Hair Saloon for Men, an Honorable Rebellion
In desperate need of a trim, I typed my zip code and “haircut” into my iPhone. The first hit pointed me “Hair Saloon for Men”—a saloon-themed “salon” for guys. I was curious (and desperate) enough to book the appointment.
Although their corporate website leaves something to be desired (hairsaloon.com), the whole experience reminded me of three critical business lessons…
1. Know who you are.
I say this with the utmost respect, but Hair Saloon is not a upscale establishment. Sure, there’s no burnt hair perm smell from the chair next to you, but there’s also not a particular emphasis on style. Think of it as Barber Shop 2.0.
Thankfully though, Hair Saloon employees didn’t pretend to be something they aren’t. The corporate website makes mention of 5-star service, but there’s definitely a down-to-earth demeanor among employees. They’re committed to giving the average guy what he wants—a decent hair cut and a TV that’s playing SportsCenter.
The point is, if you own a 2-star restaurant, don’t pretend you’re a 5-star restaurant. Find ways to demonstrate the value of dining at the 2-star level that offer a different value that what a 5-star establishment can provide. Hair Saloon accomplishes this with it’s low price point and it’s atmosphere (after all, to most guys, one haircut is the same as the next). I’m channeling Southwest Airlines here.
2. Make sure you deliver on your brand promise.
The registered trademark of Hair Saloon is “Honorable Rebellion Among Men,” but more specifically, it makes the simple and easy to remember promise: “A good haircut at a reasonable price in a comfortable atmosphere for men.” More than the cut or the price, it’s the comfortable atmosphere that delivers—a putting green, dividers between chairs, individual sinks (no walking with the cape), a few TVs, a large checkers board.
Part of knowing who you are is making promises about how you conduct business. It seems like a no-brainer, but make sure you follow through on those promises. How many times has some clever marketing scheme built up your expectations only to let you down? I’m channeling sea monkeys or anything made by Microsoft here.
Delivery is the hardest part—it has to permeate every decision you make, from which channels to feature on your TVs to how you’re going to answer the phone.
3. A few extras go a long way.
At Hair Saloon you also get a free drink, a free shampoo, a hot towel and a mint at the end of your cut, and a complimentary shoe shine. Sure all of this stuff costs them extra, but it’s a service none of their competitors are offering.
They’ve turned getting a haircut into a pleasurable experience for under 5 bucks [EDIT: by this I mean cost to Hair Saloon, the actual cost to me was $20. Thanks Abby!]. Sure some guys may not admit it, but a free Coke while they’re getting there ears lowered is definitely a perk.
Are there some small and simple ways you could provide value to your customers that your competitors aren’t willing to do? Maybe it’s like when Pete had to try a new car rental company (posted on Inc Mag):
The employee…automatically upgraded him to a nicer rental for no extra charge. And, when he showed up…January, in Minnesota, his rental car was waiting for him, turned on, warmed up, and ready to go.
As I was thinking about it, all of these seem simple enough in theory, the hard part is doing them consistenly.
As always, please let me know what you think.
-Andrew
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Tags: Business, critical thinking, Innovation, strategy
