Barber shop talk

Sofiztikated

Coleman Slawski wrote: »

^^^^


I'd recommend having a couple of copies of Smash Hits around to give the younger lads something to read.



:pac:


Seriously though,the ticketing thing mentioned above is a great idea.

Something I've never seen is a loyalty card for barbers, same as a lot of coffee shops have, get your ticket stamped and every 10th hair cut is on the house.

Obviously getting a decent hair cut will be the ultimate draw but little things like the above IMO would really help too, especially if you are in a smaller town.

My barber has a loyalty card. You get points for every € spent, and you can trade them in for products or cuts.

I actually really like my barber, just realised after spending so much time talking him up here, and other threads. I'm off to get my hair cut.

Dravokivich

Boom_Bap wrote: »

What I would improve is the Q'ing system, when the call for 'who's next' rings out, 3 or 4 people would stand up, have a mini debate and 3 would sit down deflated.
Try something unique like a ticketing system like you get at the motor tax office.

Huh? Never had that problem in a Barber's I've been to. It's usually simple, I'm ahead of anyone who comes in after me.

Pj!

Dravokivich wrote: »

Huh? Never had that problem in a Barber's I've been to. It's usually simple, I'm ahead of anyone who comes in after me.

Same as that.

It's poor custom anyway. Gives customers the idea that they are just a number. Nobody wants to be a number.
Barbers should be more personal. Give them a friendly welcome, ask them to take a seat and ensure them that you won't be long. They'll figure out who's next. It's not rocket science.

Boom_Bap

Dravokivich wrote: »

Huh? Never had that problem in a Barber's I've been to. It's usually simple, I'm ahead of anyone who comes in after me.

The place I go to is quite the busy shop and to complicate matters there are chairs upstairs and downstairs. So it gets messy there.

But in local shops that only have 2 barber chairs, then it wouldnt be needed.

Here is the best idea that you are going to get ever.

Coffee machine and FREE WIFI for customers.

SHOVELLER

geeko wrote: »

Sorry I didn't realise you had experience in this industry????

Please stop talking because you do not have a breeze....

A packet of smokes is ten, so your image should be worth a box......
Take into consideration the costings of running a shop and good products and good barbers. It wouldn't be a feasible business for less than a tenner. Even at that very low profit margins.

Pathetic response. You came on here looking for advise and when you dont like what you read it turns out you now have to be a qualified barber to even respond here.

If you dont like what people say here leave out the personal abuse.

Sulla Felix

SHOVELLER wrote: »

In your opinion which in this case is wrong.

Of course they are qualified barbers otherwise they would do no business. I got a cut there friday and as usual there was a queue.

To say a barbers you have never been in is not well run or employ unqualified barbers is truly ludicrous.

Anybody paying over a tenner is daft. Its a hair cut not open heart surgery.

Bit of a silly sweeping statement to make.
Depends on what you're getting done. Straight forward buzz cut that might be ok.
I've medium length curly hair. I've gone to cheap places and been extremely unhappy. Considering between washing it, cutting and styling I'm usually in the chair for about 30 minutes, it's a false economy to pay next to nothing for a crap haircut.

SHOVELLER

Sulla Felix wrote: »

Bit of a silly sweeping statement to make.
Depends on what you're getting done. Straight forward buzz cut that might be ok.
I've medium length curly hair. I've gone to cheap places and been extremely unhappy. Considering between washing it, cutting and styling I'm usually in the chair for about 30 minutes, it's a false economy to pay next to nothing for a crap haircut.

Your last sentence is a silly sweeping statement.

baby and crumble

When it comes to paying decent wages and running a shop, I'd be concerned that a place doing only €5 cuts would be struggling to make a profit. I mean if you're paying your staff a half decent wage (barbering is pretty skilled, so not minimum wage), running a shop with electricity, heating, cleaning, rental costs etc., you'd have to be pulling in a fairly steady number of customers and going through them at a fair clip (excuse the pub) to make it a viable business. I wouldn't be so sure that the market for that kind of place isn't saturated. You know?

PingO_O

Boom_Bap wrote: »

The place I go to is quite the busy shop and to complicate matters there are chairs upstairs and downstairs. So it gets messy there.

But in local shops that only have 2 barber chairs, then it wouldnt be needed.

Here is the best idea that you are going to get ever.

Coffee machine and FREE WIFI for customers.

Yes! That would be brilliant. You could even have the style you're looking for up on google images so the barber has an idea of what you're going for. I guess you could do that anyway before you left the house but it would be handy.

Easy Rod

Sofiztikated wrote: »

My barber has a loyalty card. You get points for every € spent, and you can trade them in for products or cuts.

I actually really like my barber, just realised after spending so much time talking him up here, and other threads. I'm off to get my hair cut.

Where is this?

valleyoftheunos

When I go to get my hair cut 9 times out of 10 its just something on my to do list and I'm busy so I'm not there to read men's mags or watch TV and usually I'm not there to chat to the Barber.

For me an ideal Barber's would be clean and comfortable, have that day's Papers, including the Times and the Indo, and as I go for a simple crew cut wouldn't take longer than 10 minutes to cut my hair with a minimum of chat.

Free WiFi would be cool but not essential.

Buer

Simple things, all of which have been said before. Take time and care over the haircut. Be seen to be doing so. There are many people in barbers shops around the place that belong in butcher shops. They whip out the clippers and scissors and have you in and out of the chair in 10 minutes with the length wrong or uneven and sloppy. It's easy to see who is properly trained and who isn't.

When I'm in a rush or money is tight, I go to the local barbers. If I've some time or have an occasion coming up, I go into Waldorfs in town. The older gentleman there, Liam, is the best barber I've experienced (now known for appearing in the new Electric Ireland advert). He takes about 30 minutes cutting my hair even though my hair is not long. He can read the situation quickly in terms of whether I'm feeling like a chat or not. If not, he only speaks to me to get my opinion or thoughts on what I want i.e. how do I want the back squared off or blended in, do I want him to use the blade to take some weight out of the top, how do I reckon the length is etc.

He lashes in a bit of hair tonic, rubs it in with a bit of a scalp massage, dries off the hair, styles it, gives plenty of care dusting you off, maybe a slap of talc on his hands as he dusts you down and gives you a tissue to wipe any water or hair away that he might have missed.

It shows a hell of a lot of care and attention and people queue up to get him specifically. All the barbers there show similar attention though and it's clearly part of the attraction. On a Tuesday afternoon, he had to tell a couple of people that they'd be waiting over an hour and a half to be served and this was with 4 barbers working and 1 apprentice sweeping, taking money and prepping people.

They offer little touches like the newspapers and coffee but people go there for the sheer quality of service and attention to detail. When a punter sees that level of care being taken over their mop, they'll notice it. It doesn't have to be the 30 minute, in depth cut but the attention to detail and interaction are important to make that impression.

thebullkf

Coleman Slawski wrote: »

^^^^


I'd recommend having a couple of copies of Smash Hits around to give the younger lads something to read.



:pac:


Seriously though,the ticketing thing mentioned above is a great idea.

Something I've never seen is a loyalty card for barbers, same as a lot of coffee shops have, get your ticket stamped and every 10th hair cut is on the house.

Obviously getting a decent hair cut will be the ultimate draw but little things like the above IMO would really help too, especially if you are in a smaller town.

My local guy does it, used to be 4 cuts = 1 free, then 5 cuts, then 7 cuts, placed jammed, 4 different daily papers, though mainly red tos I admit, but still. Only a young fella, fair play to him.

thebullkf

Grayditch wrote: »

Well, I for one am going to stick with that philosophy, because in practice, it's almost always a good indication of quality.

The difference between people willing to pay 30 and the ones willing to pay 5-10, is the difference between people who get the standard "tidy up" haircut, and those who go for a certain style which takes more time and effort.

If you can find a barber who gives various styles and great cuts for a fiver, he's most definitely... cutting himself short. :cool:

The difference is snobbery IMO , unless you've conducted a nationwide survey of barbers that is, the prevalence of cheaper haircuts is to capture business as Irish men in particular tend to be loyal to a default sometimes, up until the recent recession , very few people changed their barber, mobile phone provider, and bank ac barbers are in a pardon the pun, cut throat business along with most small and medium business owners. I sometimes get the grudge done twice a month, personally spending 60 a month just on haircuts is ridiculous when one can do it for a third of the price, and it looks just as good, but hey each to their own, I'm into my scents so can't really say Anything!!

valleyoftheunos

thebullkf wrote: »

The difference is snobbery IMO , unless you've conducted a nationwide survey of barbers that is, the prevalence of cheaper haircuts is to capture business as Irish men in particular tend to be loyal to a default sometimes, up until the recent recession , very few people changed their barber, mobile phone provider, and bank ac barbers are in a pardon the pun, cut throat business along with most small and medium business owners. I sometimes get the grudge done twice a month, personally spending 60 a month just on haircuts is ridiculous when one can do it for a third of the price, and it looks just as good, but hey each to their own, I'm into my scents so can't really say Anything!!

for what its worth I used to go for the E5 and E6 hair cuts but they were almost all awful. I went to a different place charges all of E10 or E12 depending on the day of the week and every cut has been spot on regardless which barber I've had. i won't be going back to the cheaper places.

thebullkf

valleyoftheunos wrote: »

for what its worth I used to go for the E5 and E6 hair cuts but they were almost all awful. I went to a different place charges all of E10 or E12 depending on the day of the week and every cut has been spot on regardless which barber I've had. i won't be going back to the cheaper places.

Good point, I'm not championing 5e haircuts rather saying that price isn't everything, my own barber charges 12, he always asks for a tenner, sometimes I give him 15., he knows his way with a scissors, and is within walking distance. So all in all happy, however fr someone to say a 30e haircut is better than a 10e haircut is just premium pricing delusion, that's what I was specifically saying. I particular
Y love my barbershop scents and paraphernalia, I use a DE razor , which is 60 years old, feather blades, proraso/TOBS/DR Harris/ Floid etc so do enjoy the 'experience' of a good haircut/Hot towel shave , I just think its plain wrong to say dearer =better Apple products being a prime example of premium pricing (off topic. But you get my drift)

Anyway I would've though the average price was 10 -16 for gents cut?

Stereomaniac

I would imagine that that was the average as well, give or take. However, since about 2006 or so, I haven't bothered going to get my hair cut. I would say I have been in a barbershop less than 5 times in as many years. It is far easier for me to just shave my head once or twice a year at home, and if I want to get a bit more of a style, I can get someone to give it a scissors cut, and it usually turns out alright. So maybe the recession hasn't hit some of you as hard as me, ha ha. I find to get a haircut, and pay for it, is a serious luxury for me nowadays.

Conway635

Respect the fact that some people don't want to be forced to chat with you just because you are cutting their hair. Put a sign in the shop telling customers that they can ask for a "quiet cut" if they want (conversation just restricted to that which essential to negociate the hair-cutting element.

No, I'm not doing anything today. My plans for the weekend are my own affair. Yes I'm going away this summer. No, I'm not at work today, I'm here having my hair cut FFS . .

:-)

C635

valleyoftheunos

Stereomaniac wrote: »

I would imagine that that was the average as well, give or take. However, since about 2006 or so, I haven't bothered going to get my hair cut. I would say I have been in a barbershop less than 5 times in as many years. It is far easier for me to just shave my head once or twice a year at home, and if I want to get a bit more of a style, I can get someone to give it a scissors cut, and it usually turns out alright. So maybe the recession hasn't hit some of you as hard as me, ha ha. I find to get a haircut, and pay for it, is a serious luxury for me nowadays.

You cut your hair "once or Twice a year":eek::eek::eek: Starve the barber indeed;)

Sofiztikated

Conway635 wrote: »

Respect the fact that some people don't want to be forced to chat with you just because you are cutting their hair. Put a sign in the shop telling customers that they can ask for a "quiet cut" if they want (conversation just restricted to that which essential to negociate the hair-cutting element.

No, I'm not doing anything today. My plans for the weekend are my own affair. Yes I'm going away this summer. No, I'm not at work today, I'm here having my hair cut FFS . .

:-)

C635

While it's a good idea in theory, any customer service role, and a barber is exactly that, should be able to pick up on whether a customer wants to chat or not.

Pawwed Rig

geeko wrote: »

Sorry I didn't realise you had experience in this industry????

Please stop talking because you do not have a breeze....

A tenner would be about the limit of what I would pay a barber as I get a pretty simple cut and that is Dublin city centre rates. Also people here are giving you advice on your business so a little gratitude would be a more appropriate response than dismissing someone in that manner.

The barber I goto is a cool guy who knows what he is at. He will chat about anything you bring up and has a good knowledge on most sports which is fairly essential. Real down to earth Dublin guy. When I go in he remembers who I am. Remembers what we spoke about in last cut 5-6 weeks before. I would feel guilty getting my hair cut anywhere else.

carly_86

geeko wrote: »

Hi Guys,
Im a young irish barber
Opening my first barbershop soon.

Just looking for abit of feedback, apart from a good haircut what do you like about your own barbershop?

Can i ask how long u trained for etc. Im training full time at the moment and would love to have my own shop