If You Hate Chit-Chatting At The Hair Salon, Just Head To Wales For This "Quiet Chair"

by N/A, 10 years ago | 2 min read

Bauhaus is, "the leading independent Aveda hair salon" in Cardiff, Wales, with a mission to:

"…work together as a solid team, respecting the needs of our clients and each other…We love what we do, helping each other to grow in the hair industry and helping you to have the hair you love!"

Apparently, respecting the needs of clients to get the hair they want no longer requires communication. Hooray for fashionable introverts (specifically in this market)!

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Okay, let's back up and explain what 'no longer requires communication' means. Scott Miller is the own of the Bauhaus salon, and recently decided it was time to implement a "quiet chair" serving as a more relaxing experience, such as going to a spa.

He explained in Cosmopolitan:

"It's like when you go to parties where you don't know anyone and so you start chatting it up about the weather because it's awkward."

This is great news for introverted customers (such as the author of this post, who's discussed the weather in great detail with a number of hair stylist as if he were a professional meteorologist), because they don't have to feel rude if staying quiet.

Essentially, there's no reason you need to delve into your entire life backstory just to get cleaned up around the edges. That's just the fact. There's nothing wrong with conversational chit-chat, but some people just want to come in and pay for the service they're there for, and nothing else. It's not like you have to discuss what's been going on this week with the cashier every time you buy a sandwich at a deli, so this new system is no different at Bauhaus.

Now, we stretched the truth a little. Some communication is obviously required even in the "quiet chair" (unless you don't mind the stylist just winging-it and giving you whatever cut they feel), but the idea is that that's the end of it.

Miller further explained on the idea of the "quiet chair" that it's per request:

"I would say 99% of the response has been positive. A few people have been like, 'I like to have small talk.' We're not trying to take that away. I still like to talk to my clients. I've been doing this for many years, and it would be weird for some of my clients to come in and not talk to them."

If a stylist reverts to the weather, or so vacation for topics of discussion, things clearly could've just remained unsaid.