A few years ago, my brother-in-law got married. In the preceding days, it had been a hectic week at work for me. Travelling to different parts of the country and long hours meant getting to the barbers during the week was therefore proving near impossible. Consequently, I made a calculated risk and went against a principle that I’ve always kept. I decided to go to the barbers on a Saturday morning, the very morning of the wedding.
On the Saturday morning I woke up early, with several hours to spare before needing to depart for the wedding, and went to my barber. Others had had a similar intention and there were a small number of customers ahead of me. However, this woefully and illogically equated to hours of waiting for my respective barber (fortunately I lived locally to the barbershop and was able to return home and continue with my pre-wedding preparation before my haircut). This wasn’t due to the number of customers ahead of me, but the lackadaisical attitude of my barber.
As time passed and the shop began to fill with customers seeking an early Saturday morning haircut, there was no sense of urgency whatsoever. Haircuts would be punctuated by long pauses for jokes, animated and gesticulated conversation that didn’t permit multitasking of simultaneously cutting hair, personal calls and smoking breaks. Not to mention, the complete lack of an appointment system meant if like me you needed a haircut as a matter of urgency, you were subject to the fate of when you arrived. Fortunately I managed to get my haircut and make the wedding but I was underwhelmed to say the least.
I expect this is a story that resonates with many black men. A simple activity such as a haircut is complicated by a flawed and inefficient business model that exudes unprofessionalism. I’ll often call my barber before planning a visit to advise that I’ll be coming and to gauge how busy it is. But it’s no appointment system. I find myself strategically planning my haircuts to ensure I can be in and out within an hour – inclusive of any waiting time. Do I have a day off? Will I be able to leave work at a reasonable hour? Can I avoid a Friday and Saturday if I need a haircut for a function or event? All this for a haircut. I used to have slight envy for my non-black colleagues who, having made an appointment, or just not expecting an excessive wait because of lollygagging barbers, would often go for a haircut during their lunchbreak. In contrast, the unreliability of black barbershops would typically not present that as a viable option.
For black hairdressers, the experience is similar if not worse. Black female friends and family succumb to the fact that time is typically not an entity that is observed at the hairdressers. Indeed, when I had corn rows, my hairdresser would have no concept of time, no urgency and little professionalism. Initially, I would naively make an appointment but that wasn’t worth the paper it was written on. And given how long some black hair treatments can take, the experience at black hairdressers simply compounds how much of their time customers are expected to give up and unnecessarily so.
So why do we as the black community accept this and how has this situation managed to present itself as such a widespread feature of black barbers and hairdressers?
As black people, we have traditionally taken much pride in our appearance and have very high regard for grooming. And hair is probably at the forefront of this. Just look at old photos of post-war black immigrants arriving in the UK. Not an unkempt man or woman amongst them. Although this high regard has perhaps resulted in us accepting the aforementioned experience as a necessary obstacle to maintaining our appearance.
Within the black community, our attitude is effectively ‘if I have to wait hours and plan my day around a trip to the barbershop or hairdressers, then so be it. As long as it results in my hair looking good then that’s just the price I’ll have to pay’. It’s ridiculous and we’ve made a rod for our own back by accepting it. Furthermore, it’s now become ingrained in the experience of many within the black diaspora. Pass most black barbershops on a Saturday and they’ll be rammed. But the countenances of customers are more those of acceptance than frustration and annoyance.
There’s also our reluctance to move away from our regular establishment because of a belief that our barber or hairdresser is the best or the one that ‘knows our hair’. As a result, a good haircut in exchange for a few hours out of our schedule irrationally seems like a fair deal. And just as people are reluctant to change their bank accounts or the political party they vote for, we’re seemingly reluctant to change our barber or hairdresser. Whenever I’ve changed barbers, the decision has admittedly always been long overdue and at the expense of hours upon hours of wasted time.
Black barbershops and hairdressers are also of cultural significance. The banter, the atmosphere and a source for local going-ons are all valued features that should be enjoyed and preserved. Popular sitcom Desmond’s illustrated all the aspects of the black barbershop experience that should be celebrated. Yet the experience needs to be measured and in keeping with modern society. And that includes a drive on professionalism. In few industries would it be acceptable for someone to take or make personal calls while with a customer or interrupt their jobs because the banter meant they couldn’t multitask. My previous barbershop would also seemingly operate ad hoc hours which made it difficult to plan a trip to the barbers. On occasions, I would even find them closed despite every other shop on the high street still open for at least a few more hours. It’s actually embarrassing that there are black businesses in the form of black barbershops and hairdressers that are run like this.
I’m certainly not suggesting that black barbershops and hairdressers should imitate or reflect that of those found in other communities. I like the banter and atmosphere of the barbershop. I just want it within an environment that is befitting of modern society. That means appointments that are kept to, more professionalism and barbers who don’t take their sweet time as if their customers have nothing better to do than sit in their chair all day. People have commitments that don’t permit such a strain on their time and schedules and that needs to be reflected in how black barbershops and hairdressers are run.
There is a counter argument to appointment systems that customers, in their own tardiness, may not keep to them, thus perpetuating the situation we currently have. That says much about the black community and how we have fed the status quo ourselves. Within a modern society, a lack of an appointment system portrays us as backwards and reflects a microcosm of a community that has no regard for time.
My criticisms aren’t widespread and there are some black barbershops and hairdressers that have moved towards more professionalism and a sensible business model. Though regrettably, they’re in a minority and the black diaspora cannot continue with such a poor representation for the majority. It’s not befitting of where we are as a community and it’s embarrassing that many black barbershops and hairdressers don’t seem to see anything wrong with their representation and projections of the diaspora.
I don’t want to see the banter and atmosphere disappear from black barbershops and hairdressers but nor do I want the palaver that getting a haircut can sometimes involve. And when it’s simply because some black barbershops and hairdressers can’t bring themselves to have a professional and modern attitude in running their establishments, it doesn’t seem like a valid obstacle at all.
On the Saturday morning I woke up early, with several hours to spare before needing to depart for the wedding, and went to my barber. Others had had a similar intention and there were a small number of customers ahead of me. However, this woefully and illogically equated to hours of waiting for my respective barber (fortunately I lived locally to the barbershop and was able to return home and continue with my pre-wedding preparation before my haircut). This wasn’t due to the number of customers ahead of me, but the lackadaisical attitude of my barber.
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As time passed and the shop began to fill with customers seeking an early Saturday morning haircut, there was no sense of urgency whatsoever. Haircuts would be punctuated by long pauses for jokes, animated and gesticulated conversation that didn’t permit multitasking of simultaneously cutting hair, personal calls and smoking breaks. Not to mention, the complete lack of an appointment system meant if like me you needed a haircut as a matter of urgency, you were subject to the fate of when you arrived. Fortunately I managed to get my haircut and make the wedding but I was underwhelmed to say the least.
I expect this is a story that resonates with many black men. A simple activity such as a haircut is complicated by a flawed and inefficient business model that exudes unprofessionalism. I’ll often call my barber before planning a visit to advise that I’ll be coming and to gauge how busy it is. But it’s no appointment system. I find myself strategically planning my haircuts to ensure I can be in and out within an hour – inclusive of any waiting time. Do I have a day off? Will I be able to leave work at a reasonable hour? Can I avoid a Friday and Saturday if I need a haircut for a function or event? All this for a haircut. I used to have slight envy for my non-black colleagues who, having made an appointment, or just not expecting an excessive wait because of lollygagging barbers, would often go for a haircut during their lunchbreak. In contrast, the unreliability of black barbershops would typically not present that as a viable option.
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So why do we as the black community accept this and how has this situation managed to present itself as such a widespread feature of black barbers and hairdressers?
As black people, we have traditionally taken much pride in our appearance and have very high regard for grooming. And hair is probably at the forefront of this. Just look at old photos of post-war black immigrants arriving in the UK. Not an unkempt man or woman amongst them. Although this high regard has perhaps resulted in us accepting the aforementioned experience as a necessary obstacle to maintaining our appearance.
Within the black community, our attitude is effectively ‘if I have to wait hours and plan my day around a trip to the barbershop or hairdressers, then so be it. As long as it results in my hair looking good then that’s just the price I’ll have to pay’. It’s ridiculous and we’ve made a rod for our own back by accepting it. Furthermore, it’s now become ingrained in the experience of many within the black diaspora. Pass most black barbershops on a Saturday and they’ll be rammed. But the countenances of customers are more those of acceptance than frustration and annoyance.
There’s also our reluctance to move away from our regular establishment because of a belief that our barber or hairdresser is the best or the one that ‘knows our hair’. As a result, a good haircut in exchange for a few hours out of our schedule irrationally seems like a fair deal. And just as people are reluctant to change their bank accounts or the political party they vote for, we’re seemingly reluctant to change our barber or hairdresser. Whenever I’ve changed barbers, the decision has admittedly always been long overdue and at the expense of hours upon hours of wasted time.
Black barbershops and hairdressers are also of cultural significance. The banter, the atmosphere and a source for local going-ons are all valued features that should be enjoyed and preserved. Popular sitcom Desmond’s illustrated all the aspects of the black barbershop experience that should be celebrated. Yet the experience needs to be measured and in keeping with modern society. And that includes a drive on professionalism. In few industries would it be acceptable for someone to take or make personal calls while with a customer or interrupt their jobs because the banter meant they couldn’t multitask. My previous barbershop would also seemingly operate ad hoc hours which made it difficult to plan a trip to the barbers. On occasions, I would even find them closed despite every other shop on the high street still open for at least a few more hours. It’s actually embarrassing that there are black businesses in the form of black barbershops and hairdressers that are run like this.
I’m certainly not suggesting that black barbershops and hairdressers should imitate or reflect that of those found in other communities. I like the banter and atmosphere of the barbershop. I just want it within an environment that is befitting of modern society. That means appointments that are kept to, more professionalism and barbers who don’t take their sweet time as if their customers have nothing better to do than sit in their chair all day. People have commitments that don’t permit such a strain on their time and schedules and that needs to be reflected in how black barbershops and hairdressers are run.
There is a counter argument to appointment systems that customers, in their own tardiness, may not keep to them, thus perpetuating the situation we currently have. That says much about the black community and how we have fed the status quo ourselves. Within a modern society, a lack of an appointment system portrays us as backwards and reflects a microcosm of a community that has no regard for time.
My criticisms aren’t widespread and there are some black barbershops and hairdressers that have moved towards more professionalism and a sensible business model. Though regrettably, they’re in a minority and the black diaspora cannot continue with such a poor representation for the majority. It’s not befitting of where we are as a community and it’s embarrassing that many black barbershops and hairdressers don’t seem to see anything wrong with their representation and projections of the diaspora.
I don’t want to see the banter and atmosphere disappear from black barbershops and hairdressers but nor do I want the palaver that getting a haircut can sometimes involve. And when it’s simply because some black barbershops and hairdressers can’t bring themselves to have a professional and modern attitude in running their establishments, it doesn’t seem like a valid obstacle at all.
