Kids' Cuts
No more tears for a kid’s first haircut
By Anne dela Cruz

With its colorful interiors, television sets airing cartoons, and a play area full of toys and books, one wouldn’t think that Cuts 4 Tots is actually a salon. A salon for kids, that is, for owners Cindy Chan and sister Maybelle Bangayal believe “a child’s first haircut is a milestone. We want to make this experience as memorable and as enjoyable as possible.”

Cindy and Maybelle’s love for children resulted in the birth of Cuts 4 Tots, a salon that caters to children up to five years old. Located at the second floor of Glorietta 2 in Makati City, children who visit Cuts 4 Tots will definitely enjoy themselves. The actual salon area will probably attract the children most. Children who have their haircut will be seated in toy car chairs, like those kiddie rides that can be found in amusement centers.

“For some children, having a haircut can be a very traumatic experience and that is something we want to avoid,” Cindy says. This is why each station has a television set. This way, a child getting a haircut will be glued to a cartoon show or a movie for children as the hairdresser cuts away.

Since it was a very different and novel concept, Cindy did not have a difficult time getting space in the mall. “We had to put up about P1 to P2 million in order to open Cuts 4 Tots,” Cindy says. “We sourced the kiddie car chairs from the suppliers of barber chairs while it was my cousin who came up with the interiors.”

Prior to opening Cuts 4 Tots, Cindy was already a wholesale distributor of children’s videos, CDs and books so she already had a supply of videos for the salon. She continuously adds to her book and CD collection.

What also makes Cuts 4 Tots stand out from the other salons is its very high quality of personalized service. Like visiting the pediatrician for the first time, the child who visits Cuts 4 Tots for the first time will be required to fill up an information card. Cuts 4 Tots sends out birthday cards to their customers.

“If the child has his hair cut in the play area, that is recorded in the information card so that the hairdresser will know what to do when the child comes back for another haircut,” Cindy said. “If the child cries while his hair is being cut, that is also recorded.”

For children having their hair cut for the first time, Cuts 4 Tots will take “before” and “after” pictures. These pictures are then pasted on a certificate together with a lock of the child’s hair and presented to the child as a souvenir of his first haircut.

A haircut costs P250 and they also offer hot oil services for older children. Parents who also wish to have their hair cut while waiting for their children can do so for P200. Regular visitors to Cuts 4 Tots are advised to apply for a membership card so they can avail of discounts.

Cindy and Maybelle have six employees for its lone branch – three hairdressers, a receptionist, and two administrative personnel. Aside from knowing how to cut hair, the hairdressers should also know how to handle children. “They undergo regular training sessions so that they will know how to psychologize the child, so to speak, when they are having their hair cut,” Cindy says.

Cuts 4 Tots has come a long way from the time it opened in 2002. Already, offers have come up for a second branch, but Cindy says they are studying the options very closely.

Cuts 4 Tots is truly a novel idea – a welcome help for parents who want their kids groomed at an early age.