A TRIP TO: HAIR CLUB FOR MEN

Here it is, finally. Chapter four in the A TRIP TO series... Enjoy..

About ten years I actually took a serious look at joining Hair Club for Men. I continued to see the ad's on TV, in the magazines and even heard it on the radio. At that time I had enough hair that no one would have really noticed the difference. So, off I went to visit Hair Club. Before then, the closet Hair Club was located in Memphis. But that year, they opened there first location ever in Little Rock.

The trip was actually a pleasant visit. Kind of like going to a two hour Time Share presentation. Yeah, you get the point. It was just tremendously less stressful. Lets be realistic about it. The product is easily going to sell itself. You don't go to Hair Club without being ready to buy, or right on the verge of being ready. I have to believe that there close ratio is extremely high. The only reason I can imagine a guy walks out without making a purchase is pricing, which isn't the cheapest around. So after about an hour of watching a video, reading some Hair Club material and talking with a rep, I was sold. Here I was, 34, knowing I was going bald and not in the mood to look like dad right now, so I was a slug when it came to closing the deal. It was easy, in fact I think I signed the paper before they ever even tried to close the sale.

The cost, well that was a little crazy. See you have to join Hair Club. I guess that's why they call it a club hey... Oh well, the joining fee back then was around $1,700 and once you sign the deal, you are stuck with losing at least 50% of that, no matter what. But that did include all of the upfront work, getting my name on the Hair Club role and my first head of fakey hair...

But I must admit, at the time, it was money well spent to me. Of course there is always the inevitable things that you don't think about when you are desperate for hair. Important things like how long does a set of hair last (I thought forever - dumby me), and how much does the next set of hair cost me and what about the hair I currently have on top of my head, what do we do with it? Well, three hours later and none of this had entered my mind. All I could think about was that wonderful new set of hair. Man, I couldn't wait. But wait, well I had to. You see they had to measure my head and determine the exact size to fit me. Yep, little ole me was getting a custom job.

Weeks past, well maybe a couple of weeks past, and finally the day came to get my new head of hair. So off to Hair Club I went again. But this time, it was for the product. The end result of $1,700 in hard earned cash. Hair, that I could swim with, touch, feel, grab, comb anyway I wanted and make it as long as I chose or as short as I desired. Hair that I could continue to comb straight back, yep, straight back, even back then, or I could let just flop all over the place.

In the front door, up to the desk. Show them my membership card. Oh man, how much excitement can a guy take in one day? Hair....glorious hair...here I come. Asked if I would like a cup of coffee or a coke. Seated in a private room. Preparing myself for my brand new look. I was so excited I was about to jump out of my skin. Finally, the hair expert walked into the room, "Mr Miller" she said. "Yes", I said. "We are ready for you." So, like a five year old in a candy store with twenty bucks to blow, off I go, into another private room where they were about to unveil my new mop. The Mozart of hair pieces. "Sit here please", she said. So, I did. I sat there. Right there in that fancy looking barber seat. After about two or three minutes of idol chit chat, that I had no interest in, they finally did it. They brought in the hair. Oh man, here it came. The thing I had waited on for fifteen years. The solution to my physical defect.... HAIR...

You see at Hair Club, they take the time to ensure you get the best possible service and of course the best possible hair and that look that you truly want. This is no pick off the shelf hair piece place. Nope, this is a top of the line, you cant tell its fake, hair piece. Or at least I thought so...

So, what was next. Well, lets try it on for size Mr Miller. "Okay" I said excitedly... Then boom, on goes the hair.... and a big lump comes into my throat. Oh my gosh, I am about to see myself with a head FULL of hair for the first time in ten years. The excitement built. I couldn't wait for the hair specialist to move out from in front of me so I could see what it looked like in the mirror.

Finally, she moved..... Oh my gosh, what the heck is this. Hey, this isn't what I ordered. Someone get over here and check this out. Houston, I think we have a problem.

You see somehow, somewhere along the line, my hair order had a major mishap.... yep, the hair I ordered, well this wasn't it. After about five minutes of discussion, it was determined that Hair Club needed a redo... a BIG FAT redo. Something was horribly wrong, and it was quite obvious.



Okay, so it really wasn't that bad, but it was BAD. Bad enough that they willingly agreed to create a new piece. One that maybe fit and actually looked like my hair. So once again, here we go. Wait another two weeks until the big day.

Finally, back to Hair Club, but this time it was different. You see over the previous two week period... I made a decision, a decision to.......


To CANCEL my membership. Okay, so I burnt $850.00, but I got $850.00 back and my sanity, or some of my sanity. I still had the problem of no hair. What now? Was this really what I wanted to do? Why wait so long? Especially after I had gotten all the way back into that private fitting room, and this time, the hair piece that they brought out... oh WOW!!! It really looked like hair and to beat all of that, it looked like my hair. Oh man...I was torn like a 18 year old between his mom and that can't live without young lady. But finally, I came to my senses and yep... I cancelled the contract.

Hair Club really is a great place to get a set of hair. Heck, I wouldn't mind having some Hair Club right now, but hey $1,700 up front and then another $200.00 a month every month for the rest of my life. Ummm..... I don't think so. So I made the only decision that seemed sensible.....

Next time you see me, ask me about that experience. You never know what might come up...

Until next time,
Merry Christmas,
Chip