The hairdresser I go to is an neighborhood institution but I only learned about him the last couple of years. S has older clientele - I would be on the younger end of the spectrum. Kids and grandkids who come to S know him through their parents and happen to live close enough to avail his services. He owns the place and all the other hairdressers are women.
Sadly they are an arrogant and unfriendly bunch but S is the exact opposite. If one of the ladies answers the phone, there is no way I am getting an appointment at a time that works for me in the next month. But if I walk in on a Saturday afternoon, ask for S in the sign-up sheet, he will fit me in. Between his appointments, he will squeeze in a bit of time for me. We exchange very few words, he knows exactly what to do and always delivers great results.
The waiting time at his salon is unexpectedly pleasant. S has understood the musical tastes of his clientele. There is a lot of nostalgic music going back to the 60s and 70s but his playlist mixes it up with more contemporary stuff some of which I recall from J blasting it from her bathroom during shower time back in her middle and high school days. The trick is to create a smooth passage for the likes of me and even older folks - we like music from our childhood and youth but there is a way to get us to appreciate what is here and now. S seems to have figured that one out, maybe he availed some expertise on the topic. Looking at what's on the salon playlists, it seems like S has forged his own unique path there given the demographic he serves. It definitely works for me.
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