closed. Hmm. Oh well, there goes the self care idea.
Later that day, or maybe the next - I can’t quite remember, they were wandering around a different part of town when she noticed a small salon tucked away.
“You go do your thing, I’m getting a haircut, just a trim, won’t be long!” She sent her husband off on his merry way and ducked into the salon.
“Hello! Cut, colour, full treatment?” greeted enthusiastically with a smile from the stylist, she breathed a sigh of relief that not only were they open, they had time.
“Just a trim” she responded, gesturing to her fringe which hung down in her eyes.
She sat and the stylist did that thing where they fluff up your hair, moving it around to, I guess, see the cut and get a feel for the texture. They chatted a bit, and he asked again how he could help and what she was after. She confirmed just a quick trim.
“Nonsense, you’re on holidays? You come through here to our VIP room and you get pampered, yes?” the stylist was so endearing, and made it sound so natural that it felt like the obvious thing to do. Why shouldn’t she get pampered on holiday? And he seems so lovely.
Back to the VIP room they went. Now, if you’re like me and read and watch a lot of horror, sci-fi and fantasy - you’re probably worried at this stage, yet also comforted that she is in front of me telling the story, so nothing too bad could have happened.
“If you’re like me and read and watch a lot of horror, sci-fi and fantasy - you’re probably worried at this stage”
Pampered she got. The full deal, not just a trim. Head massage, treatment, warm towels. She left feeling a million bucks.
Meanwhile, her husband had gotten a little worried and worked up after it took a lot longer than a “quick trim”, and as she wasn’t at one of the salon chairs in the front he couldn’t see her when he went to check. Maybe he reads a lot of horror, too.
Why am I telling you this story on a business blog? Good question.
A couple of things came to mind as she told the story, and as I considered it with my iced long black at the cafe outside afterwards.
Customer journey and experience.
You see, the salon could have just given her the quick trim and maybe made $15. Most would. Give the customer what they ask for, yeah?
And this salon did start with that, they set her up at a mirror for the trim, chatted with her, found out more about her - not just her hair - and then, in a way that didn’t feel pushy, but felt comfortable and natural, guided her to what would bring her more joy.
Now, he could have started with the upsell. Could have pushed it. Made it feel ick. Instead, he got to know a bit about her, and from what she said, he genuinely felt she deserved some pampering. He cared.
Was the stylist some kind of sales genius? Unlikely.
Did making more money cross his mind? Possibly. Especially if he was the owner or working toward a target. But the way he went about the upsell removed the sleaze. He saw a women, on holidays, asking for the bare minimum and offered her more with care and a smile, at just the right time.
Oh, and the salon was open.
That probably helped.
