"...it doesn't require any less time..."

One of the nice things about knowing my clients and maintaining a good sense of humor with them is the latitude they grant me when discussing potentially awkward subjects. Rebecca arrived a few minutes late for her color service; winded and visibly agitated she began venting her story without even saying hello. I helped her into the smock, got her in the chair, and settled into what I have learned to be a hair dresser's most important implied task, listening.

Several minutes into her service she stopped mid-sentence, gave me a smirk through the mirror, and said, "You're not even listening to me are you?" I laughed out loud and said "Of course I am, despite being blessed with selective hearing unique to all males in our species, I'm hanging on your every word." She smiled, crossed her arms, and as if channeling my mother asked, "So what did I say then?"

Loving a good challenge, I put both hands on the back of the chair, leaned in and said, "You wish people understood that time is money and that price doesn't just reflect the physical item. You're frustrated with the customer who only wanted one of the three dozen cupcakes she ordered a week ago based on an RSVP and couldn't understand why you charged full price even though she was only taking 12 with her." "Exactly!" she said slapping the arm of the chair.

She went on to explain passionately that whether you're making one cupcake or two dozen every step takes time. I smiled wide and chuckled. "What's so funny?", she asked. I replied, "So in essence you're saying that it doesn't require any less time or effort to fill a cup with flower than it does a teaspoon?" "Nope, none at all", she said. "Funny," I replied, "because it doesn't require any less time or effort to cut an 1/8 of an inch or 6 inches of hair and I'm going to remind you of this conversation the next time you look at me funny when I charge you $65 for a 'trim'".