Hair today, gone tomorrow!

When I woke up this morning, I told myself that it was high time I got a haircut. After being victim to a rather forgetful hair cutting experience during my internship at Thailand, I decided it was high time I got a "real" hair cut and literally make all ends meet. So in the afternoon, I hailed an auto and went to Habib's. This is a franchise of the popular Habib's hair salon chain which is typically the go-to place in most metros. Being part of that chain, this outlet charges a hefty premium for a normal hair-cut. While most other "low-end" hair salons charge not more than Rs. 50 for a hair cut, a typical hair cut at Habib's sets you back by Rs. 250. Here, being an XLer helps because all XLers automatically get a 20% discount. Including the service charges, the cost of a hair-cut works out to Rs. 225.

This was not the first time I was going to the salon. In fact, this is the only place in Jamshedpur where I have been going for a hair cut in the last year or so. I usually get my hair cut by the same stylist who has by now figured out exactly what I look for in a haircut. Even today, I was lucky to have found the same stylist again. After the rather traumatic experience in Thailand, I was actually a little paranoid and wanted to ensure that I got exactly what I wanted. After the initial shampooing was over, I started explaining to him how exactly I wanted him to cut my hair. In the process, we started discussing the ordeal I had to go through in Thailand. He immediately realised how paranoid I was and he set out to calm me down. He looked at my hair and tried to explain to me where the barber had gone wrong. He explained to me the common mistakes barbers make and the horrendous repurcussions that those mistakes entail. By the end of it, I was visibly calmer. After he was done with the haircut, he gave me a complimentary head message as well. By the time he was done, I felt that every rupee that I spent there was completely worth it. Even though I could have technically gotten a haircut for 150 rupees less, I don't think I would have had the same service experience. I walked out of the salon as a happy and satisfied customer.

SERVICE RATING

a) Reliable: This was not the first time I had visited the salon. Every single time, the stylist manages to cut my hair exactly the way I want it cut.

b) Assurance: The Habib's brand name gives the customers an assurance about the expected quality of the service experience.

c) Tangibles: The salon was immaculately clean and well organised. All the equipment were in working order. All the stylists and staff members wore proper uniforms.

d) Empathy: The stylist showed a great deal of empathy towards me. He made an effort to find out about my state of mind and tailored the service experience accordingly.

e) Responsive: I felt the entire experience was extremely responsive.