Barber in Worcester refuses to cut any woman's hair

[chocolatesun]

Sorry this is long but better to give the full story, I think.

A few months ago I popped into a local trendy looking barber in Worcester to have my three year old daughter's hair trimmed. When I asked if they cut children's hair the staff said they wouldn't cut her hair because she is a girl. Something like,'we don't cut girls' hair'. I was taken aback and embarrassed but left without making a fuss.

It did bother me, though, so I called back later to clarify and specifically asked whether they wouldn't cut her hair because: (a) she is female or (b) because they don't/can't do girl's hairstyles. The staffed confirmed it was (a). I said their refusal to cut her hair because she is female is in breach of the equalities act (if it was to do with their training and ability to cut her hair, that would be different). The staff member suggested I call back to speak to the owner.

When I called again to speak to the business owner he was incredibly rude and confirmed they do not cut females' hair. He told me they were barbers and said I should go look up the meaning of barber in the dictionary. He also called me sweetheart! He was utterly misogynistic.

His attitude took me by surprise as I'd assumed the staff had just got it wrong and had been expecting a polite call and maybe an apology from the owner.

Although I was fuming I dropped the entire thing because with a baby and a three year old I really have enough to deal with. I didn't even tell him off for calling me sweetheart as I felt he was spoiling for a fight. However I've just seen that it is is now shortlisted for the MOBAA barber awards for customer service!!

What do mumsnetters think, should I drop this completely on the basis that not every battle needs to be fought? Or am I being pathetic for letting the bully barber win?

I agree with the right not to touch the opposite sex, I think, ArcheryAnnie, although that has to apply to all the staff. You couldn't for example then have a female member of staff who would cut for women and yet still deny women the service.

I suppose I'm saying the bar should be high, it should be specific, it should be consistent.

It can't just be "we don't serve women".

Lass, I did try to emphasise 'same haircut'.
If the issue is 'that style is not one we offer' that is one thing.
If the issue is 'I can cut my standard style on you, but I won't because you are female', then I think that behoves the service provider to begin to defend what his legitimate aim is.

However I've just seen that Barbertown Worcester is now shortlisted for the MOBAA barber awards for customer service!!
You should probably tell them they are making a big mistake so they do not find out after.

This thread is amusing me quite a lot having now looked at their Instagram pics.

Feminist outraged that she couldn't have her daughter's hair cut in a barber shop specialising in Peaky Blinder hair cuts and hipster beards in a salon with posters, depending on the time of year, of "the Easter Bunny" or a sexy female Santa or a saucy "something for the weekend" drawing of 3 topless women.

Would have enjoyed the thread where op was complaining that a barber had given her daughter a short back and sides, maybe that will be next week!

The barber where we used to live could only do one hair cut lol I'm sure he was never really trained.

Refusing female haircuts when their trade is mens, eminently sensible just as if it was reversed.

Rudeness to certain some customers is more concerning especially when also up for an award.

Ultimately its a business decision. They've chosen to specialise in mens haircuts instead of spread more thinly. Suck it up OP.

Lol I'm sure if you'd wanted a men's haircut on your daughter then they'd have happily obliged. If a business wants to gear their service towards a certain market, that's their prerogative.

BonnieF. Said----

" If women are entitled to female-only spaces, and I would hope everyone on MN would agree that they are, then men are entitled to their equivalent.

It’s called ‘equality’."

Excellent point and as is often the case, then duly ignored.

If women are entitled to female-only spaces, and I would hope everyone on MN would agree that they are, then men are entitled to their equivalent.

That depends. I am fine with barbers saying "no, we don't cut women's hair" because this would be the same as hairdressers refusing to be barbers but I am not fine with private men's clubs like White's.

If the barber said "we don't serve women because we need a private space" then I would ask what that need for that private space is. Once I knew that, I could decide if that was equality or not.

Like PPs I've also had my hair cut many times by a barber without any problems. I wanted it really short and no hairdressers would ever do it as I wanted. It was also a lot cheaper, which was good because it needed cutting frequently because of being so short. But I wouldn't dream of trying to get a barber to cut it now it's a bit longer. I wouldn't expect them to know how to do it. Often when I'm in the hairdressers and I see a woman cutting a man's short hair I think to myself they would get a better job done by a barber because they cut hair differently to a hairdresser. It's their specialism.

Terfsup 😂. Who appointed you as the equality police.

These days there are plenty of male only barbers.

My son has his hair cut at a local one. Women are banned. I am not allowed to wait on the premises whilst he has his hair cut.

They do give you a voucher for a free coffee at a cafe next door. So I sit and enjoy the peace until he's finished.

I was curious about the 'trendy looking' worcester barber so had a look on their website. Yabu to think a barbers like this, they serve alcohol, one of the services is a cut throat shave - blades and baby noises don't mix!

Dh would take 3 year old dd1 to his barbers for a trim. It is neither modern or old fashioned, just a barbers. Would he take her to the barbers round the corner from us which serves coffee and cocktails to men with beards? No, obviously.

The owner should definitely should not have been rude to you but I suspect he thought you were trying to pick a fight. There are other barbers in Worcester which would have been happy to cut childrens and womens hair. Let the hipsters have their barbers!

Lack of professionalism on the Barbers behalf, yes. Poor choice of words yes. He or She could have easily explained how barbers are trained using trquniques that are taught to satisfy a more masculine "look". Stylists and hairdressers are trained with technique s to cater to the styles "looks" that are more feminine. Some of us were trained to do both but only"Practice" mostly one or the other without enough practice in the other to feel they could provide a satisfactory service to you. Honestly, I don't go to a barber meself because I like a feminine look. I am female and I have cut hair in a barber shop sense 1995. A Shop owner sense 2005. I won't refuse anyone because of their race or gender. If I can't cut your hair and feel I can provide you the service you are offering to pay me for, I will be truthful and tell you exactly that. Do you take your car to a auto paint shop to get work on the motor? I hope not. You should have politely asked to speak to the owner in private. If he or she refused or was rude to you, light his/ her tass up on social media. Please do educate yourself in the subject of the proffession of Barber shop vs salons, the licensing, policy, local laws and differences in a small business and a franchise. Cover your grounds so you don't make yourself look as if your looking for a freeby or bashing a local small business for selfish gain. I promise, if your going to bash a small local business, your burning more Bridges than you know until you go some other small business for a service. Even family or "friends" take mental notes. It's hard to look good while making other individuals look bad especially when referencing the way a person feeds their family. My advice to you would be , go to a walk in type , unisex hair cutting place.
Best of luck to you

Surely if somebody can refuse to wax a transwoman's balls they can refuse to cut someone's hair?

My advice to you would be , go to a walk in type , unisex hair cutting place.
Best of luck to you

It was over a year ago

I used to have a "mens" haircut. Buzzed off to a number 2 at the back and sides, trimmed to about an inch a half to two inches on top. The hairdresser I used charged a tenner for a man to have that haircut. Charged me 23quid. Absolute piss take. And I couldn't find a barber that would do it coz I was a woman, though I now know of one who at the very least cuts patterns into shaved sides for a couple of lesbians I know.

Interesting topic.

In my experience there are barbers and Barbers.

In terms of the latter, where my DH goes they are very much male establishments where it's not just a haircut but male grooming (think cut throat razors, nasal trimming ).

I don't have an issue with these being male only establishments.

On the other hand, the barber (small b) where I take our son is regularly full of women like me paying for our son to have their hair cut.

It's not a "men's sanctuary" as such - it's a place to get a haircut.

I don't see any reason why a place such as this would not cut someone's hair because of their sex and neither did they.

Last time I went with my son (prom haircut!!) I mentioned I needed my own fringe trimmed and I needed to get that sorted. Barber took a look and said he would do it. For free as he was sorting DS anyway.

Upshot my fringe was trimmed beautifully and I paid a handsome tip on my sons haircut in thanks (though still less than going to the "hairdresser").

He said he'd happily do it again and even give my hair a trim if I wanted.

It's not a salon or having a "restyle" but trimming long hair or cutting a short hairstyle isn't beyond the skills of most barbers.

So think it depends on the establishment to a degree.