Shocked that hairdresser cancelled my appt because I was late!

[Adnerb95]

1st time at a new hairdressers this afternoon. Appointment was at 4:15pm for a cut and blow dry. I work 20 mins away, left in plenty of time but there had been an accident and so major traffic delays. I ended up arriving at the salon 8 mins late to be told by the stylist that she wouldn't be able to do my hair now, because she had another client at 5pm"and the turnaround is very tight".

I was almost speechless - never had that response before on the (rare!) occasions over the years when I have been a few minutes late.

It got worse. I was desperate to have a haircut so suggested that we forget the blowdry and I just have a dry cut. "We don't do that" . "Well, why not do a wet cut? That way, there is still plenty of time, since you won't be blow drying my hair, before your next client"

"We don't do that"

.??????????????.

I think this is not only ridiculous but completely unreasonable or is it me?

I have emailed the owner in advance of posting a public review to give her a chance of responding. In the meantime, I have now booked with another salon for a couple of days time (checked their policy - "we wouldn't cancel an appointment unless a client was at least 15 mins late")

Not only do the first salon have a very disgruntled customer who will certainly not recommend them, but they have lost my business for the next 4/5 years, probably. I was looking for a replacement for my lovely hairdresser of the last 7 years who has left for Scotland. So pretty naff commercial decision as well.

I'm not sure I believe their story of the other client. Very unprofessional of them if they're telling the truth OP.

I wouldn't go back. Ask around, get some recommendations.

It sounds like they were sort of trying to flatter OP that she is an understanding, cool girl customer, not a nasty demanding one. However I wouldn't want to allow them another opportunity to treat me as a second-class customer.

PMSL ^ @herculesupatree

I'm just intrigued that all these people take an hour to have a haircut! I'm usually out (after wash, cut and dry) in 30 minutes! And I have layers and shaping and things, not just chopped to length. I usually don't even get to finish my tea!

What do they do to you in there? Are you all using those big hair setting machines?

"In my experience people who are late always say they were less late than they were though when they complain"

This. I'd wager that it was over 15 minutes once she had found parking etc. I dislike it when I get clients who think I have time to faff around between bookings and it's okay for them to have breakfast, feed their dog, dress their four small children and instruct deliverymen during their two hour hair and makeup booking. I've had clients turn up late (to their own home!!) too - my agency allows us to leave if they are over 20 minutes late and they still pay. That hour or so between bookings doesn't mean I can go over by 20 minutes - I have to clean my brushes, palettes, get to next location and park.

If you have 8 clients who are all 10 minutes late ... then you're 10 minutes late at the end of the day. Unless every time you get a late client you ring the clients for the rest of the day and shift their appointments back 10 minutes. Doh.

And no wonder I'm terrified of hairdressers. It's a whole alien world. 45 minutes is too short?? Where does one find the sort of hairdresser who will just get on and cut hair not ponce on for 45 minutes with consultations and blow drying and head massages and crap? My idea of a good haircut is one that's a done in 10 minutes. I think I need the womens' version of a barber.

Is cutting, after the blow dry, the norm? No one has ever ever cut or adjusted or done anything to my hair, after the blow dry.
My hairdresser always does. Checks for the length of fringe, stray bits at back, overall finish.

And I don't go to a high-end salon. I do, however, probably spend a reasonable whack every six weeks.

user149

You'd wager, would you? I said 8 minutes because it was precisely 8 minutes not 9 minutes, not 10 minutes and not more than 15 minutes.

The owner would surely have challenged - politely - my version of events if this was not the case? She could easily have said " I think your watch may have been a little slow as according to our salon clock it was actually ... etc " but she didn't.

So, go away.

Interesting to note that their salon is very large - room for at least 6/7 stylists, but was empty apart from me and the stylist.

The place I booked at round the corner was crammed to the gunnels with both stylists and clients.

I sort of expect to be waiting 10 mins or so. its not big thing. Mainly because of people like Adnerb who thinks her excuses and time keeping is everyone else's issue as well.

My previous hairdresser before we moved had a women come in for a hair cut/colour with two toddlers whilst I was sitting next to them,

She had long beautiful Asian hair (which I know is tricky and there is so much of it)and said her husband only wanted her to have a very small trim and highlights. Sir, apparently was watching the cricket and couldn't possibly look after them. She then allowed her toddlers to run around the salon on a busy Saturday and when the manager asked her if she could keep them in check she told him that if he wanted clients such as her with no childcare he had to put up with it!

Hiphopcat Of course a bit of a wait (5-15) mins is usual. However, I am in my thirties and have been to quite a few hairdressers all over the place by now and this chain has been the worst for consistently keeping me waiting. The last time they told me to go away and come back again! Eventually the only reason it went ahead is because another stylist squeezed me in.

You were wrong to be late. They were wrong to be completely inflexible. It's not an either or.

Usually I would say YABU as I have friends in the beauty industry who are often held up by challenging clients and especially when its a mobile home visit and clients they keep the therapist waiting which has a huge knock on effect....
but, since you offered to compromise with no blow-dry, so that the next appointment could run on time, I think they were being unreasonable. Vote with your purse!

What happened to the customer is always right? I don't think that you're being unreasonable at all. It's a customer service based business and they should put you first. Especially since it wasn't your fault. Go ahead and post the review.

Pretty unreasonable.... I used to work in this industry and people who are habitual latecomers which it sounds like you are, are the worst. At the end of a long day when you're back to back all day the last thing you need is someone whose late and demanding they be sent away with a rushed cut no blow dry... it's our worst nightmare. Be prepared don't be late and be nice you'll get a much better service ;)

Could you have called to let them know you would be late? If they're a decent hairdresser they won't want you walking out of their establishment looking anything other than coiffed, as anyone seeing you would rightly judge them accordingly. Sorry, but if you've not called in advance to warn them, they're completely right. You've got an appointment time for a reason.

YABU and should have rang ahead if you were going to be late.. why should everyone else's appt run late because you weren't on time?
Also .. some stylists don't like to do half a job i.e. a dry cut

Yanbu if you were only 8 minutes late. And since when do salons tell the client they can't have a dry cut??
I always have a dry cut and am in and out in about 15 mins, costs me a tenner.

I went to a new hairdressers near my house and they've made me wait 15/20 mins past my appointment. it's unfortunate that they treated it the way they did, but maybe it's because you were new and late on your first visit, traffic which I believe you it was is the biggest excuse people use which 50% of the time is probably a lie so they were probably trying to deter you from coming again. they were probably being mean, I have a friend who owns her own salon and she works back to back fitting people in and her policy is customer is always right.

This happened to me. Don't mind saying that it was a Haringtons salon and I'd been going there for regular, expensive, cuts and colours for at least 4 years.
I was going out that evening for a very special event, was having it cut at 4 and then straight into London. My usual hairdresser was away so it was booked with a woman I didn't know. I was 7 minutes late for the appointment due to a major fire elsewhere in the city I live in. I apologised when I got there, she asked me to take a seat. She then came over a few minutes later and not even politely said pretty much what your hairdresser said OP. I explained how important this was, that I wouldn't have time to get home and do anything to my hair myself. I asked if she could just do a blow dry instead. She told me that would be the same length appointment and I was too late. I asked her how this could be and was met with blank stare.
I have never been back. I would never go back. As it happened they are two doors down from an Aveda salon, I went in there, explained I was desperate and they found me s hairdresser within 5 minutes. I was so grateful. I always go to them now.

They could have done a wet cut. When I've had my hair cut I never have this fancy blowdrying brush twirling deal, it's just rough dried, which suits me.. (Hate hate going to the hairdresser!)

A shorter hair wash and head massage would have made up some of the time

Head massage? Never had a head massage at any hairdresser.

I moved house and booked into a local trendy salon.

I had stopped going to my previous hairdresser after an unfortunate incident when she discovered headlice (which was so mortifyingly embarrassing I'm blushing even typing this).

As a result of hairdresser mortification I hadn't been to the hairdresser for months and the last cut had been a walk in one on a work trip when my hair got really scruffy.

Anyway new trendy salon kept me waiting for at least 15 mins, no one even really said "hi" when i went in, they don't have a receptionist midweek, some random bloke walked in, the stylist I subsequently discovered was booked to do my hair came out of the back and started flirting outrageously - he then wet this blokes hair and did a little tidy up. Meanwhile I was still waiting.

The waiting area had one of they stylists dogs running around in it, and there was a grubby old dog towel up on the only seating area for waiting customers. Rightly or wrongly I am not really a dog person and was not madly keen to sit next to the smelly towel or be sniffed at by the dog with no idea really whether it was well behaved.

Stylist finally finished flirting, walk in bloke left and he came over. Sat me down in the chair, didn't introduce himself and proceeded to interrogate me about my hair. I wasn't able to give my instructions in technical enough language. He got really impatient with me. I kept saying I just have a bob - nothing fancy. Eventually after being berated for the third time for not understanding what he was asking me I decided that he wasn't the stylist for me.

I then contacted the salon via FB messenger and got a very patronising message about "the ethos of the area" is very inclusive, dogs in premises aren't unusual round here etc.

I take great delight every time in walking past in noting the vacant salon which went bust shortly afterwards.

I slunk back to my old stylist. We had a laugh about the headlice and 2 years Iate I'm still going to her.

Moral: it will bite them on the ass.

I went to a hairdressers once booked a time and then when inwent there was waiting over a hour and half to be seen. She kept seeing other customers who walked in just for a simple cut.kids and men. I was like helllo im stil here i actually booked in they never.