When Everything Was Perfect, Why Spoil It For RM10?

Have you ever had service that was so good you wanted to go back to the retailer again before you’d even walked out their door? Such experiences are rare for me nowadays but I was pleasantly (and then not so pleasantly) surprised when I redeemed my Groupon voucher at a hair salon in a well known hotel.

Unlike my previous memorable-for-the-wrong-reasons rebonding experience at another hair salon a few months ago where the state of my dry hair was tut-tutted on for at least half an hour by the stylist who then warned me that they would not be responsible if my hair started dropping because I wanted to have my hair rebonded when it was so obvious it was unsuitable for rebonding, the stylist at the hotel hair salon didn’t say a thing about the poor condition of my hair (I know it but I don’t need to be reminded about it) and proceeded with the rebonding.

Nice ambiance with a view of the busy Jalan Pinang from where I was sitting. They had plenty of current month(s) magazines, tea was served and they even had a manicurist should I wish to have my nails done after the rebonding. I was intending to try the gel manicure service on another occasion since they’d offered a 50% discount on that.

After the rebonding which I had no complaints about and had already made a mental note to return to this salon, I was asked to fork out another RM20 as surcharge for my “waist length hair”. On the Groupon deal was this condition:-

“Hair below shoulder length subject to RM10 surcharge/waist length subject to RM20 surcharge”.

I was fully aware of it but was prepared to pay RM10 surcharge since my hair was below shoulder length but has never been waist length at any time of my life. I asked why I had to pay RM20 and according to the stylist, “shoulder length” would be just touching the shoulders while their definition of “waist length” (and not that of any dictionary) was below the shoulders. WHAT? Wouldn’t it have been better if the condition had been amended to “Hair below shoulder length subject to RM20 surcharge” so that they could instantly get RM20 off everyone whose hair length touched the shoulders?

I liked the service and everything about the salon but even as I handed over the RM20, I’d made a mental note not to return since it was obvious they’d rather have an extra RM10 than me as a repeat customer. Isn’t it funny how retailers can’t see the bigger picture? When you have a good thing going, don’t spoil it by asking for more than you should. RM10 isn’t a lot but it’s the principle of it. I was willing to pay a RM10 surcharge but insisting that my hair was waist length when anyone with half a brain could have seen it wasn’t, was just not smart.