Long live NCDRC

Giving a bad haircut to a customer turned out to be awfully expensive for the Chennai-based ITC Maurya, which has been asked to pay Rs 2 crore in compensation to the woman by the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC), given the mental trauma she underwent due to the negligence of a hair professional at the five-star hotel’s salon.

The complainant, a 42-year-old woman, had gone to the hotel’s salon on April 18, 2018, for a haircut before an important interview. However, despite her instructions for flicks in front and a 4-inch trim from the bottom, the hairdresser at the said salon chopped off her long hair. The woman in her complaint said she wear spectacles, which were taken off for the haircut, and was also asked by the hairdresser to keep her head down, and hence she could not see herself clearly in the mirror and noticed her hair only after it was trimmed entirely.

To the utter shock and surprise of the complainant, the hairdresser chopped off her entire hair leaving only 4 inches from the top and barely touching to her shoulders,” she alleged.

The salon, in apology, did not charge her for the service but also did not take any action against the negligent hairdresser. In her complaint, the woman also alleged that the general manager of the salon misbehaved with her when she reached out to him to look into the matter. Hence, she ended up calling Dipak Haksar, the then CEO of ITC Hotels and apprised him about the episode, said the court judgement. ITC Maurya, she said, offered her free hair extension and treatment but she again suffered negligence at the hands of salon professionals.

“During the hair treatment, her hair and scalp got completely damaged with excess ammonia and there was a lot of irritation in the scalp,” her complaint against the hotel salon said.

According to the court order, the complainant aspired to become a top model and had modelled for brands such as VLCC and Pantene in the past but due to the loss of her long hair, she could not follow her dream. Furthermore, the judgment noted, she underwent severe mental breakdown and trauma due to the negligence and could not perform at her workplace, where she worked as a senior management professional and ended up losing her job eventually.

Due to haircutting against her instructions, she lost her expected assignments and suffered a huge loss which completely changed her lifestyle and shattered her dream to be a top model,” noted the court order.

Considering her mental trauma and loss, the court has directed ITC Maurya to pay Rs 2 crore to the woman as compensation.

“There is no doubt that women are very cautious and careful with regard to their hair. They spend a handsome amount on keeping the hair in good condition. They are also emotionally attached with their hair,” the court said in its judgement. more