I went to get a haircut – I’ve been going to one place since the beginning of this year and I really love it there. I was talking to the manager who happened to be on the rotation that day.
We were talking about work and he asked me “How can you type without looking at the keyboard? It’s just impossible for me.” I said, “Well, isn’t it like when you’re cutting my hair? Doesn’t it feel so easy to you, like breathing?” His answer struck me – he told me, “No, it never is that easy. Everybody has different type of hair and it changes by season, their health condition, and how they’ve been treating their hair.”
He also told me that the hardest part is that people want different type of hairstyle depending on their feeling at the moment. It’s hard to guess what it is, and a customer may get a haircut using the best technique available and still be unhappy if that’s not exactly what he/she wants.
I think sometimes we forget that. Making your customer happy doesn’t mean using the latest technology available. You need to listen and try your best to sense what they want.
I love talking to professionals in different fields. What they are dealing with is usually completely different from what I do at work, but people who put the best in their work inspire me a lot.