A recent trip to the hairdresser prompted me to reflect on customer experience, and the true value of our time.

It raised some important questions:

• How should organisations respond when customers express dissatisfaction with a product or service?

• Is a refund or redo enough to make up for lost time, frustration and emotional toll?

Let me take you through the customer journey that led to these reflections.

I visited a high-end salon that promised premium results, and charged accordingly. I convinced myself that the price reflected a customer-centric experience and expert service.

At first, the appointment seemed promising. The stylist appeared confident, relaxed, even nonchalant.

“He must know what he’s doing,” I thought. “He’s too laid-back not to be skilled.”

Unfortunately, I was wrong.

Red flags emerged as soon as I returned home. My husband, who rarely notices my haircuts, immediately asked, “Is it supposed to be like that?” I checked the mirror and saw what he meant: my hair was clearly uneven.

Cue sinking heart. I felt ridiculous and faced the unpleasant task of returning to the salon to have the mistake corrected.

Difficult customer?

I emailed the salon and received a breezy reply: “We’ll slot you in at 2pm tomorrow.” I spent the next 24 hours dreading the visit, reliving the poor service and preparing for potential awkwardness.

Back at the salon, I sensed the staff eyeing me, labelled, perhaps, as “that difficult customer.” The stylist strolled over, smiled casually and asked, “So, what seems to be the problem?” I showed him. He explained that my hair type was “a bit kinky,” making it hard to cut evenly.

Ah. So it was my fault.

He corrected the cut, and while it looked better, it didn’t exactly restore my trust—or my time. At the end, the receptionist reassured me: “There’s nothing to pay today, it’s all part of the service.”

Too right.

Customer experience lessons from the journey

This experience mapped out a few critical lessons for businesses looking to improve their customer experience strategy.

Yes, the salon addressed the practical issue. But what about the time I wasted? The inconvenience? The emotional distress of walking around with a visibly botched haircut? The repeat journey, the anxiety, the anticipation?

When customers face poor service, the resolution should extend beyond simply fixing the error. Businesses need to listen to the voice of the customer and view every touchpoint through a lens of customer centricity. It’s not just about what went wrong, it’s about the entire journey, from the moment things began to unravel to how the organisation makes the customer feel afterward.

Customer journey mapping helps identify these critical moments. In my case, had the salon genuinely acknowledged the inconvenience, perhaps offered a sincere apology or a small gesture of goodwill, it would have gone a long way.

Instead, I received a correction, but not a meaningful response.

Respect the customer’s time

In customer-centric organisations, time isn’t just an operational metric, it’s an emotional currency. When companies waste it, they risk damaging trust and loyalty. Listening carefully to the voice of the customer helps businesses understand where pain points lie and how to proactively improve the experience.

Customers pay for more than a product or service; they invest in the entire journey. And when that journey goes off-course, a quick fix rarely makes up for the frustration endured.

If your business values customer loyalty, it’s time to rethink how you handle dissatisfaction. Go beyond the immediate solution. Acknowledge your customer’s journey, respect their time, and lead with empathy.

Want to deliver a better customer experience? Let’s talk about how customer journey mapping and listening to the voice of the customer can help your organisation.

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