A Letter to Pantene

I have to admit, I'm a little bit disappointed in you. I thought I could count on you to stay behind the times and not give people what they really need for their hair. I thought you were just some other store-brand shampoo, that I didn't have to worry that you would compete for sales in the salon. I thought you would stay in your own market - and out of mine. Well, I guess I was wrong about you! You've come up with a great new line of products that give savvy consumers choices for their hair needs. And you've even given them a website to help them figure out just what those hair needs are.

I'm sure that you are really proud of your new, pretty website. All a client has to do is go to www.pantene.com and click on "personalized consultation," and they will have instant access to a special tool that will help them figure out exactly what shampoo, conditioner and styling products they need for their hair, whether it is color-treated, curly or straight. I had to see for myself, and I was impressed with the websites' questions. They were simple, clear and to the point. I answered about seven questions, and the Pantene personal consultation tool told me that I needed Pantene Color Preserve Shine products. So that's what I got, because I needed to try out this competition for myself.

I color my hair pretty frequently, so it's a bit porous in spots, and it tends to fade pretty fast. In fact, even some salon brand shampoos fade my hair color. And my hair is pretty fine, so most conditioners just weigh it down and make it flat and heavy. This is what I was expecting, but it's not what I got when I tried out the new Pantene products.

Pantene, I don't like to say it, but you caught me off guard. Completely. I was not expecting to get shiny, healthy hair from a store brand product. I certainly wasn't expecting that my hair would have body, fullness and yes, even shine. I was expecting faded color and weighed down, dull hair. But you turned the tables on my color-treated hair. You far outshined my expectations, and I feel a little bit sheepish about that. There's a lot more to you, Pantene, than meets the eye.

What really gets me is the price. I try to make an honest living, selling great products to my clients when I do their hair. But do you really have to sell a 12.6 ounce bottle of shampoo in your e-store for just $4.19? You make it awfully hard - if not impossible - to tell clients that they are getting an inferior product when they spend under five dollars.

So just for future reference, please stop being my competition, because I'm having trouble keeping up with 24-7 access to advice, easy online ordering, and really great prices on products that meet my customers needs. Thanks a lot, Pantene!

Sincerely,
The Brooding Beautician