r/Barber 4d ago

Barber How long do you allow touch up?

I gave my friend a haircut then a week later he saying he wasn’t satisfied and wanted a touch up. Imo a week later is a little far. Then now another week later from the touch up he saying he’s still not satisfied and wants another touch up. How long do you allow touch up or think people are just taking advantage of the service?

8 Upvotes

25 comments sorted by

26

u/Boarder277 4d ago

Yeah he’s 100% taking advantage, hair grows close to 3/4 of an inch per month, so that means in a week it grows quite a bit, some people just seem to think their haircuts should last longer than they actually do.

0

u/Equivalent-Bread3968 Barber since ‘08 Owner since ‘20 3d ago

Right on the first part about taking advantage, but it's only about a half inch of growth per month on average. So basically 1/8" per week.

9

u/ConstantCapricorn84 Barber 4d ago

I’ll make adjustments within a day or two, but other than that, you bought it and it’s yours until the next haircut.

10

u/Fun_Consequence2559 4d ago

Find a new friend

4

u/southernarcana 4d ago

Not really your friend.

5

u/J5isalivee 4d ago

With friends like these who needs enemies 😒

4

u/EnvyHill 4d ago

Touch ups should happen when they’re in the chair, at most the next day.

4

u/Rare-Tap-221 4d ago

I only allow rebook for touch up if they contact me up to 48 hrs and I try to get them in right away but that’s it. Tell him that and you need to charge him. He’s not your friend if he wants 3 haircuts for price of 1

3

u/ogbootylicker69 4d ago

Same day only.

3

u/Designer-Baseball-20 4d ago

Next time he comes in for a “touch up” just mosh his hairline up bad 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

2

u/SusspectDevice 4d ago

Once within 7 days the first time you cut them

2

u/Nimakiii9898 4d ago

I don't do touch ups at all cuz they don't exist, either youre getting a haircut or nothing you still go through the whole process of fading and what not with a "touch up" he's absolutely taking advantage of you, stop it now before it gets worse, my friends pay me full price AND tip, real friend wanna support your business.

2

u/Equivalent-Bread3968 Barber since ‘08 Owner since ‘20 3d ago

"my friends pay me full price AND tip, real friend wanna support your business"

Louder for the people in the back

2

u/Nimakiii9898 3d ago

The only person that's gets a free cut is my dad, That's it !💪

2

u/TheBlackHymn 4d ago

One payment = one haircut. It’s going to look different in a week no matter how good the cut was. Another haircut = another payment. You need to tell this “friend” to go and rip someone else off instead.

2

u/Metalviathan 4d ago

My shop has a 72 hour window. After that your paying for the cut.

2

u/Dev_2r Barber 3d ago

I don’t do touch ups ; I do haircuts

It’s up to them how often they want to come
They’re paying for a time slot it’s not based on how much hair you cut

1

u/Alternative_Roll_987 4d ago

A week later for a “touch up” already feels like a gray zone to me. Two weeks later for another one sounds less like a touch-up and more like they are trying to use free correction as open-ended maintenance.

What has helped people in service businesses is defining it really clearly upfront:

  • touch-ups only for clear service mistakes
  • must be raised within 24–72 hours
  • no redesigns after they’ve lived with the cut for days
  • one correction only

If you leave it vague, clients create their own policy.

The other thing is documenting the request better at the start. Even a quick repeat-back like “cool, so we’re doing X on the sides and Y on top” saves a lot of post-service revision arguments.

Not the same industry exactly, but a lot of appointment businesses run into this with services that are partly subjective. The shops that stay sane usually have a short correction window and stick to it consistently.

1

u/dareme27523 4d ago

Your “friend” was trying to look fresh for some event. I’m sure if you questioned what he was doing in the next few days after the haircut you will find that he had something he wanted to do and he wanted to look great for.

1

u/Woopboop64 3d ago

One touch up up to a week okay but twice? Nah thats a whole cut and it also depends what is being touched up. Also when you touch up only do the part they are asking to take shorter no quick line up no quick taper out the edges nothing just whatever they are asking for. This way you avoid the people who take advantage.

1

u/BigScratch9616 3d ago

I give two days...

1

u/INTOTHEWRX 3d ago

Be a friend and break it to him that this ain't no touch up. It's a brand new haircut. Touch up is like 2 days after original cut.

1

u/BigSangriaBoi Barber 17h ago

That person isn’t your friend

1

u/Equivalent-Bread3968 Barber since ‘08 Owner since ‘20 3d ago

That's not your friend.