Salon Etiquette in Vietnam: How Things Are Usually Done

Most newcomers work out the practical side of a salon appointment quite quickly. What takes longer is the social side: how people book, what counts as enough notice, whether to tip, how to ask for the same person again. Very little of it is written down, and the customs you brought with you may not match.

Booking: the phone and Zalo do most of the work

Vietnam runs on messaging apps, and Zalo in particular. Many salons treat a Zalo message as the normal way to book, and it is the easiest route if you are not confident speaking Vietnamese on the phone. Writing also leaves a record of what was agreed.

One thing to sort out first: Zalo is tied to a phone number, so in practice you need a local SIM before you can use it. If you have only just landed, phone or email until you have one.

• Send the request in one message rather than several fragments. The day, the rough time, what you are coming in for and your name are enough to work with.
• Wait for an actual confirmation before treating the appointment as made. A message that has been read is not the same as a slot that has been held.
• Keep the thread; replying in the same conversation later saves everyone the work of recognising you again.

Phone calls are still perfectly normal, and for same-day requests they are usually faster. If the language is difficult, saying your name slowly and asking whether someone who speaks English is available is a reasonable opening, and it is not rude.

Running late, and saying so

Traffic here is unpredictable enough that being delayed is unremarkable, and in the wet months a street that floods can add half an hour with no warning. Being delayed silently is what causes problems. A short message as soon as you know is the whole of the etiquette. One line saying roughly how late you will be is enough.

A salon may hold the appointment, adjust what is possible in the time left, or ask to move you. All of those are normal, not a judgement, and it helps to accept the shorter version gracefully, since the people booked after you are also waiting.

Asking for the same person again

Requesting a particular stylist is completely ordinary here and is not treated as an imposition. The practical part is being able to name the person, so ask at the end of an appointment you were happy with and write the name down. Descriptions rarely survive the retelling.

A specific person also means specific availability, so the more attached you are to one stylist, the more it pays to book ahead. If that person is not free and you are offered someone else, it is entirely acceptable to say you would rather wait, and easier for everyone than accepting reluctantly.

While you are in the chair

Conversation norms sit in the middle here. Small talk is common and friendly, but nobody expects you to keep it going, and quiet is not read as coldness. If you would rather rest, saying you are tired and happy to sit quietly is taken at face value.

Some smaller points that come up often:

• Phones are fine, though it is easier for the person working if calls happen before or after instead of mid-service. If one is unavoidable, saying so first is courteous.
• The shampoo is usually longer than you may be used to, and often includes a head, neck and shoulder massage. It is a normal part of the appointment, not an extra. If the pressure, the water temperature or the angle of your neck is uncomfortable, say so at the time, while it is still useful.
• You may be asked partway through whether things look right. That question is genuine. It is the point at which adjusting is still straightforward, so answer it honestly rather than politely.
• Photographs of finished hair are commonly taken for the salon’s records or social media. You are free to decline, and no reason is required.

Tipping

Tipping in Vietnam is customary in some settings and optional in others. In salons it happens, but it is genuinely optional, and plenty of people here do not tip at all. If you are pleased with the work, leaving something is a normal way to say so; if you are not in the habit, you are not breaching anything.

The mechanics matter more than the amount. Practices differ: in some salons tips go to the individual, in others they are shared among the team, including the people who washed your hair. Handing it directly to the person, or asking at the counter how they prefer it, avoids guessing, and cash is simplest, since a tip added to a card payment or a bank transfer does not always reach the person who did the work. Most people here pay by QR transfer and carry no cash at all, so if that is you and you want to leave something, just ask at the counter how they would like it. If you would rather not tip, a clear word about what you liked, or coming back and asking for the same person, carries weight in its own way.

Changing or cancelling

Cancelling is fine. Vanishing without a word is what makes the next booking awkward. As soon as you know you cannot come, send a message on the same thread you booked in. There is no need for an explanation.

• If you want to move an appointment, propose an alternative in the same message. It saves a round of back and forth.
• If you booked something substantial and now want something much smaller, say so beforehand; the time set aside was based on the original request.

One piece of timing worth knowing in advance: the week or two before Tết is the busiest stretch of the year in every salon in the city, and many close for several days afterwards. If you want an appointment in that period, book it well before you would normally think to.

Underneath all of it is one habit, not a list of rules: tell the salon what is happening, early and plainly. Almost every awkward situation is information that arrived too late.

A note from emo.

We see a lot of people who are new to the city, and questions about how things are done here are welcome at any point. If something is unclear, whether it is how to book, how to reach us or what to expect on the day, ask and we can tell you plainly. emo. Hair Salon is in District 7, at 14 Raymondienne in the Starhill area of Phường Tân Mỹ, near Crescent Mall and Phú Mỹ Hưng.

We speak English, Japanese, Vietnamese, Chinese and Korean.

To book, call us or message us on Zalo. Online booking is also available, but please note the booking page is in Japanese only.

• Phone: 0707 177 290
• Zalo: Message us on Zalo
• Online booking (Japanese only): Book via Reservia

emo. Hair Salon
14 Raymondienne, khu Starhill, phường Tân Mỹ, Quận 7, Ho Chi Minh City (near Crescent Mall, in Phú Mỹ Hưng)
Tue–Fri 9:00–19:00 (last cut 18:00) / Sat–Sun 9:00–18:30 (last cut 17:30) / Closed Mondays