Monday, December 27, 2010

At Least They're Honest About Their Hatred of the Consumer

So, I had a little Christmas money yesterday, and some seriously ragged hair, so I thought, "well, how much training or talent does someone need to trim 1/2" off the ends, anyway?" As it turns out, not much, the haircut went fine, but what led up to the haircut makes me think naked capitalism isn't always a good thing.

This was one of those low end strip mall hairstyling chains people work at for the first year or two out of beauty school. They have names like . . . Awesome Eddies, shall we say. A shampoo, haircut and blowdry is $17.99. (Keeping in mind that they have to wash your hair because it's easier to cut hair wet and whatever leftover styling gunk you had in your hair would dull their scissors, but whatever.)

Yesterday, December 26, in Pennsylvania, the receptionist asks me if I want the $9.99 special. Hey, I like saving money as much as the next person so I ask what the $9.99 special is. A wash and haircut. No blowdry. In December. In Pennsylvania. It was 22F (-5.6C) without the wind chill. Yeah, I'll be happy to pay $8 for you to blow dry my hair.

Seriously, I can see this as an option in the summer, though not for my supreme frizziness, but midwinter? That's like prefacing surgery by asking someone if they'd like to save $500 by not having the wound sewn shut. It's like some sort of evil marketing ploy to make me beg the hairstylist to charge me an outrageous sum of money for 5 minutes of blow dryer time.

No, wait, I'm pretty sure that's exactly what it is.

2 comments:

  1. I agree, and have witnessed many acts of evil on the part of hair salons down through the decades. Sometimes the bad behavior is institutional, as in your case, but too often it is creepily personal. This is the main reason I usually go around looking like someone shot me out of a cannon, rather than plonk down my money to be psychologically abused.

    ...and remember, you can always vote with a skimpy tip and take your business to The Snippery or other such chain joint next time... :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. erm...


    i don't use heat on my hair. ever. period.


    but then again... i'm like insanely obsessive about how little i do to my hair. and it shows - it;s 4 feet 5 and a half inches long, and in a braid its thicker than PETE'S wrist.


    but A) i admit i'm weird and abnormal and B) i cannot freaking BELIEVE it's 8 fucking dollars to blow dry your hair. that' INSANE.


    hrm... need to call my hairdresser, need a trim... but he comes to my house, damnit, so i think it's awesome to pay him $20 to do it [male, hetero, cheap. people swear he's not real. lol]

    ReplyDelete

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