South Africa, May 6 -- As your manager drones on about punctuality (oh, the irony), you suddenly remember you forgot to get a quick hair trim earlier this week. Panic sets in. You want to look your best for tonight, but you can't step out to call your hairdresser, and this meeting shows no signs of ending soon.

Desperate, you check the website of your usual salon, Stylers Inc. The only contact options? A landline and an email. The odds of getting a quick response to an email? Almost zero.

You start browsing for alternatives and find The Snip Spot, a salon closer to home. A WhatsApp number is listed - perfect! You send a message asking to make an appointment for a summer trim at 5pm, expecting to wait a few minutes for a human on the oth...