A death in the team. People are grieving. Appointments are being rescheduled.
And somewhere, someone is standing at reception saying, “I always come. I pay regularly. I want my appointment as usual.”
Seriously?
Welcome to the parallel world where paying regularly is suddenly understood as a title of nobility.
The misconception of “customary law”
Just because someone regularly uses a service doesn’t create a right to untouchability. It’s not a status symbol.
It’s not a “But you have to.”
A hair salon isn’t a subscription machine, but a place where people work. With families. With feelings. With hardships.
Regular service is an agreement. Friendliness is a service. Flexibility is a courtesy.
None of this is a customary right.
“I’m paying.”
Yes. And the salon works for it. This isn’t an act of charity. It’s an exchange.
Anyone who believes that payment automatically creates special privileges is confusing service with serfdom.
Does a regular customer have special rights?
No. A regular customer has:
– trust
– an established relationship
– perhaps priority when scheduling appointments
But he has no right to demand that people put aside their grief to accommodate his habit.
Special privileges arise from leniency. And leniency is voluntary.
How much understanding can one expect?
In a situation like a death? That’s the bare minimum.
If there’s no room even for that, then we’re not talking about loyalty—we’re talking about entitlement.
And entitlement without empathy isn’t loyalty.
It is egoism.
When do you need to protect yourself?
Immediately. At the very latest when:
– pressure is applied
– emotional manipulation occurs
– guilt is instilled
– threats are made with “I’ll never come back”
A company that abandons its team to secure revenue pays a higher price in the long run. Employees remember.
Customers come and go, or become increasingly selfish.
Do you have to put up with emotional pressure?
No. No one should have to listen to:
– “I don’t care.”
– “I’m paying!”
– “That’s unprofessional.”
It is unprofessional not to accept exceptional human situations.
And what about other service providers?
Imagine this:
– A dentist reschedules appointments due to a family emergency. Would you behave like that in such a situation?
A physiotherapist has to close at short notice. Would you explain to her that you pay regularly?
A restaurant remains closed due to a death in the staff. Would they demand that it at least open “for regular customers”?
So why do some people believe this is legitimate in a salon?
Perhaps because hairdressers are friendly. Solution-oriented. Very keen to make their customers look their best.
Kindness is not a contract.
Regular appointments are not a claim to ownership. Goodwill is not a permanent state. And anyone who believes that loyalty means exerting pressure in exceptional situations has not understood the principle of a relationship.
A true customer relationship isn’t revealed when everything is going smoothly, but when things aren’t.
Should the relationship be ended?
Sometimes, yes. Not out of spite, but out of self-respect. A customer who doesn’t show a minimum of humanity in an exceptional situation will continue to exert pressure in the future if something doesn’t suit them. Sales are important.
But dignity is more important. A salon isn’t a self-service system. It’s a place with real people. Regular customers are welcome. Regular customers are valued. Regularly kind customers are a pleasure.
But nobody – absolutely nobody – gains a customary right to the absence of exceptions as a result.
Loyalty is not a one-way street.
