Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Finally, a Well-Deserved Discount

The geezer has maintained for some time that the pricing structure for men's haircuts is all wrong.

Kids get a big discount. Have you seen one of the little rascals screaming, kicking, crying and otherwise obstructing the best efforts of a barber?  Based on problems created, those tykes should be charged double.

Other discounts are based solely on age on the other end of the spectrum. "Seniors" get deals just because they are. The guy with an "extended forehead" who needs only one or two zips with a clipper
This luxurious head of hair finally earned a permanent discount
gets no better deal than the man with long wavy gray hair that requires all sorts of snipping, trimming, and styling. 

It makes better sense to base discounts on hair volume and the complexity of the job.

For several years, I've pleaded my case just before climbing into the chair. "Considering what's up there, I ought to get a special rate," my statement goes. Most barbers smile and charge me the regular rate. The others just charge me the regular rate.

Recently, I tried a new shop because the owner advertised a one-day special on haircuts at a ridiculously low price. I saw no reason to suggest anything more.

About half-way through the 10-minute clipper job it takes to do my sparse "do," the barber asked if I'd visited the shop before. I said I had not.

"We hope you'll come back," she said. "We have a senior discount every Wednesday. In your case, we'll give you the discount any day."

Hallelujah! A sensibly based discount finally happened, and I didn't even ask.  If nature continues to take its course, I'll hit them up for ever bigger price reductions in the years ahead. Wonder if the price eventually will get down close to "no charge"?

7 comments:

Alan G said...

Congratulations on the discount! That’s something you don’t hear about very often. I did get a $5 dollar coupon recently for one of the local joints but I am familiar with the place and when you walk in you feel like you are entering a tattoo parlor. The stylist or barbers or whatever you call them these days have rainbow colored hair, tattoos and metal rings attached to every visible appendage. Thank god I can’t see what’s not visible!

I have been having issues with the place where I get my haircut as of late and have located a real, old fashion barber shop not far from where I live. I will be going there in a couple of weeks for my first old time haircut. Why they even have an old fashion barber pole out front. And the price, it’s actually back down into the single digits, a price I haven’t seen since the seventies probably.

PiedType said...

You guys should count your blessings. My stylist charges $35 for a haircut and, for a woman, my cut is quite short and air dried. And that's before the tip. Of course, I only go about 4 times a year.

Anonymous said...

A wonderful story I will pass onto David who asks for senior discounts everywhere he goes and has as much hair ( or lee) than you.

b+ (Retire In Style Blog) said...

And you thought we women were crazy for shopping around! Loved this one.j

Anonymous said...

I no longer visit the barber as I have a beard trimmer which I set on 'Number One' and 'zoom' it all over my head. Job done! You should try it Dick.

joared said...

Oh, you are so right about haircut pricing for those with limited producing hair follicles. My husband had even less hair than the pictured head so would surely have benefited from volume of hair pricing rates.

Kay said...

Yae, Dick! Good for you!

My brother's hair is thinning considerably so I've offered to cut his hair for him. He refused. He says he has so few hairs on his head that it requires special skill to get it just right. He doesn't have enough hair for one of my oopsies.