The haircut vending machine

I hate going to the hairdresser. I go there as rarely as I can. Usually I wait until more than 90% of my friends complain about my hair getting too messy before I actually go and get it cut. At that time, I cut as much as possible to make sure I won’t go back that soon. It is hard to compare a haircut and going to the dentist, but to me it is as hard to convince myself to go to either one… if there is no obvious urgent need or symptoms, I won’t go.

In terms of hairdresser, I am not loyal at all. I never had any outstanding experience that made me want to stick to a specific hairdresser. I want a simple cut, nothing fancy. So a good stylist does not make much of a difference. Most importantly I want to spend as little time as possible in the company of the hairdresser. The main things I look at when choosing a new hairdresser is price and convenience. That could be a short version of my persona, summarizing my behavior in relation to getting my haircut.

When walking in the streets of Hong Kong I ended up finding a hairdresser that directly addressed this type of personas. QB House is a Japanese chain that was created in 1996 and that instead on focusing on style, focuses on efficiency. On the door of the hairdresser, then rules are set:

1. Get a HK$50 note ready
2. Buy a ticket (no change given)
3. Wait for your turn
4. Explain the hairstylist what style you want
5. The haircut lasts only 10 minutes

When searching on forums, it clearly appears that this concept does not rally all type of crowds. Many are reluctant to try, and it is true that in Hong Kong you can find countless cheap hairdressers that will induce more confidence by focusing more on style. But I can very well imagine the computer geeks in Akihabara district in Tokyo rush to that kind of quick hair salons, enjoying the very systematic process detailed in advance by the hairdresser. With a salon in Hong Kong just next to two major computer and game centers in Wan Chai, the concept can work very well. No need to please everybody.