A lot of information floats around in a Beauty Saloon. Some of it is pure speculation on the part of the patrons. Some is interesting but not applicable to the listener. An example of this kind of news is what I heard last week. A gentleman with gray hair and moustache to match, was in with his wife. He was a man of some girth and was a jolly type. Comments were going back and forth as is common when regular patrons gather there and know each other. The subject came up of him making a good Santa if he had the beard. It seems that he had looked into this matter and learned that this seasonal job is very well regulated. There is a professional organization for Santa's, who keep tabs on the kind of men who can belong and find jobs through them. I had no idea such a thing existed.
I am reminded of an episode of Seinfeld showing what happened when Kramer and a "little man" went to work at a department store as Santa's. The little guy was pretty savvy about union rules and convinced Kramer that they needed to have better pay and working conditions. Of course it all ended in a comedic debacle and they lost their jobs. The gentleman in the Saloon that day had researched it all and found it was not for him, even though it did pay well for a seasonal job.
My hairdresser happens to own the shop and she likes to cook. She can tell me about a lot of easy to prepare dishes while she is setting my hair. Some of them do give me some ideas and I can use them with some modification. Because I try to eat healthy foods, mine probably do not taste as good as her dishes. Her son is a preacher in a near by town so she helps a lot with dinners there. She looks out for her customers and tries to see that they are well taken care of. Her customers like her and the work she does. They bring her vegetables from their gardens and flowers and other things to show their appreciation. She in turn, finds ways to help them in various ways. I have given her a lot of perennials from my place and she has given me things she finds at bargain stores, which she thinks I can use and/or will like. She once gave me black Capri pants which are my favorites to wear anywhere casual. Also she had given me shoes, and other clothing which she has found at a real bargain. She found a pair of bright yellow rubber shoes, a size too big for me but they have become my favorites for working in the wet garden. I can just hose them off and they are ready to go again. She really likes the challenge of finding things at bargain stores. I, on the other hand, never do this kind of shopping. It is a game for her and I am not into that kind of game.
Another game she really enjoys is gambling. She knows all of the favorite gambling places and often gets free lodging and food just to go there and gamble. Some of her patrons give her money to gamble with and if they win, she takes the winnings back to them. She considers it innocent as for her it is only entertainment. We do not agree on how to shop or spend money but she is a great hair dresser and is very good with hair color, which I need on a regular basis.
One of her patrons has lost most of her vision and she looks forward to seeing me so we can chat and exchange ideas. My hairdresser manages her schedule on Wednesdays just so we can visit. She has me come in right after her so this lady can have a little social life. She rarely gets out now except on rare occasions and she looks forward to these visits. Her son drives her there and picks her up later. I enjoy her company as well. She has another customer, of considerable age who is in a similar situation. She lives nearby and does not have transportation so my hairdresser goes to get her and then takes her back home.
This saloon owner has been in business for over forty years and has a faithful following. Going there is more than a business transaction. It is part social, part therapeutic, and is small enough to be intimate. She keeps her prices under the high end saloons as her shop is modest and her goal is to have happy customers and she goes all out to please them. I think it is an excellent business model for a small shop. It is sort of like Cheers of sitcom fame. Almost everyone knows your name, not to mention that you can hear some pretty interesting things while you are there. It is all good fun.
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