I made a kid cry last night.

[~Rocco~]

I'll try to make this long story as short as possible...

I'm currently studying/training to be a Barber and I had a very bad experience at barber shop last night.
This 11 year old kid came in with both his dad and little brother, both kids needed haircuts.

The dad stated to me (in spanish/broken english) that he wanted me to cut the older kids hair with a 'zero/high fade' on the back & the sides and a 'two' on the top. The boy had very long hair on top & I knew that a '2' would probably be too short, so I advised them of the situation and asked if I could start it off with a '4' just to play it safe and if they still wanted a '2' afterwards then I would do gladly do so.
-They both agreed-

I picked up my adjustable clippers and went to work...The zero/high fade came out good and dad approved...then I put on the #4 guard and started removing all of the kids hair on top. -Dad seemed happy with it-

After a while the kid started tearing up, I mean to say that this kid had really red eyes and was shedding tears as he tried to sit there quietly. It soon became very clear to me that this kid was definately not happy with his new haircut. His dad then asked him why was he crying, the kid replied angrily, "This is not what I wanted! I wanted a Faux Hawk!" (A Faux Hawk is a partial Mohawk with a fade). Well, unfortunately, once I removed all of his hair with a #4, there was no way for me to give him a faux hawk because his hair was now way too short for that style.

Being new to Barbering, I still feel pretty bad about the situation, it was never my intention to make this poor kid upset.
To make matters worse the kids little brother ended up getting a great faux hawk from the other student on the other side of the Barber Shop.

Both of my Instructors and my fellow students all said that it was not my fault because the dad and the kid did not correctly inform me of exactly what kind of haircut to perform.

Do you guys have any good suggestions on how I, as a future Barber, should approach kids & parents moving forward??

 

[rushchairman]

approach them with patience and lollipops.

 

[dklaiman]

I think that once you confirm what the kid and his parent wants, you're off the hook unless you know it's something that will look absolutely ridiculous. In the latter situation, you should explain why the particular style won't work with the individual's hair/face/age, etc. But if the customer still insists on it, you've done your due diligence.

 

[Krona Kruiser]

Hair grows back! I would feel bad too but you live and learn and after some time your hairstyle discernment will improve so you can decode what your customers really want.

 

[Toothpick]

i think you did everything right. they agreed and let you go to town. and like Krona says...Hair does grow back!.
i paid $50 for a hair cut once, $30 to a girl that screwed it up and $20 to a real barber that fixed it best he could. the only thing that kept me sane was repeating "it will grow back, it will grow back" this kid will likely forget all about it in a week.

 

[ThePatrician]

it was not my fault because both the dad and the kid did not correctly inform me of exactly what kind of haircut the kid wanted.

Some of the oldest and best advice I have ever gotten, as a craftsman, is "Measure twice, cut once." You weren't properly informed of what they wanted, so it's almost inevitable that they weren't happy. My advice would be to take away from this to confirm exactly what the customer wants, and have them show you if possible. Whenever my wife gets her hair done for the USMC Ball, she always tries to bring a few pictures for the stylist. I'm not saying go that far, but have them show you the lines they want. My barbers, both in Cambodia and in Northern Virginia, know exactly what I want. My barber here actually says to me "Same as usual?" It's great!

 

[ShavingSrgn]

"The difference between a bad haircut and a good haircut -- 6 weeks." It appears you did everything right. I deal with "unrealistic expectations" everyday in my line of work. Communication is the key, but if they don't, can't, or won't tell you what they want, you can't give it to them. Hang in there, it will get better.

 

[Doc4]

Some of the oldest and best advice I have ever gotten, as a craftsman, is "Measure twice, cut once." You weren't properly informed of what they wanted, so it's almost inevitable that they weren't happy. My advice would be to take away from this to confirm exactly what the customer wants, and have them show you if possible.

No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public.



Yes, you are "off the hook" because they gave you bad instructions. That's gonna happen again ... someone will sit in your barber chair, tell you he wants his hair cut in a particular style, and (unbeknownst to you) he doesn't actually understand what that actually looks like.

I remember a similar thread in the Speakeasy about drinkers ordering drinks from bartenders and getting all sorts of stuff they weren't expecting "because the bartender doesn't know how to make a rusty martini' or whatever was being ordered. It doesn't matter that the customer is the only person in the world who thinks that a 'rusty martini' is made from rum, clamato juice and a scoop of chocolate ice cream ... the gin, vermouth and angostura bitters he was handed wasn't what he wanted.

Okay, so back to the kid sitting in the chair ... I'd have shown him on his head how short the hair would be before cutting. A few minutes chatting with him and giving him a really clear idea of what he's going to look like when you are done would give him the chance to say ... but, I can't do a faux-hawk with hair that short ... and bingo you have fixed the problem before the first cut.

They used to have charts like this in barber shops, and you should have them and use them ... maybe a more modern version, though.

 

[life2short1971]

He'll be fine and has already forgotten about it. It will grow back in a couple weeks and he'll be as happy as can be. Oh Make sure he still wants that if he returns. hehe

 

[incucrash]

LOL, I want a flat top with fenders.

Maybe get a ruler, also ask more in depth of a style.

Pictures work well

Hell, if you ask me you did the kid a favor, I hate faux hawk 11 year olds running around.

 

[Isaac]

Always ask the kids what they want, then ask the parents. Have a box of tissues for the kids after you hear what the parent decides...HAHA

 

[PFP_Dad]

Hell, if you ask me you did the kid a favor, I hate faux hawk 11 year olds running around.

This. Sure it's not what he wanted, but if kids got everything they wanted they'd still be 30 wearing a faux hawk while their parents paid their bills.

 

[Slash McCoy]

Of course you aren't to blame!

But I have to agree about the hairstyle chart thing. You could have a small portfolio of different styles, maybe. Of course you would have to explain to some customers that their hair growth pattern (bald spot, receding hairline, cowlick, etc) can limit what you can do.

 

[JimP]

If he's crying over a haircut....give him a "divot' and toss him out.

(sorry - couldn't resist....) The difference between a "good" hair cut and a "bad" haircut is: two weeks. You're worrying too much.

 

[The Zigster]

11 years old that cry over a haircut? Really? Hmm.

 

[Rev. Jim Ignatowski]

A picture is worth a thousand tears. Not your fault, and hair grows back. If this is the worst thing that happens this month, you're doing fine.

 

[Go West Young Man]

11 years old that cry over a haircut? Really? Hmm.

Geez, man, that's harsh.

 

[Doc4]

What the "oh, hair grows back; tell the kid to quit whining" crowd misses is the fact that moments like this are what keep or lose customers. If the parent and kid leave happy, they come back as repeat customers ... do that enough times and you have a viable business. OTOH, if you get no repeat clients, your barbershop will quickly die.

The OP wants to know how to be better, so he can succeed in his chosen profession. Good for him.

 

[~Rocco~]

What the "oh, hair grows back; tell the kid to quit whining" crowd misses is the fact that moments like this are what keep or lose customers. If the parent and kid leave happy, they come back as repeat customers ... do that enough times and you have a viable business. OTOH, if you get no repeat clients, your barbershop will quickly die.

The OP wants to know how to be better, so he can succeed in his chosen profession. Good for him.

Yes, that is indeed my biggest concern.
I want my customers to be happy with my service so that they may hopefully end up being my regular clients in the near future.
The way this scenario unfolded, I doubt that I will be getting that particular family to come to my barber chair ever again. =-(

 

[rxonmymind]

I cried once almost. I paid $60 smacks for a "stylists" to fondle my hair, fluff it, flip it, snip it and finally after all said and done he said "how do you like it?" I said honestly you need to go to barber school. Paid the bill and got a haircut across the street for $13. I felt violated.