Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

To wonder why hairdressers seem to struggle with time keeping?

74 replies

WillGymForPizza · 08/05/2019 19:11

Ive just come back from having my roots done and am ever so slightly pissed off at how long I was made to wait around for. First when I arrived my stylist was still doing the foils of another client, she smiled over at me and said she'd be with my in a minute. 10 minutes later, she finally comes over to me. Ok, not great, but not that bad either.

My colour is on for 40 minutes and is then rinsed off one of the juniors as is standard. She then leads me to my chair to wait for the stylist to cut and style my hair. She is still drying the client who's foils she'd been doing when I arrived. But my God did she faff. Then once she'd finished the blow dry, she starts straightening it. So I wait and wait. 30 minutes later I'm still sat there while she faffed over this other woman's hair. It really doesn't take that long to straighten and style anyone's hair. Then the products were added, then she was shown the back with the mirror. Then of course she had to pay. It was absurd.

Finally she comes over to me apologises and said the previous clients hair had taken 'longer than it should'. Yes, love because you have faffed over it. But I accept the apology. Then just as she starts cutting my hair her next client arrived. She sends her to wait on the sofa she where she must have been sat for nigh on 20 minutes before stylist apologises to me runs off to get a junior to apply her colour and then comes back to me.

Stylist was then really flustered. But honestly it was all her own doing, why book in so many clients for colours and cuts so close together?! It's not rocket science is it? Ive actually left other salons in the past because of this kind of thing. At least I got an apology this time, but that was unusual and if it were my first time there I'd not be going back. Shockingly shit service.

It's not just salons either. My DM has a mobile hairdresser who's sometimes up to 30 minutes late. I can't imagine any other service industry where this kind of thing would be tolerated.

AIBU to think the hair industry needs a kick up the backside?

OP posts:

buttertoasty · 08/05/2019 20:10

I don't have this problem now I go to a much smaller hairdresser (think only 4 seats and 2 wash basins) but it used to really irk me. Especially seeing as you pay for a stylist but then get a junior doing a lot of it

Original poster

WillGymForPizza · 08/05/2019 20:13

The hairdresser herself is really good, and cuts it better than anyone Ive ever gone to. So I didn't make a fuss, and probably won't stop going there. But I do think 30 mins between wash and cut and blow is very excessive.

OP posts:

Cheesetoastsaladcream · 08/05/2019 20:16

They have no concept of anyone else's time being important but theirs. I once went to a hairdressers for a simple cut and blow, the day before I started a new job and the night after I had been in A and E with DH. I was worried about leaving him as he wasn't quite himself, but expected to be 30 mins tops based on previous experience.

I questioned why I'd been waiting so long before the stylist was even ready and was told that there they actually tell you 15 mins early, so you won't hold them up if you're late! I left and never returned.

Dinosforall · 08/05/2019 20:19

I left Rush after two appointments in a row started half an hour late, i believe because of squeezing too many appointments in. And my stylist, though excellent, expressed a racist opinion

My new salon (an independent) also juggles customers eg to use up dead time within colour appointments but I have never been left sitting around.

Emily1091 · 08/05/2019 20:23

Sometimes it can’t be helped if a client shows up 10/20 mins late and are not always in a position to turn away a paying client

PookieDo · 08/05/2019 20:25

I have finally found one who doesn’t do this
But to be fair I don’t get it coloured just cut but they don’t over book and it’s always a good service
I had a mobile hairdresser who I had to give up on because she kept bringing her 2 very small DC and I kept getting shit haircuts. If I went to her house it was just as annoying

SauvingnonBlanketyBlanc · 08/05/2019 20:26

Yanbu,I waited 30 mins last time.

HBStowe · 08/05/2019 20:28

I think it’s partly because it’s hard to judge exactly how long a haircut will take, and because they overbook appointments because so many people cancel or don’t turn up. Sometimes that means they might be over-committed, but I can see why they do it when they might otherwise have an afternoon of no-shows.

Original poster

WillGymForPizza · 08/05/2019 20:34

Emily sorry, but anyone that late shouldn't be seen. Why should I, and everyone else who's managed to arrive on time be made to sit around waiting because of one persons tardiness?

Actually if I was going to be that late I'd reschedule. No way would I saunter in twenty minutes late and expect my appointment to still happen.

OP posts:

Inferiorbeing · 08/05/2019 20:35

We have a local hairdresser who charges by time rather than service to prevent exactly this! Maybe look for a place that does similar?

ooohhhhcrap · 08/05/2019 20:36

Hairdresser of over 20 years here.

I hate nothing more than running behind for my clients however it can't always be helped.

It doesn't happen very often at all but when it does it's genuinely due to clients previously turning up a little late or taking longer during consultation time or even stopping for the loo mid way through.

I have one particular client who I kept waiting for ten minutes once due to the previous lady slipping on her way through the car park and needing to clean herself up abit before we started.
The client waiting was very rude about it and annoyed as I never run behind.
I apologised and explained the only way I could guarantee that won't happen In future would be for her to book my first appointment of the day

The last three times she has been in she has turned up late for the first appointment of the day
The last time I told her that she is making me late for my next clients for the day now and reminded her how annoyed she was at me when it happened to her.
She has promised not to be late next time however I have explained that if she is I won't be offering her a first of the day appointment In future.

It works both ways op

Roominmyhouse · 08/05/2019 20:37

When I worked in a salon there were set amounts of time you were allowed to book fur services. E.g 45 mins for a cut and blow dry, 30 mins for a half head of foils. The boss would not let you book out longer even if you knew your client had thick hair which took longer so it just meant you inevitably ran behind. It’s really hard to make something fit into a time period when it takes longer and the only way to speed up is to do a substandard job. So it’s sometimes a toss up between making people wait or not doing your best job. I’d prefer to make people wait personally rather than lose clients and get complaints.

stucknoue · 08/05/2019 20:42

The problem is clients are late at the beginning of the day, ask for extra services not booked in for (or receptionist didn't write in), it snowballs. Building in a bit of slack obviously would help but that costs money

ShirleyPhallus · 08/05/2019 20:42

Maybe they had a client who is having a difficult time and wanted to chat

It’s a hairdessers not a counselling service.

That first comment is premium MN

Emily1091 · 08/05/2019 20:55

Not everyone is as courteous I’m afraid OP! It’s annoying as hell and has a knock on effect for the next customer and then next customer but once they’ve had their hair done and walking out the door they don’t give a monkeys that your staying behind when you should be at home after a long day on your feet and having to work through lunch! I would recommend getting the first appointment of the day ha ha ha

Blondebombsite83 · 08/05/2019 21:12

I stopped going to Toni and Guy for this reason. They were money grabbing and it was a horrible experience. I now go to an amazing independent where my hairdresser knows that I have loads of hair and makes the appropriate appointment. She is never more than 5 minutes late and if she is late she gets someone to make me a brew and wash my hair

AlexaAmbidextra · 08/05/2019 22:07

Maybe they had a client is having a difficult time and wanted to chat and the hairdresser had trouble moving her along.

Maybe she should stick to being a hairdresser and not a therapist.

Tigresswoods · 08/05/2019 22:18

This. Exactly this!!!

I've had different hairdressers over the years at the same salon. I like to give them the benefit of the doubt every so often & I book an afternoon appointment. Unfailingly it's always late!!!!! Why???

So to save myself the angst I now book the first appointment of the day.

I apply my own colour at home from a box. Spending hours having that done in a salon... that way Madness lies!!

Schnitzelvonkrumb · 08/05/2019 22:20

I've booked appointments online before for hairdressers. (For cut and blow dry) i dont think i had to give any info about my hair but i imagine there is a standard time for cut and blow dry regardless of whether the client has long/short/thick/fine/straight/curly hair all of which must surely influence how long it takes to wash, cut and blow dry?

EmployeeOfTheMonth2019 · 08/05/2019 22:24

I don't have this issue. I turn up. She's always ready for me. She puts my colour on and disappears out the back for an hour. Then she comes back, rinses me off, cuts and blow dries.

If always surprises me that she seems to get an hour off while my colour is on. Maybe I'll ask her about it next time.

Andylion · 08/05/2019 22:35

OP, what did she do that was faffing about?

thenightsky · 08/05/2019 22:40

My worst was a greek bloke who fancied himself as the next Vidal Sassoon or something. Booked me in for 6.30pm (after work) Got home at 12.30am! That took some explaining to DH I can tell you!

EmeraldShamrock · 08/05/2019 22:43

It depends on how punctual their previous clients are. The weekend is always extra busy, I usually avoid it all the chair hopping, the last time I went on a Wednesday it was very peaceful.

TheInvestigator · 08/05/2019 22:46

I think I can beat you! I moved to a new, very small town with one hairdressers so I tried it. My appointment was 9.10am and first of the day. The senior stylist I was booked with wasn't there. She turned up at 9.40 and her hair was a fiasco and her make up was smudged page 3 girl. She was clearly still dressed in her walk of shame clothes and stank of alcohol and sweat. I really wasn't impressed and the boss had a face like thunder when the stylist tried to explain herself.
Everyone was booked up so my choose was to let her cut my hair or just leave, so I left!

user1487194234 · 08/05/2019 22:49

Mine can be a bit flakey on timing but I like her and love how she does my hair so generally O just chill and read trashy magazines and enjoy being out of the office

Flip

1 2 3

Swipe left for the next trending thread