A mother recently took to social media to express anger over her child’s haircut, claiming it looked like it was “bitten by a dog”.
The post quickly went viral and sparked heated discussion online.
The incident happened at a hair salon in Kulai, Johor.
Owner responds and apologises
After the post went public, the salon owner immediately reached out to the mother to apologise.
Following a discussion, the original post was later removed.
Even so, the salon took responsibility.
The owner, identified as Cheong Kok Fai (transliteration), along with three members of the management team, shaved their heads as an act of apology.
Their gesture once again drew attention online.
Not a publicity stunt, says owner
Cheong told the Sin Chew Daily during a charity haircut event that it was his first time going bald in over 40 years.
He shared that his daughter disliked the new look and even his elderly father called to comfort him, worried about the online backlash.
When asked whether this was just a publicity stunt, Cheong denied it.
He revealed that one of his managers even attended a wedding ceremony bald and will have his own wedding at the end of the month — proof that it wasn’t done for promotion.
No one shaves their head for no reason — it takes courage,” he said.
Cheong stressed that they took this step to show responsibility.
He believes that if a trainee makes a mistake, the mentor must also be accountable.
The head-shaving was meant to let the child and the public know that they truly regret the incident and are not avoiding blame.
Although Cheong had already apologised in the comments section of the original post, he said he wasn’t given a chance to respond or make things right at the time. That led to their decision to apologise publicly.
New policy for unsatisfied customers
As a follow-up measure, the salon announced a special policy at its Kulai branch.
From now until Nov 30, they are offering a “No Charge If You’re Not Satisfied” guarantee. Customers who are unhappy with their haircut will not be charged, as part of the salon’s effort to improve and take responsibility.
