Was sure a hot towel was just a fancy extra, but a client changed my mind
I was cutting this older guy's hair last week, and he mentioned his neck gets really stiff. I offered the hot towel (mostly just to be nice, you know?). He came back yesterday and said it was the first time in months his neck didn't ache after a cut. He said, 'My barber never does that, and I always feel it later.' That one comment made me see it's not just a spa thing, it's a real service that helps people. How do you guys handle clients with muscle tension or stiffness?
I mean, what @lewis.gray said about the lavender is cool and all, but idk, I feel like we're going a little too far into spa territory here. A barber chair isn't a massage table, and pushing on people's necks feels like a liability nightmare if you hit something wrong.
Keep a small heating pad behind your chair for clients who mention stiffness. It takes two minutes to warm up and gives them real relief. That extra care is what makes people come back.
Offer a quick shoulder press with my thumbs right at the base of the skull before I start the cut. It's free, takes ten seconds, and people practically melt. You can feel the knots let go.