Toluu

Metro Men's Grooming Blog

We talk about all things grooming. Hair care, shaving, skin care, and style for men only!

An ounce of pretension is worth a pound of manure.March 9 2008

So this one's really got me hot under the collar. We were recently asked by one of the companies whose products we carry if we would like to be included in a feature about their shaving products in the Atlantan magazine.

Of course, being the publicity whores that we are, we jumped at the chance and sent them the required information and prepared to place a large order of their product to be ready for the masses that the Atlantan would surely bring in. Foolish us. Here was the Atlantan's response:

"I think we're going to have to pass on including it in our coverage. We focus on the high-end demographic, and American Haircuts isn't the kind of place our readers would frequent." Huh? Pretentious pricks.

American Haircuts isn't the kind of place their readers would frequent? Our shop is an upscale barbershop in Roswell where men can get a great haircut or hot shave, have fun and real conversation, and maybe even be treated to a shot of 18 year old single malt scotch. The demograpics in our area are right in line with the target markets the Atlantan lists in their media kit. Our shop is patronized by high powered executives from many Atlanta corporations, an award winning movie writer and producer, local auto executives, and two legendary pro baseball players. Guys who far exceed the Atlantan's target demographic and could probably write a check on the spot to buy the whole damned magazine. These guys come into our shop for a dose of

Really Great Service Means Sometimes Pissing a Few People OffFebruary 17 2008

As a result of a recent blog post on balding, I had a somewhat terse response from a man named Jerry who accused me of not always doing what a client wants. That exchange prompted me to think about what really great service means.

I've trained shop owners in customer service and have even posted a fairly lengthy article on service on our "brother" site, haircutsformen.org (READ PAGE HERE). Our Atlanta shop is, in all likelihood, the busiest shop in metro Atlanta and our client retention is through the roof. But what makes it so?

Great customer service in a barbershop or salon includes: always making the client feel welcome, making sure the client is comfortable, giving a great cut and knowing your products, and being dependable and consistent. I think it also means pissing a few people off once in awhile. Let me explain...

As barbers and hair stylists, we're paid to make people look their best. We're trained to know how the shape of a cut can enhance or detract from key facial features as well as the advantages and limitations of different hair types and how to cut and style the hair to its best advantage. Often, clients see a cool haircut on an actor or athlete and think that cut is the way to go when, in reality, it can often be the worst option for their face and hair. Is good service doing what the client wants contrary to what training tells us we should do? I don't think so. As a barber, I would rather refuse service to a