Barber Tyler Jackson Peters (@thetylerpeters) shares how clients can support their barber during lockdown. Share this with your clients, post on your social media and get ready to feel the love.
"Whilst haircuts themselves may or may not pose a risk of infection, whole countries, cities and towns have been shutdown in an effort to flatten the curve of infection as local and national authorities enforce the closure of ‘non-essential’ businesses. Gyms, tattoo studios, beauty salons, leisure and entertainment venues and of course, barbershops, are bearing the brutal weight once again during lockdown 3.0 – and who knows what higher numerical version of the concept is yet to come?
Whether you are employed, work on a commission split, rent a chair or have your own studio, it is a universal problem that no haircuts equate to zero pay. Whilst the government financial aid is available for most, it is limited to a small fraction of our usual income. So now more than ever we need the support from our clients.
Let’s not beat around with etiquette and formalities here, these are unprecedented, strange times and the reality is, it’s f*cking tough! We are all financially, economically, morally, and spiritually challenged. The pandemic has put us all in to a complicated situation in that these closures haven’t just affected the physical space we operate in and our livelihoods, but it is also having an unprecedented ripple-effect on the mental health of our teams and customers too.
Something the lockdown has taught us is that for many an appointment for a haircut and/or a beard trim is one of the most important social interactions most people were able to safely enjoy outside of their own homes in 2020. Now the distance between a client’s last haircut and the next one is looking a lot longer than the usual four-to-six week stretch.
The relationship forged between barber and client is a bond unlike any other. Now that's been elevated to a whole new level during these times through our shared experience of being deprived of what keeps us above the line of misery [human connection, working, earning and looking sharp as we do]. It’s not an easy task cutting through the garbage of what our heads are telling us and the fears of when things will return to some degree of normality can be overwhelming.
Let’s accept that it’s okay to not be okay and there’s absolutely no reason why you cannot legitimately, humbly and respectfully ask for an assist with some low-to-no investment, inexpensive ways that will have a huge impact on offsetting the levels of anxiety currently residing on our shoulders.
In these times of such uncertainty, here are five ways clients can support a barber during lockdown.
Reach out and stay connected
Check in and find out how people are doing, on the phone, via text or through social media, ask about them, what’s going on in their day and figure out ways you might contribute to improving it; as simply as just listening to helping in offering your own moral support of experience, strength and hope that might enable them to regain some balance. Don’t forget to check in, and no doubt we will do the same.
Pay in advance
Purchase a gift card in advance of future services, if the business allows for it, make an appointment too so that your barber can forecast a successful reopening when the time comes knowing that they will still have business when they get back to work. You can also find out if the business has an initiative to raise funds and support both the barbers and the shop itself by making a donation if you can afford to do so.
Invest in yourself
Whilst it’s not possible to get your hair cut now, consider replenishing your home stash of styling products to tame your growing hair and/or beard. Just because we’re stuck at home in isolation doesn’t mean we need to look scruffy so connect with your barber and ask them what they suggest from the shop’s line up of styling products to help reign in that extra length and wildness, question them on how best to apply and make the most of what you have and how to manage it alone, and of course, offer to pay them for the advice too. Additionally, most barbershops are droppings some damn good branded merchandise so be sure to check out their online stores too.
Demonstrate gratuity
If your financial situation allows it, consider sending your barber a tip in advance of your next cut. So long as they’re open to it, you can do so through PayPal or something similar and if you’re up for it, tip when you’re back in the chair too. We appreciate your generosity.
Engage online
Hype up your barbers online, post positive feedback, reviews and recommendations on Google or Yelp. Give their Instagram a shoutout on your feed or stories, ‘like’, ‘comment’ and ‘save’ their posts showcasing their craftsmanship and service. Share their posts with your friends, participate and interact with the stories they post. Tell your followers to follow them too, do something to add to and increase their online community of supporters. Follow their business pages on Facebook and help them to build up their presence online by telling others to do the same.
