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Original poster

Cleaner/receptionist did my hair at the salon

209 replies

Brood · 15/11/2025 17:47

An incident happened at my hairdressers today and I’m wondering if I was the unreasonable one. Before I get into that, I have been going to this salon for about 15 years. I attend between once a week and once a month.

In the past year, there have been issues I’ve been unhappy about. I’ll name two.

I like to get my hair blow dried on Sunday to do me for the working week. On one occasion, the stylist called over a girl working there cleaning the salon and told her it was an opportunity for her to learn. She blow dried and curled half my head of hair while the stylist did the other side. I paid full price but the side the unqualified girl did fell out before I got home.

Another time this unqualified girl rubbed in my colour and washed my hair even though I was booked in with the professional. I again paid full price but my colour wasn’t done right - she missed bits and didn’t put it at the start of the root and I had to wash it myself after 2 days.

I booked in to get my hair done today. The stylist was about 30 minutes late starting - this can be pretty typical, which can be a bit irritating if I’ve rushed to get there on time & could have been getting a coffee in the time I’m sitting waiting. It’s even more annoying that no staff members approach me to inform me how long the delay will be instead walking by me ignoring me.

When the hairdresser eventually came out, she sat me down & cloaked me up & went off to mix my colour. Then she disappeared into the staff kitchen. The same girl from before who works on reception and helps out sweeping the floor etc. came over and started rubbing in my colour independently. She got it all over my face, in my ears and down the back of my neck. After about an hour she came back to wash it out. During the wash, she applied very little pressure and I could tell when I got up the colour wasn’t properly washed out, she applied no conditioner and my hair was full of knots.

The stylist I was booked in with came over and told me this girl was going to start to blow dry my hair. I told her I would prefer to wait until she was ready to do it explaining I had booked in with her. I stressed that I had booked in with her for my colour and wash too. She said she was running behind. I told her if she didn’t have time to do it, I’d prefer to go home and do it myself. I then got up and went to pay. She followed me and I explained that when I ring a professional hairdressing salon to get my hair done, I want it done by a professional. I was told on the phone a professional would be doing it.

I explained that I had got my hair done before at hairdressing colleges and booked in with a student there where I would be charged half price. I explained that the girl who did my hair was not a student, had no hairdressing training and if I wanted an unprofessional job, I could do it myself and save my time and money.

I also said that it should be made clear on the phone if there is no professional available and that it’s not fair to the customer or the girl to be put in the position we were put in.

They asked me if they could clean the dye off me as it was all over my face and neck. I pointed out that it was that way because I had been placed in the hands of someone who wasn’t a professional

The stylist said sorry but I didn’t feel she really meant it. She said things got backed up and she felt it would be better for me to get my hair done with someone rather than no- one. I mean, really?! The manager seemed horrified but she was fully aware of what was going on. I think she was more horrified that they were being called out on it.

Am I the unreasonable one in this situation. Is it too much to expect that if I book in to get my hair professionally done and I am being charged professional prices that I get a professional job?

I came home with wet hair full of knots and spent about 15 minutes removing dye with nail varnish remover. I had a planned date but ended up cancelling it

Do you think this is ok?

OP posts:
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GooseberryGreen · 14/12/2025 19:44

I was a shampoo girl as a student. For one pp, if you feel it gets cleaner at the salon it's probably because we were taught to concentrate on the scalp rather than the hair and do the whole scalp. Honestly, my role was junior dogsbody and included things like cleaning up the perm rods and stuff - the place had an older clientele. I was never let loose blow waving hair or applying tint - it would have been unthinkable.

Having had my hair dyed professionally for over 40 years, I can tell you that I keep a very close eye on how the salon is run. My idea of a wellrun salon does not include a trainee carpenter doing hair or rushed appointments! The other thing is that a good hairdresser is generally booked solid - I book my appointments for the year at the start of the year for the whole year.

I have never had my colour be described as being rubbed in - your hair should be sectioned and the regrowth alone done with a tint brush though with me - maybe once a year - the colour might be combed through to refresh any faded ends. It can be almost unavoidable with very dark hair and light skin to avoid a slight swarthiness along the hairline even with using a barrier type cream along the front hairline. But there is no way a professional colour should be sliding down your neck and dripping anywhere. Now I'm a blonde I wouldn't expect to emerge from the hairwashing with any staining at all.

I tend to stay loyal to my hairdresser for years but when they have moved or stopped hairdressing and I have occasionally have had to change I have specified I want a senior doing my hair including mixing the tint. I don't mind about the hair washing being done by a junior. If I'm staying at the salon and I can't follow the hairdresser who is leaving I will ask them for their recommendation as to who else in the salon would be a good choice and they'll do a bit of a handover. By the way if most of the salon is rubbish, good hairdressers won't stay - you usually don't get one great hairdresser among the dross. It's not good for them getting referrals and so on.

Daftypants · 22/11/2025 19:17

Wexone · 17/11/2025 09:47

May be weird to you but its quite common, I remember my nana getting her hair done every week, every Saturday morning head down to her girl for her wash and set , hair wouldn't be washed all week. I only wash my hair once a week, very long thick dry hair, before covid would have been about two or three times a week, but during lockdowns as wasnt going anywhere trained my hair to stretch out washing, now have it once a week, might need a bit of dry shampoo towards end of week some weeks but other than that never gets greasy. If i get a good blow dry even better. My own sis is similar, she travels a lot for work and has a blow dry every sat morning, saves her time during week and her hair is presentable, normally Thursday and Friday she WFH so as she says she just throws it up in a bun and its fine. Hairdressers have always complimented my hair, its in great condition, i have a good extractor fan so cooking smells don't linger in my house let alone my hair, also sleep on a silk pillow case and hair is tied up in silk scrunchy at night.
For anyone looking for a good dry shampoo, i highly recommend K18 airwash dry shampoo, put it on the night before so works as you sleep its amazing

Show quote history

Thanks for the dry shampoo recommendation!
I have fine hair but lots of it , I used to wash my hair every other day but I don’t do that now .
i wash one day eg ) Sunday morning, then Monday it looks good and Tuesday it’s in need of something to freshen it a bit ..I then wash on Wednesday

HevenlyMeS · 21/11/2025 20:40

Yes completely concur with you & she can also learn to do her hair herself at home, so she's not needing to rely on hairdressers then, at all 💚

PeppyRoseBeaker · 20/11/2025 18:15

Change your salon 🤷🏼‍♀️

daleylama · 19/11/2025 18:45

Brood · 15/11/2025 18:14

I think that’s why I got up and left. I was blindsided when she started rubbing the colour in and then realised after she had started that the stylist had disappeared. I was growing increasingly annoyed that the stylist hadn’t reappeared when the time came wash it out and the unqualified girl was doing such a bad job at washing it out (it took about 30 minutes) and it still wasn’t washed out properly, I sat there and told myself that I’ll wait and see if they try to repair this but if the unqualified girl is assigned to blow dry it, I told myself I’d leave. I am annoyed I didn’t say anything sooner

Show quote history

"rubbing the colour in??" Who does that! In a pro salon!!

PeppyRoseBeaker · 18/11/2025 11:25

Change your salon 🤷🏼‍♀️

HevenlyMeS · 17/11/2025 22:13

You're most surely not,,, a difficult customer in any way shape or form
God Bless You
Actually you're the most patient person I've read about in these types of unfair, Mickey taking circumstances
🫂

HevenlyMeS · 17/11/2025 22:06

Greetings original commenter
God Bless You 🫂😢🙏
I'm so sorry to know you went through all this & must comment I'm completely unsurprised because I've had numerous countless upsetting experiences with hairdressers & been palmed off, onto the unqualified trainee etc - Without being forewarned, just at the last minute, when it seems & feels oftentimes, just too late to oppose - They just tell the unqualified one to get on with & don't even request if this is ok with you! It is shocking behaviour & unacceptable & for them very reasons, I've now not been to a hairdressers for at least approximately 18 years
Even then, the last time I went, it was just for hair extensions to cover all the damage previous hairdressers had done to my hair with bad hair dyes etc
My heart really goes out to you & I believe you did phenomenally well to remain so calm & be so politely assertive - More, much, much more, than they deserved most surely
God Bless You
Wishing you all the utmost very best from this day forth 💚🫂💚

Mummblebee · 17/11/2025 15:44

I remember when I got my hair done and the nail technician was shampooing and conditioning my har. I was not impressed as it was an expensive service ( I got balayage). I stopped going there.

Jennick · 17/11/2025 15:22

Vote with your feet

JediNinja · 17/11/2025 14:16

I don't think the OP did an exact calculation of what a 15% would be like in exact appointment numbers, more of an estimate based on "I'm usually happy but once in a while I'm not and this is now becoming more common". I wouldn't be clinging to the exact statistics. And plenty of hairdressers open on a Sunday. Even the North West, for that PP mentioning this. At least 4 salons around me do. Half of the barbers too. It's like some people are hunting for what they perceive as inconsistencies when in a normal conversation we would be bringing these facts and no one would be derailing the discussion with such minute detail.

OP, change hairdresser. It might take you a while to find one you love but you will probably be treated better whilst testing some out, just because of being a new client they want to keep. There is no reason to go back to yours: your preferred stylist has never got room, the one that does has now received a complaint from you and won't be a nice relaxed atmosphere, her besties will be on her side, the weekend girl will still be around and will probably need to help even with another stylist, I see no benefit or positive outcome from returning.

alondonerabroad · 17/11/2025 12:56

Wexone · 16/11/2025 15:32

totally agree a good blow dry will last a week. even a beauty writer wrote an article on how a good blow dry will.last one week. I only wash my hair once a week anyway but if got a good blow dry don't need any dry shampoo towards the end of the week. love it and if could afford it would get it done every week

Show quote history

I used to do same. 6.30am gym session / shower then straight to hairdressers for a blow dry that lasted the whole week, even with sweaty sessions in between. Sometimes you can get blow dries done on model nights for about £10/15 which I sometimes do now. Look at your local or even high end city salons for their model day/nights. It’s trainees, granted, but sometimes I’ve had a top hairdresser finish it off or actually do the whole blow dry as a teaching session.

AlohaRose · 17/11/2025 11:32

I appreciate you have been going to this salon for 15 years but if you say you go between once a week and once a month then at a minimum of 15 appointments per year over 15 years, and 15% of the time you have been unhappy, experienced poor service, Excessive delays, sloppy colour etc then that is over 30 times that you have left the salon MINIMUM not being happy. I honestly can’t understand why you have put up with it for so long, definitely time to move.

BauhausOfEliott · 17/11/2025 10:56

The 'cleaner/receptionist' girl is probably an apprentice or trainee. I'd expect her to do things like washing clients' hair and rinsing out colour, maybe at most a 'blast-off' quick dry for a customer who's having a wet cut rather than a cut and blow-dry. Anything else should be done either by a qualified stylist or (with your permission only and for a cheaper price!) by the apprentice but with a qualified stylist supervising, correcting and taking over if anything isn't quite right. No way should be they be letting someone unqualified apply your colour or cut your hair unsupervised.

If they want an apprentice/Saturday kid/anyone unqualified to do anything to your hair other than wash it, they should be discussing that with you first, charging you a reduced price, and supervising them.

At the place I go to, the salon owner (who is also my regular stylist) is very big on training/education and always has a couple of junior staff who sweep up, make the tea, wash hair and answer the phones and are also training. I'm a regular customer of about a decade now and she'll sometimes ask if I mind an apprentice applying a treatment or something as part of their training, which I'm fine with. I've also had a trim (one length cut, blunt fringe so nothing tricky!) where the apprentice did it and the stylist supervised - with my permission - and I only got charged about a quarter of the the usual price.

Wexone · 17/11/2025 10:30

Brood · 17/11/2025 10:19

This sounds exactly like my hair. The hairdressers told me it was in such bad condition before because I was washing it too often. I was getting dermatitis also.

The weekly blowdry isn’t unusual at all. Lots of my work colleagues and neighbours do the same. I’d love to know how they wash it so well at the hairdressers though. The wash is probably slightly more important to me than the blowdry which is why I don’t like when they just throw someone in who doesn’t do a good job. I like to benefit from the low maintenance during the week. When I wash it at home, I never get as long out of it

Show quote history

Yes exactly the wash in its self is just as important as the blow dry, i actually dunno how they do it but it feels unreal. Same as you , get a bit hmm when a junior washes it, but never experienced what you have experienced :(
My hairdresser also tells me not to have my hair washed when come in for my color and cut as it affects the colour sticking.
yes its quite common in work for people to do it, more so in my sisters work as she is client facing most of time, one of her colleagues told her to do it many years ago, its now included in her weekly budget and is a none negotiable, even in her maternity leave she kept it up 😂
My husband can not understand it, as soon as we get an invite o a night out or are going away etc, i book to get my blow dry, 😂Go on hols i source a hairdresser all the time

Original poster
Brood · 17/11/2025 10:19

Wexone · 17/11/2025 09:56

My scalp doesn't sweat really though ? i have very dry hair and washing it too much makes my scalp flaky as well as my hair dry and brittle, so by washing it less keeping it in good condition. As i said all hairdressers have said to me you have excellent hair. By washing your hair too much you are stripping the scalp of its natural oils, prompting it to produce more sebum to compensate. Over washing can also cause product build up and that leads to more greasy hair

By the way i remember my nana still doing in in the 2000's and well up to when she died in 2020

Show quote history

This sounds exactly like my hair. The hairdressers told me it was in such bad condition before because I was washing it too often. I was getting dermatitis also.

The weekly blowdry isn’t unusual at all. Lots of my work colleagues and neighbours do the same. I’d love to know how they wash it so well at the hairdressers though. The wash is probably slightly more important to me than the blowdry which is why I don’t like when they just throw someone in who doesn’t do a good job. I like to benefit from the low maintenance during the week. When I wash it at home, I never get as long out of it

OP posts:
Wexone · 17/11/2025 09:56

Barnbrack · 17/11/2025 09:49

Yes, in the 1950s and 1960s it will have been quite common I'm sure. You still sweat. Doesn't the idea of a sweaty scalp make you 🤢

Show quote history

My scalp doesn't sweat really though ? i have very dry hair and washing it too much makes my scalp flaky as well as my hair dry and brittle, so by washing it less keeping it in good condition. As i said all hairdressers have said to me you have excellent hair. By washing your hair too much you are stripping the scalp of its natural oils, prompting it to produce more sebum to compensate. Over washing can also cause product build up and that leads to more greasy hair

By the way i remember my nana still doing in in the 2000's and well up to when she died in 2020

Barnbrack · 17/11/2025 09:49

Wexone · 17/11/2025 09:47

May be weird to you but its quite common, I remember my nana getting her hair done every week, every Saturday morning head down to her girl for her wash and set , hair wouldn't be washed all week. I only wash my hair once a week, very long thick dry hair, before covid would have been about two or three times a week, but during lockdowns as wasnt going anywhere trained my hair to stretch out washing, now have it once a week, might need a bit of dry shampoo towards end of week some weeks but other than that never gets greasy. If i get a good blow dry even better. My own sis is similar, she travels a lot for work and has a blow dry every sat morning, saves her time during week and her hair is presentable, normally Thursday and Friday she WFH so as she says she just throws it up in a bun and its fine. Hairdressers have always complimented my hair, its in great condition, i have a good extractor fan so cooking smells don't linger in my house let alone my hair, also sleep on a silk pillow case and hair is tied up in silk scrunchy at night.
For anyone looking for a good dry shampoo, i highly recommend K18 airwash dry shampoo, put it on the night before so works as you sleep its amazing

Show quote history

Yes, in the 1950s and 1960s it will have been quite common I'm sure. You still sweat. Doesn't the idea of a sweaty scalp make you 🤢

FlynnD93 · 17/11/2025 09:47

Brood · 15/11/2025 17:47

An incident happened at my hairdressers today and I’m wondering if I was the unreasonable one. Before I get into that, I have been going to this salon for about 15 years. I attend between once a week and once a month.

In the past year, there have been issues I’ve been unhappy about. I’ll name two.

I like to get my hair blow dried on Sunday to do me for the working week. On one occasion, the stylist called over a girl working there cleaning the salon and told her it was an opportunity for her to learn. She blow dried and curled half my head of hair while the stylist did the other side. I paid full price but the side the unqualified girl did fell out before I got home.

Another time this unqualified girl rubbed in my colour and washed my hair even though I was booked in with the professional. I again paid full price but my colour wasn’t done right - she missed bits and didn’t put it at the start of the root and I had to wash it myself after 2 days.

I booked in to get my hair done today. The stylist was about 30 minutes late starting - this can be pretty typical, which can be a bit irritating if I’ve rushed to get there on time & could have been getting a coffee in the time I’m sitting waiting. It’s even more annoying that no staff members approach me to inform me how long the delay will be instead walking by me ignoring me.

When the hairdresser eventually came out, she sat me down & cloaked me up & went off to mix my colour. Then she disappeared into the staff kitchen. The same girl from before who works on reception and helps out sweeping the floor etc. came over and started rubbing in my colour independently. She got it all over my face, in my ears and down the back of my neck. After about an hour she came back to wash it out. During the wash, she applied very little pressure and I could tell when I got up the colour wasn’t properly washed out, she applied no conditioner and my hair was full of knots.

The stylist I was booked in with came over and told me this girl was going to start to blow dry my hair. I told her I would prefer to wait until she was ready to do it explaining I had booked in with her. I stressed that I had booked in with her for my colour and wash too. She said she was running behind. I told her if she didn’t have time to do it, I’d prefer to go home and do it myself. I then got up and went to pay. She followed me and I explained that when I ring a professional hairdressing salon to get my hair done, I want it done by a professional. I was told on the phone a professional would be doing it.

I explained that I had got my hair done before at hairdressing colleges and booked in with a student there where I would be charged half price. I explained that the girl who did my hair was not a student, had no hairdressing training and if I wanted an unprofessional job, I could do it myself and save my time and money.

I also said that it should be made clear on the phone if there is no professional available and that it’s not fair to the customer or the girl to be put in the position we were put in.

They asked me if they could clean the dye off me as it was all over my face and neck. I pointed out that it was that way because I had been placed in the hands of someone who wasn’t a professional

The stylist said sorry but I didn’t feel she really meant it. She said things got backed up and she felt it would be better for me to get my hair done with someone rather than no- one. I mean, really?! The manager seemed horrified but she was fully aware of what was going on. I think she was more horrified that they were being called out on it.

Am I the unreasonable one in this situation. Is it too much to expect that if I book in to get my hair professionally done and I am being charged professional prices that I get a professional job?

I came home with wet hair full of knots and spent about 15 minutes removing dye with nail varnish remover. I had a planned date but ended up cancelling it

Do you think this is ok?

YANBU
You've been loyal for 15yrs, they are taking advantage of that knowing you’ll be back no matter what! They have become completely and utterly complacent with you! Time to find yourself a new hairdresser they do not deserve your hard earned money!
incidentally they charge you on your last visit???

Wexone · 17/11/2025 09:47

Barnbrack · 16/11/2025 23:56

You still sweat even if it's not oily.

I don't wash my hair every day, 3 times a week ish, but mon-fru not washing? What about cooking smells and things. That's so weird to me

Show quote history

May be weird to you but its quite common, I remember my nana getting her hair done every week, every Saturday morning head down to her girl for her wash and set , hair wouldn't be washed all week. I only wash my hair once a week, very long thick dry hair, before covid would have been about two or three times a week, but during lockdowns as wasnt going anywhere trained my hair to stretch out washing, now have it once a week, might need a bit of dry shampoo towards end of week some weeks but other than that never gets greasy. If i get a good blow dry even better. My own sis is similar, she travels a lot for work and has a blow dry every sat morning, saves her time during week and her hair is presentable, normally Thursday and Friday she WFH so as she says she just throws it up in a bun and its fine. Hairdressers have always complimented my hair, its in great condition, i have a good extractor fan so cooking smells don't linger in my house let alone my hair, also sleep on a silk pillow case and hair is tied up in silk scrunchy at night.
For anyone looking for a good dry shampoo, i highly recommend K18 airwash dry shampoo, put it on the night before so works as you sleep its amazing

Ihatetomatoes · 17/11/2025 09:45

TheWytch · 15/11/2025 17:53

You know it's not OK

Why did you go back after the first two instances?

This.

Find a more professional salon. Stop going back!

MrsOlderButWiser · 17/11/2025 09:34

Don't go back there.
Don't recommend the salon.
Find somewhere else and go on recommendation from your friends. I personally wouldn't have gone back after the first occasion. I would have complained about it there and then.

Chickadee001 · 17/11/2025 06:14

You're answering your own question so find another salon!

Icybird45 · 17/11/2025 05:23

Shite salon
But your mistake was to back after the first mistake,and then the second and hopefully after a third mistake you will find a new hairdresser
I hope you didn't pay

IamtheDevilsAvocado · 17/11/2025 05:02

Brood · 15/11/2025 17:57

This girl isn’t a trainee. She’s in college studying to be a teacher and just helps clean the salon and works on reception at the weekend. She has no training of any kind at all

Show quote history

This is breathtaking....!!

Why would you even pay?? They're treating you and your custom with contempt!

Would they ask a passing postman to pop in and have a go at doing someone's hair 😂😂