'Unreasonable' to have CNY surcharge for haircut one month before holiday, says Tengah salon customer
Chinese New Year is still about a month away.
Hence, a salon customer was surprised to be informed he had to pay a $2 CNY surcharge for a haircut.
Stomper Benny had gone to Minna Haircare Studio at Plantation Plaza in Tengah on Jan 18 for a haircut.
"I noticed that they have started imposing a Chinese New Year surcharge," said Benny.
"This surcharge was not displayed at the entrance or clearly stated beforehand. I was only informed when I was about to begin my haircut."
"Although I found this unreasonable as CNY was still about a month away, I decided to proceed since I had already arrived at the salon."
Chinese New Year falls on Feb 17 this year.
Benny had another surprise after the haircut.
"I was not allowed to offset the CNY surcharge using the cash credit that I had previously purchased from the salon," he said.
"Instead, they insisted that the surcharge be paid separately in cash or I could top up $100 credit to have the surcharge offset."
Benny claimed he was not informed of this in advance.
"I do not understand why the surcharge cannot be deducted from the cash credit that I have already paid for," said the Stomper.
"I believe this reflects a serious lack of price transparency, and the salon should stop such practices to avoid misleading customers."
In response to a Stomp query, a Minna Haircare Studio spokesperson explained that a CNY surcharge is a common and widely adopted practice within the salon industry during the festive period, primarily due to higher operating costs and manpower considerations.
"At Minna Haircare Studio, we exercise due diligence by informing all customers of any applicable CNY surcharge and its amount before commencement of any service, so that customers are aware and agreeable prior to proceeding," said the spokesperson, who pointed out that this was corroborated by the Stomper's account.
"The current CNY surcharge for a haircut is only $2, which we believe is a very modest and reasonable amount compared to prevailing industry practices.
"We do not typically display the CNY surcharge on our shopfront window because as a small independent salon, publicly displaying such pricing details may result in competitors using our rates as a reference to adjust their own charges."
As for the use of prepaid cash credits, the spokesperson explained that these are sold at a discounted value for regular services, excluding festive surcharges, which are treated separately.
"This practice is explained by our staff at the point of service," said the spokesperson.
"Customers may choose to offset such surcharges by topping up additional credit, but this option is entirely voluntary."
The spokesperson said the salon acknowledges the importance of clear communication and price transparency, adding: "We will continue to improve on how information is conveyed to ensure customers feel informed and comfortable at all times."
