rotten bananas

I got a haircut tonight, though it was more of a full head treatment than a simple haircut. The man was a genius with clippers, scissors and all manner of primitive hair removal tools. He asked how I wanted it, and I told him short all around, clippers on the side. That’s it. He didn’t ask what attachment I wanted, nor what length to cut the top to. The magician didn’t even use an attachment on the clippers. He eyeballed it perfectly to an inch.

He used a wicked combination of apron, towel and brushing to keep all hair out of my shirt. Little angers me more than severed hair fibers attempting to dig their way back under my skin. He rubbed something into my hair. I don’t know what it was, but I felt like a king when he did it. And afterwards, he shaved my neck with a straight blade and warm shaving cream. If you’ve never felt this sensation, you’re missing out on an experience that will ultimately change your life, guaranteed.

I suppose the point is that you’d be hard pressed to find this kind of service at a chain stylist. Did I mention that it only cost me $11, which is the cheapest haircut that I’ve ever received (apart from the butcherings that my mother forced upon me as a child), and I was in and out in 20 minutes?

I would imagine that you’re getting bored with this topic by now (if you’ve even made it this far), but I felt I had to make my point. I also know that this barber shop has quite a fan base, most of which followed them to a new location. What I’m getting at is that it’s rather simple to treat your customers right, and if you do treat them well, even better than expected, they’ll remain as loyal as a dog provided some table scraps and an occasional ear scratching.