It’s been three years since I had a good haircut. And I finally got one close to my house in Chennai. What went wrong before you ask? Well…I was in the US that’s what!
Now don’t get me wrong, I know that Americans are perfectly capable of getting decent haircuts in their own country. Most of them have long lasting relationships with their barbers – or hairdressers as they’re called. And I know for a fact if you want a specific type of haircut or know exactly what you want, you can get it. It’s just that for an Indian, having a haircut is an exercise in frustration. That’s because over here, you don’t have to give the barber every single detail of what you want.
Even if you’ve never gone to a certain place before, you can just sit down and choose from three styles:
- Short
- Medium
- Long
That’s it. No more questions. You get your hair cut, you pay (no tip), and you leave. Hasta la vista baby.
Now here’s how my conversations with barbers went in the US:
Me: Hi, I want a haircut
Sylist: Sure, sit down. Now tell me how you want it
Me: I want it short
Stylist: You want me to use scissors or the machine?
Me:….??? I…I have no idea. Machine is easier I suppose right?
Stylist: Ok we’ll use the machine then. What grade do you want?
Me:…??? Grade? As in?
Stylist: The grade. How long or short do you want it?
Me: I want it short
Stylist: What grade?
Me: No clue. Well, last time I got a haircut I think she used 4 or something
Stylist: Oh, that doesn’t mean anything. There are many standards and my grade may be different from what was used last time.
Me: I see. Well..
(I demonstrate with my fingers the length of hair I want)
Stylist: Let’s get started.
(Pauses every now and then to ask me more questions to which I respond with a blank stare)
Stylist: Ok done.
Me: Cool.
(I go home and Anupa opens the door)
Anupa: What the *^$& happened to your hair?
Me: I have no idea. They asked me some questions for which I didn’t know the answers and this is the result.
This happened to me every…single…time. That’s because I don’t know what I want – I just want my hair cut! I’m not a barber and I can’t be expected to know whether they should use a scissors or the machine or the grade or whatever. Now most people in the US obviously have a set routine and know what they want. Probably even go to the same place each time. And that’s the problem.
In general, this is indicative of the different way of doing things in the US vis a vis India. In the US, there is choice. A CRAPLOAD of choice. Sometimes so much choice that you don’t know what you want. Getting a coffee is much of the same thing. I don’t know how much cream (milk), how sweet, what beans, what temperature, what type of milk etc. I just want a coffee. Like you go to a roadside shack in Chennai and ask for a cup of tea. No questions, no choice. Just tea.
I like that. I don’t want to bother my head with thinking about stuff. Now I understand that this can be terribly inconvenient if you want your tea or coffee made in some other way. Luckily I have no such preference. I just want what everyone else is having!
I live in the U.S. and do a lot of Indians hair. With that being said I have met open minded people and assholes like u. T.I.P.S. to insure proper service. I just had a man leave my salon because I refused to cut his hair. He was infested with lice. He would not take no for an answer and kept questioning me. Short for you may not be short for me. Like your humor for example you think your funny and you are stupid. We have standards in America and the stylists here go to school to do hair. In America we are not low bottom people because we do hair. If I had to charge only one dollar for a haircut I would only give there choices.
In reply to stylist
Btw T.I.P.S are a customer’s choice not your right. he was writing about an experience. he wasn’t pointing you out. He belongs to a different country. His experience is going to be Different in USA. It’s not about how much you charge it’s about customer service and by the the looks if it you don’t know a thing about it. Whatever elementary school you went to should’ve done a better job in teaching you manners, humility and respect. Never mind the hair school you went to… Who cares ?!
I’ve been a hairstylist in the U.S. for years. If someone doesn’t know what they want, I usually ask how long it’s been since they last had a cut, and if they were happy with the length then. That tells me all I need. I can follow the lines from there. If you show me with your fingers like you did in your story, I’ll pick the clipper guard that matches. That’s my job to know that. It seems to work for me.
Oh and if you’re a regular, I’m gonna say, “The usual?”. I would know what is your usual. You shouldn’t have to remember.