I Think I Need a New Barber.....

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Dark_Scorpion

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Aug 13, 2012
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I went to the local barber yesterday to get my hair cut(and my mustache trimmed), and though the barber did a good job, I'm thinking of switching because I suspect he overcharges and he made several mistakes in dealing with me. When greeting him near his place of business he shook my hand and his grip was totally weak, I mean his handshake was a joke. A man with a weak handshake is a weak man that can't be trusted, and I have little respect for men who have soft handshakes.

The second mistake he made was in telling me that he is my "friend." This is only my second time using this guy's service and I don't even think he knows my first name. How on Earth can you call yourself someone's friend when you don't even know him? I'm also suspicious of people who emphasize friendship through words; if you're truly a friend you don't have to say it, you will show it. What do you guys pay for a haircut down in the DR? Letting me know the rates you pay will let me know whether I'm being overcharged, which I suspect that I am.

There is another thing about this guy that bothers me. His barbershop has been practically empty each time I've gone by. That makes me even less inclined to do business with him. If other people are not patronizing his business, why should I? Anyways, I've been pretty observant since moving down here. I size up businesses and individuals fast.....and if they don't measure up then I stop dealing with them forever. Anyways, the barber yesterday totally failed. The sad thing about it is that I was planning on using his services for many years to come, even taking my future sons there to get haircuts.
 

Tamborista

hasta la tambora
Apr 4, 2005
11,747
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I think you might be better off getting your hair cut at the dog groomer.
Just ask for the French poodle cut.
 

rogerjac

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Feb 9, 2012
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75 pesos for a haircut in santiago but I always give him 150......still cheaper than canada at 20 bucks
 

Dark_Scorpion

Bronze
Aug 13, 2012
966
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75 pesos for a haircut in santiago but I always give him 150......still cheaper than canada at 20 bucks

I appreciate your response rogerjac, yes the bastard is overcharging just as I suspected, the rate he charges is WAY more than 150 pesos. What a dumb, shortsighted fool, I was planning on using his service for many years to come. Why is it that so many business people take the short term profit over the long term gain? Guess I need to start shopping around for a new barber, the good news is that there are plenty in the area!

When it comes to patronizing local businesses and services, I'm loyal so long as the service provided is good and the rate is reasonable. I'm the type of guy who will use the same doctor/dentist/barber etc for years and years and recommend them to everyone I know BUT if they overcharge or cross me one time I will never do business with them again. I knew this Barber couldn't be trusted; his weak handshake was a dead giveaway as well as him calling me his "friend' he messed up bad when he said that.
 
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Givadogahome

Silver
Sep 27, 2011
4,397
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I think you should go get a massage before you go get your hair cut, you are obviously a little up tight about the barber shop. If a guy gives me a weak handshake I just put it down that he can't be bothered, I am unimportant to him, so what, he is unimportant to me, just cut my hair, I'm not in the barber shop to have therapy or judge anyone by the handshake they have.
If a guy calls me friend, funnily enough I just figure he is being friendly, I can't really complain that someone is making the effort to be friendly.

RD100-150, RD200 if he shaves you also.

Really funny you are so up tight about the barber not being manly enough, and then you come on the forum to complain about the guy that cuts your hair, lol.

I'm sure he'll live without your few pesos, and your sons, there are plenty barbers around I suggest you try the military base, you may even get a salute:p
 

rogerjac

Bronze
Feb 9, 2012
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I there for a haircut and not to be his friend or for conversation. I walk in, quik handshake and how are you u. He knows how I want it and snip snip Im out of there.
 

Dark_Scorpion

Bronze
Aug 13, 2012
966
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I think you should go get a massage before you go get your hair cut, you are obviously a little up tight about the barber shop. If a guy gives me a weak handshake I just put it down that he can't be bothered, I am unimportant to him, so what, he is unimportant to me, just cut my hair, I'm not in the barber shop to have therapy or judge anyone by the handshake they have.
If a guy calls me friend, funnily enough I just figure he is being friendly, I can't really complain that someone is making the effort to be friendly.

RD100-150, RD200 if he shaves you also.

Really funny you are so up tight about the barber not being manly enough, and then you come on the forum to complain about the guy that cuts your hair, lol.

I'm sure he'll live without your few pesos, and your sons, there are plenty barbers around I suggest you try the military base, you may even get a salute:p

I'm not sure about that, I've been in his shop twice and the place was dead both times. I've walked by other barbers in the area and they almost always had a few people there......interesting. Am I being too uptight? I don't think so. I'm analyzing
local businesses to see who the best is, and that requires you to measure them in some way. I shook hands with my
dentist; his handshake was firm and his service was good and prices are reasonable. I also shook hands with my landlord
and his service has been good and his handshake was firm as well. The handshake test never lies......a weak handshake =
a weak man.
 

Dark_Scorpion

Bronze
Aug 13, 2012
966
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18
I there for a haircut and not to be his friend or for conversation. I walk in, quik handshake and how are you u. He knows how I want it and snip snip Im out of there.

Exactly, which is why the "friend" comment was bad. First off, I take the word "friend" seriously. It is not a word that should be thrown around lightly. That is the problem with society, people use the words "friend" and "love" when they don't even know what it means. That barber was not and never will be my friend. He "was" my barber, and I say "was" because now I will be looking for a new one. I just don't believe you should mix friendship and business. You're either a friend or a business partner, I don't believe you can be both. I don't seek any friendship with any of the businesses I deal with in the DR.......I seek good service at a reasonable price, that is it.
 
May 12, 2005
8,564
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What is the name of the barbershop? I can recommend a really good one in downtown Santiago if that is where you are located.
 

Dark_Scorpion

Bronze
Aug 13, 2012
966
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18
The second mistake he made was in telling me that he is my "friend." This is only my second time using this guy's service and I don't even think he knows my first name. How on Earth can you call yourself someone's friend when you don't even know him? I'm also suspicious of people who emphasize friendship through words; if you're truly a friend you don't have to say it, you will show it. What do you guys pay for a haircut down in the DR? Letting me know the rates you pay will let me know whether I'm being overcharged, which I suspect that I am. There are a lot of folks here in the DR who don't understand the concept of friend, or at least the meaning of the word. There is a weird guy who posts here on this forum who throws the word around. He also attacks others for their improper use of the English language. I pay 100 pesos for a haircut from a Haitian who asks for 50 pesos, but I give him 100 and tell him to keep the change. I wish I could find a woman here who cuts men's hair, but neither in La Vega, nor Sosua, nor Puerto Plata have I been able to. I alway, back in reasl life have had my haircut by women.
Der Fish

Exacly DerFish, you follow what I'm saying. The word friend, like love, should never be used lightly, for that barber to refer to me as such when he doesn't even know my first name was stupid. But to overcharge me while calling me a "friend" was a greater insult. Besides, as I've told you all here on DR1 before, I'm a disciple of the book The 48 Laws of Power. Law Number 2 says to "never put too much trust in friends, learn how to use enemies." So being a disciple of that book, anyone down here calling me their "friend" when they just met me makes me very suspicious of them.
 

Dark_Scorpion

Bronze
Aug 13, 2012
966
2
18
I think you are putting way too much thought into a simple hair cut.

I figured someone here would say this, but I totally disagree. This is more than just a haircut, it is about READING PEOPLE. Being a foreigner in a country where I have no friends or family, I need to be very, very, very careful with who I associate with, whether it is to get my teeth cleaned, hair cut, or to get married or buy a house. When I meet a Dominican down here, I'm sizing them up from the moment I meet them for any signs that they could harm or threaten me in some way. This is an issue that I cannot and will not take lightly, because if I do I could eventually get badly burned financially or harmed physically.

If this barber is willing to overcharge me for a haircut, it is a sign that he is untrustworthy and could do more harm in the future. If I can't trust him to provide me a fair service on that, how can I trust him with anything else? We've all heard the saying, if you can be trusted with small things you can be trusted with big things. If locals I meet here can't pass simple tests with me then there is no way I can continue dealing with them, particular for things which are more complex or pricey. The point is that this guy blew it, he would have made thousands of dollars from me in the long run because I was planning on returning to his shop monthly, but he blew it just to overcharge me one time, very foolish I think.
 
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dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
0
i think you have not yet fully integrated in the dominican society. it is very important that you maintain distance from the commoners and never lower yourself to grant them a physical contact with you. the handshake of a plebeian is always weak as those unsophisticated proletarians are malnourished and plagued with various diseases and parasites. you don't want to catch their cooties, do you?
in any case, the protocol of the barber visit is fairly simple. you enter the shop, point at the barber and shout: you, dog, serve me! upon which he should bow and respond: yes, master. it is clear the hairdresser you are using is a poor, underdeveloped soul and his weak mind cannot comprehend your greatness and superiority, hence his mistake in calling you a friend. a gentle flogging during your next visit should set the matters straight. i say gentle because it is obvious this vulgar creature has little mental capacity...

a haircut should cost about 5 pesos but it is customary that a representative of a higher class should award his servants with more to show compassion and good will. i suggest you toss 50 pesos note on the floor before leaving. you can be certain that a barber will bless you loudly while breaking down in tears at the sight of such generosity.
i would not be worried that the place is empty. it is clear that the locals with much better perception have duly noted your distinguished presence and they understand they cannot now frequent a place you have graced with your patronage. of course the barber will live well for entire month on the 50 pesos you gave him so he is happy as well.

if you have any more questions about dominican customs do not hesitate to ask!
 

Dark_Scorpion

Bronze
Aug 13, 2012
966
2
18
so how much did he charge you for the haircut

It was higher than 800 pesos; I'll put it this way, the prices he charge approach about what you would pay in the U.S or Canada, and that is how I know he is overcharging me. The stupid thing about it is that he would have made a bunch of money over the long term. BUT, I'm reading this book on Dominican culture and unfortunately for them they have a "live for today" mentality. So I figure his mentality was I'm going to overcharge this sucker Dark Scorpion today and to hell with tomorrow. But the dumb ass just lost a long term customer who would have patronized him for years.

Lets do the math, Givadogahome says you can get haircut for 200 RD. That means if I went to this barber every month he would make 2400 RD a year. In three years he would make 7200 RD. In 6 years he would make 14,400 RD. Now he is going to make ZERO from me because he screwed me on one deal. Dominicans like him will never succeed in business because they are not long term thinkers. They think screwing you in the short term will allow them to become prosperous in the long term....it won't and that is why his shop is empty. Now, in fairness, most of the Dominican businesses I've dealt with so far down here have been good. My dentist is excellent, he had a firm handshake, very reasonable prices, and my teeth are pearly White. I plan on using that dentist for decades, I'm a loyal client and once I become a patron of a business I will exclusively use that service many years.
 
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bronzeallspice

Live everyday like it's your last
Mar 26, 2012
11,009
2
38
I appreciate your response rogerjac, yes the bastard is overcharging just as I suspected, the rate he charges is WAY more than 150 pesos. What a dumb, shortsighted fool, I was planning on using his service for many years to come. Why is it that so many business people take the short term profit over the long term gain? Guess I need to start shopping around for a new barber, the good news is that there are plenty in the area!

When it comes to patronizing local businesses and services, I'm loyal so long as the service provided is good and the rate is reasonable. I'm the type of guy who will use the same doctor/dentist/barber etc for years and years and recommend them to everyone I know BUT if they overcharge or cross me one time I will never do business with them again. I knew this Barber couldn't be trusted; his weak handshake was a dead giveaway as well as him calling me his "friend' he messed up bad when he said that.

You are not a shortsighted fool,DS.This is how the locals are when they know you are a foreigner.
I was being over charged also in the hair salons when they found out I lived abroad and I'm
Dominican.
 

rogerjac

Bronze
Feb 9, 2012
1,389
456
83
Also remember the dominican mentality. You say his shop is always empty. What do they do when sales are down....increase the price and you were the sucker that he thought would pay. Screw him and find another
 

Dark_Scorpion

Bronze
Aug 13, 2012
966
2
18
i think you have not yet fully integrated in the dominican society. it is very important that you maintain distance from the commoners and never lower yourself to grant them a physical contact with you. the handshake of a plebeian is always weak as those unsophisticated proletarians are malnourished and plagued with various diseases and parasites. you don't want to catch their cooties, do you?
in any case, the protocol of the barber visit is fairly simple. you enter the shop, point at the barber and shout: you, dog, serve me! upon which he should bow and respond: yes, master. it is clear the hairdresser you are using is a poor, underdeveloped soul and his weak mind cannot comprehend your greatness and superiority, hence his mistake in calling you a friend. a gentle flogging during your next visit should set the matters straight. i say gentle because it is obvious this vulgar creature has little mental capacity...

a haircut should cost about 5 pesos but it is customary that a representative of a higher class should award his servants with more to show compassion and good will. i suggest you toss 50 pesos note on the floor before leaving. you can be certain that a barber will bless you loudly while breaking down in tears at the sight of such generosity.
i would not be worried that the place is empty. it is clear that the locals with much better perception have duly noted your distinguished presence and they understand they cannot now frequent a place you have graced with your patronage. of course the barber will live well for entire month on the 50 pesos you gave him so he is happy as well.

if you have any more questions about dominican customs do not hesitate to ask!

I know it sounds like I'm being elitist or pompous, but I feel I'm exercising common sense. Who here among you likes being overcharged for a service? There is a big difference between the prices I'm being quoted in this thread, and what this guy charged. I paid more than four times what I'm being quoted here. I'm not even angry with the dude, I actually think it is hilarious, hilarious that someone would be so stupid as to rip someone off when they were planning on patronizing your business for years. Put it this way, this guy cut my hair and trimmed my mustache in about 15 minutes, that means he could charge 200 pesos, limit himself to 10 clients a day if he wanted, and make $50 daily while working under eight hours. That means he could pull $350 a week which isn't bad for Dominican standards.

Yet each time I've walked by his place he is outside, lounging around LOL. No smart barber would be outside, he would be inside because he would be too busy cutting hair. I will say this to all of you, when I went to see the dentist here for the second time, I had a WAIT IN LINE outside his office while he finished taking care of another patient. THIS is the type of Dominican you want to do business with. When you need to wait outside in a lobby because the dentist is busy with other patients, that man clearly is making money, knows how to run his office, and that is the type of person you want to do business with.
 
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