Wednesday 22 May 2024

Silence or chatter?

A surprising number of people hate chatting to their hairdresser. They find it so tedious and unnecessary they would rather not talk at all and just let the hairdresser get on with the job.

Because so many people feel this way, Finnish hairdresser Kati Hakomeri has introduced a "silent service" that lets you opt in advance for no talking. Apparently there are quite a few hairdressers offering the silent option.

Well, I'm an introvert but I don't mind chatting to my hairdresser. In fact I'd rather chat than sit in silence, which actually seems more awkward and uncomfortable than chatting.

It's not exactly difficult. My hairdresser asks me some mundane questions about my life and in return I ask her some equally mundane questions. I'm actually very interested in how other people are getting on - whether they have children, whether their parents are still alive, whether they have money problems, whether there are any serious illnesses in the family.

Is it in fact rude not to chat to your hairdresser? Several surveys have found that most people don't see it as rude, they agree it's a matter of personal choice whether you stay silent or not.

I wonder if hairdressers themselves enjoy chatting or whether they themselves would prefer us to shut up. Are they all natural extroverts or do they look forward to the end of the day when repetitive chit chat can be turned off?

As far as I'm concerned, whether I get a decent haircut is more important than whether I make conversation or not.

24 comments:

  1. I seem to be a natural chatterer. I was more awkward when I was younger about chatting with my hairdresser, but now it's usually easy to find common group.
    The haircut is the thing that matters though!
    Sx

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    1. group? How did that happen? I meant ground!
      Sx

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    2. Ms Scarlet: I'd like to be a natural chatterer but I'm just a bit too guarded!

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  2. My previous hairdresser cut my hair for 28 years, so I can’t imagine not talking with her! Now a friend cuts my hair.

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    1. Bijoux: Wow, after knowing your previous hairdresser for so many years, you must have learnt an awful lot about each other.

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  3. Nick, my hairdresser , a man of 45, has at the entry of his shop the proverb " Talking is silver, silence is golden" and he is not chatting because he finds to listen to all the events birth, death and all the tragedies which people like to speak about are really exhausting . I understand him , even if I like to chat and communicate, but for the hairdresser his job is to cut hair and this from 10 am to often 20pm. Mine is offering coffee, tea or something else to drink , he has piles of wonderful art edition books and even small books with short stories which you can start to read and finish. His shop is furnished in Bauhaus style , I love it..
    Hannah

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    1. Hannah: That answers my question about how the hairdressers feel. Yes, it must be exhausting listening to other people's lives all day. I like the availability of art books and short stories. That's better than the months-old down-market magazines that are usually on offer in the UK.

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  4. I am an extroverted introvert. I do well alone but can easily talk to people. I would let the hairdresser make the decision, since they are the one dealing with it all day.

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    1. Sandra: Letting the hairdresser make the decision is good thinking.

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  5. I'm really hopeless at small talk and my hairdresser is a chatterbox so I just hum and mmmm and interject little interestings and good for you and think of the ocean or my upcoming workshop.
    XO
    WWW

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    1. www: Sounds like an effective strategy!

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  6. Sometimes I'm willing to chat but most often I prefer silence. I once had a dentist offer to let me choose the music played while he treated me. I said I preferred silence. Then he and his assistant chatted the whole time. I would have preferred the music in that case.
    Linda

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    1. Linda: Not much point asking your preference if he then disregarded it.

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  7. I had to go to the capital to find a hairdresser who could cut European hair without it costing an arm and a leg....and once I found her, I have followed her wherever she moves. Not only is she chatty, so are other other customers awaiting attention - all very enjoyable.

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    1. Helen: Sounds like everyone's happy! You're lucky to have found an inexpensive hairdresser, the female ones round here are extortionate.

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    2. five quid!

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  8. I'm fine wither way. The hair dresser usually likes to chat though.

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    1. Mary: I'm fine either way too. I can chat easily enough if the hairdresser prompts it.

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  9. My hairdresser comes to the house, she lives just down the road and is a friend, so I enjoy chatting to her, catching up. But when I went to a salon I didn't chat very much.

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    1. Polly: If she's a friend, then it's natural to chat to her.

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  10. I have always chatted with the person who is cutting my hair and there have been quite a few different ones over the years.

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    1. Beatrice: Then you must be one of those habitual chatterers.

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  11. I never know what to say to the hairdresser and I'm quite happy to sit in silence but if they want to small talk, I'll do that, too

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    1. Kylie: I'm also flexible like that. I'll go along with whatever they seem to be happy with.

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