The reason why Taka doesn’t ask, “What kind of hairstyle do you want today?”
When you go to a hair salon or barber shop, what is the first thing the hair stylist says to you?
・How many centimetres would you like me to cut?
・What colour would you like your hair to be?
・What kind of perm would you like?
・Would you also like a treatment or head spa?
Taka believes that you have all conveyed your requests in response to these various questions.
So, when you went to the hospital with a fever, what would you say if the doctor asked you this first?
・Which treatment method is better, A or B?
・Which medication is better, C or D?
・How many days’ worth of medication do you need?
・Will an IV be administered?
Taka thinks most people would answer this question with “I don’t know.”
Even though the questions and conversations are the same, it feels very strange when the location is different, between a hair salon and a hospital.
Why is that?
Is it because, unlike an illness, a hairstyle isn’t life-threatening?
Is it because people are afraid of getting a hairstyle that’s different from what they wanted and being disappointed?
Is it because they don’t know what hairstyle suits them and just want to keep it as it is for the time being?
Taka thinks there are many reasons.
It is said that people are only able to communicate 5% of what they think and feel.
We cannot fully express 95% of what we are thinking through conversation, so we communicate in a vague, vague way.
This is one of the reasons why customers worry about whether their hairdresser understands how they feel.
Taka feels that this is why customers often have the final say in deciding on their hairstyle and treatment.
Let’s change the subject a little.
Sushi restaurants often have a menu called “Omakase,” and Japanese restaurants in London also use the name “Omakase” as a course name.
“Omakase” in a top-class restaurant does not mean that the owner just cooks according to his mood of the day and using the ingredients he has harvested.
“Omakase” means learning about the customers’ likes and dislikes in food, sensing their expressions, their atmosphere, and why they have visited the restaurant, and providing the best food and service for them.
Chefs, doctors, and hairdressers are all professionals in their fields.
However, while we can trust treatment to doctors and cooking to chefs, we cannot trust hairstyling to hairdressers, Taka believes that this is simply because the hairdresser lacks education or experience, and is not trusted by customers.
It is very important that either the person giving the treatment or the person receiving it has the initiative.
Many people visit his hair salon even though they are anxious about whether their feelings will be understood.
That’s why Taka respects the customers’ requests as much as possible.
He never force the hairdresser’s ideas on the customers.
However, he offers the professional knowledge and experience with “Omakase”.
Taka would be honored if you felt that his service was “different to other hairdressers you’ve seen before.”
Thank you so much for reading until the end.
