The English language is gendered, with her, he, and them, a constant element of everyday conversation. As a result, failing to ask for preferred pronouns results in confusion, awkwardness, and upset when gender is used in conversation for many people across the UK.

Rob Czlapka is leading the way with his salons Barber Below and RCNQ by adding pronoun options for all appointments to their booking system, and advocating for every salon, retail, and hospitality business to do the same.

The booking system provider, Timely, is thrilled with the idea. They are planning to roll this option out for all of their partnered salons globally.

But the response from other providers hasn’t been as positive. Of all the major booking systems Rob reached out to, only Timely and another company responded.

Rob Czlapka, Head Stylist and Owner of Manchester-based Barber Below, has this to say: “Booking systems across the hair salon industry, and across retail and hospitality as a whole are outdated.

“You have the option to select the title of Mr, Mrs, or Miss, but not the option to state your preferred pronouns, which causes many non-binary and trans people to be misgendered. As part of the queer community I’ve seen the impact this has had on my LGBTQ+ friends.

“Hairdressers are a welcoming place. You can sit down, have a cup of tea, and talk about your week. Every customer should feel welcomed, and a huge part of this is asking rather than assuming pronouns. For Pride Month 2021, retail and hospitality should push for more inclusivity.

“Hair can completely change someone’s appearance and the gender that they present themselves as, so hairdressers should never assume a customer’s gender.

“We believe hairdressers should always ask for pronouns, but this shouldn’t be a question at the appointment. This should be an option at the booking stage.

“If your appointment system asks for titles, why shouldn’t it also ask for pronouns?”

Barber Below is raising awareness of this issue to encourage change across salon booking systems, retail, and hospitality, across the globe.

Rob continues: “Many of these booking systems are global. So even if a few salons, hairdressers, and customers ask for pronouns to be added to forms, this could change booking systems across many countries. Adding pronouns to booking systems could help people across the world feel more welcomed into their local salons.”