Kapper introduces chat-free ‘silent service’ for customers who are afraid of chatting during appointments

A Finnish hairdresser offers the perfect solution for her customers who prefer not to talk during their appointment: a chat-free ‘silent service’.

Kati Hakomeri has introduced the special booking for customers who prefer not to make polite small talk about their future holiday, weekend plans or the weather.

She also seems to be on to something, telling a local newspaper that there appears to be a gap in the market for the special booking option that has proven popular with her. salon in her hometown of Helsinki.

“I’m an introvert myself and I understand how uncomfortable it can be for a client to have to make small talk,” she says Helsingin Sanomat.

The hairdresser says that many people view haircuts as a situation that requires social interaction, something that can be intimidating for introverts.

Many of her clients also work in noisy environments – such as daycare centers or construction sites – and therefore like to head to the salon for some peace and quiet.

Others have large families at home and therefore no opportunity for silence.

“If you come home and find a bunch of screaming brats, you can sit here and rest your ears,” Hakomeri adds.

Another reason for silence, she says, is that there is simply nothing new to discuss.

Many of her male clients visit her salon every four weeks. “If nothing new in life happened during that time, why talk about it,” she says.

Through her salon’s online booking system, customers can opt for a quiet visit prior to their appointment.

‘A haircut without talking. After the consultation you can be completely alone, gain new energy and relax,” the service reports online.

Even if her clients haven’t explicitly said they want a quiet session, Hakomeri says she’s rarely the one to initiate a conversation.

She says she picks up other cues from her clients because the desire for a quiet haircut can be communicated in other ways, such as the client avoiding eye contact, scrolling through their phone or reading a magazine.

“It’s a safety precaution that he doesn’t join the conversation,” she adds.

Another advantage for her introverted clients is that Hakomeri tends to work alone, so her clients don’t even have to listen to other conversations.

Instead, they can relax to the sound of the scissors and a background radio.

She does get some talkative customers, she says.

Hakomeri says people often talk to her about everything from everyday small talk to opening up about personal issues, such as relationships or life crises.

The hairdresser considers himself a trusted person, someone who listens when people need it and even gives advice.

In one case, she recalled, an elderly customer had come in shortly after his wife died, leaving him alone.

He revealed to Hakomeri that he could not cook.

Hakomeri also seems to be on to something: she tells a local newspaper that there appears to be a gap in the market for the special booking option that has proven popular in her hometown of Helsinki. In the photo: Hakomeri’s salon

‘He asked what should be bought in the store. We have made a shopping list. I advised that it is worth buying vegetables and making minced meat sauce,” she said.

In another case, Hakomeri said a customer selected the “quiet service” but then spent the entire appointment chatting.

At the end of the haircut, the hairdresser asked if there was an error on the booking form, to which the customer replied that they thought the silent option only applied to Hakomeri itself.

“We laughed about this together,” she said.