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?