To wonder why hairdressers seem to struggle with time keeping?

[WillGymForPizza]

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?

3 week's ago i went for a wash, cut and blow dry, i was there for an 1hr and 40mins, the hairdresser kept stopping to talk to other client's, it's so bloody rude deal with your client, not going back there again, i also dye my own hair, can't stand the amount of time your there for a colour.

Well this is a judgey thread
Im a hairdresser, I struggle massively with timings, it's because I'm a thick, money grabbing idiot who can't manage my time properly and I'm not sure how I've got this far though life 🤷🏻‍♀️

Sorry, what I meant was I'm a hairdresser. I'm self employed and manage my own column. Which means I know all my clients and have been doing their hair for years, usually. I rarely run late, and if I do I am apologetic about it. It's stressful and not a situation we enjoy being in! It could be that your client has run late, in which case I alter whatever service they are getting so I don't run late for my next one. It could be that their colour hasn't taken well (pregnancy/medication/how hot or cold the salon is) and I want to do a good job.
A new client may have been booked in with 10 tons of hair and an hour to cut and style it.

A client could be having a hard time. "It's a hairdresser not a counselling service". All very well and good to say that, but if a client is crying because their husband has just been diagnosed with cancer/their babies have passed away/they have had a phone call that their mother is dying and they need to get to hospital/they are getting a divorce (all situations I have been in)....I'm not going to be the one to rush them out of my chair. The world doesn't revolve around you, and you should probably look for a hair salon that meets your needs better. Please don't come to me

I usually go for a 9am appointment for this reason (also I need to wash my hair everyday so I feel I get more out of it rather than just before a night out)
That said I have heard customers (in beauty salon I go to) ask for a nail paint and expect acrylic at last min notice or whatever. Or in for brows and want lashes too. This happens often where I go and they tend to just say ok. Delaying everyone.

It's not hard to work out how long a certain treatment takes...they should give clients a choice between lengths of appointment.

Half hour
One Hour
One and a half

Then the people waiting won't need to wait!

I hate it when I deliberately book the first appt of the day, and arrive on time, to find the shop's not open. Hairdresser arrives 20 - 30 mins late, muttering a half hearted apology and no excuse for her lateness.
Really winds me up.
Does she really think I have nothing else to do all day?

Sometimes I'll make it super explicit when i book that I must be finished and out of her salon by a certain time for xyz reason, but to no avail...

Not massively relevant to the original post BUT - a good hairdresser should never straighten your hair. Their blow dry should be enough.

Im considering growing my hair out and trying to accept my grey for this very reason.

I love the end result when they do it and they are a great salon but

a, sometimes runs behind after a previous client was late Up to 40 mins and over that on one occasion. Ive been going there for over six years , have NEVER been late or cancelled an appointment. Or just not turned up.

b. i dont enjoy the process and find it stressful.

c. last time my grey roots were showing after NINE DAYS . Im a dark brunette.

They are a great salon and my hair is lovely when i leave.

But i dont know that its worth it anymore My grey comes through so quickly (not their fault my hair grows so quick)

And they never cut my fringe short enough. Its always back in my eyes a week later.

I dont know if its worth it anymore.

Im 46 and struggling to come to terms with being grey though.

I love my hairdresser. On time or sends me a text if she's running late. Can pop on for free fringe trims between cuts - after my at home "die fringe die" trim. Never a good attitude to have when you're wielding a pair of scissors!

We have a sign in our salon now that states if a client is more than ten mins late they will need to reduce the service they've booked in for or rebook and pay for the missed slot.
It's just as infuriating for us to be running behind and keeping clients waiting as it is for the clients waiting.

I also need to leave by a certain time for the school run twice a week and on occasion I was literally skin of teeth to get there so am more brutal with lateness now.

I had one client who always wants the first slot of the day yet has only been on time once. She now gets offered the last slot available if the day and if she's late I don't do it.

I agree with the pisstakers, very common an many trades.

Customer books in for abc, actually what they want is abc and def. The timing of said booking now has a knock on effect to other appointments. I work in a different trade entirely and this happens all the time.
As for being assertive, its a very fine line. In my trade its car repairs so if they book in for an MOT and then turn up for the MOT, service and timing belt we can split those jobs, do what it was booked in for and re - book the others and we will be quite assertive. I imagine it could be harder to do in other trades depending how they work.
Also if your to assertive or not tactful enough the customer can then give you a worse review for saying no than what they would for getting what they want but running late.

You really have to have experienced the other end of it for a reasonable period of time to really see it for what it is. I have had my eyes opened and I am now a much better customer now than I ever was before.

I had the first appointment of the day last week (9am appt). I was there before my stylist .

I don't have any of these problems with my hairdresser she's always on time and reliable.

I got a parking ticket last week for exactly that reason

I had a meal to go to the other night and booked in online for a blow-dry with a newish salon locally, rather than the one I usually go to which is nearer my work. I arrived 15 minutes early but then had to run back to my car as I’d left my phone in there, ran back and was still 5 minutes early. My hair is short but VERY thick and it took 50 minutes, no issue but I imagine I could have cocked up their bookings as they probably allow 30 minutes for short blow-drys. Luckily, they weren’t that busy. Thinking about it, I should have been more considerate and popped in so they could see how long it would take.

I have made an appointment for a colour and cut and she has blocked out the rest of the day from my afternoon appointment now they have seen how much hair I have.

I used to go to a salon where they'd squeeze that many clients in that you would be sat there for ages between each stage of the process. I couldn't be bothered wasting so much of my time so I stopped going. If I was the first appointment I'd always arrive before the stylist who would rock up late. It's not on.

I stopped bothering with them altogether. Not worth the money and time. I've been to many and tried everything - cheap to high end over the years and only once I found a hairdresser who does what she's asked for (or close enough). Sadly, she lives in another country and I visit her only on holidays.

As for the rest... Maybe I'm just unlucky, but I don't understand. I always bring pictures of what I want. I don't ask for anything spectacular or super complicated, no multicolour pastel unicorn hair, nothing like that. I don't ask for the EXACT 'Jennifer Anniston' hair as I understand people's hair are different and it's not always/not at all possible to do the exact thing. What pisses me off to the infinity and beyond is this: I show them the pic(s). Explain what I want. They nod and nod. And smile. And nod some more. 'Yes yes, no problem, perfectly possible, great choice, will be done in no time'. And then proceeds to do something COMPLETELY different. If you cannot do it, if you don't want to do it, if it's impossible to do it, or if you don't think you can do this, but you can do something close enough or maybe even suggest something different to try - WHY DON'T YOU JUST FUCKING SAY SO, INSTEAD OF NODDING LIKE AN IDIOT.

Asked for fiery ginger hair once. Got medium mousy brown. Asked for medium/light brown once. Got dark brown/almost black. Asked for warm blonde once. Got ashy/grey cold one. Asked for icy lilac ends once. Got screaming beetroot. Paid anything from £70-£200 (with cut). Just wtf.

Box dye for me. Yup, it could turn out shitty. But at least it will be £20 shitty and not £200 shitty. And another thing: why do they never shut up? Just fucking cut my hair in silence, I don't want to listen about your holiday plans or yesterday's 'Strictly' or some shit.

Yes, I've always had to wait ages as well, and that includes first appointments and being the only customer in the shop.
I now cut and dye my own hair. It's fine, and saves me a fortune.

My hair always takes longer to put foils in for highlights as I have a deceptively large amount of hair. I'm sure I hold up my hairdresser due to this

I try to get the first appointment of the day so I can avoid this.
My hairdresser is great but she's a one woman show with a junior to do the washing, so she does everything else.
If I go later in the day there is always a wait.

This makes my blood boil and it's not just hairdressers but other treatments as well. Once had to wait 25 mins for a manicure because the lady before me and the therapist were gossiping so much. I've never seen a top coat of shellac take so long to be applied before

My hairdressers are often running behind. They tend to put ‘a treatment’ on my hair after shampooing it, which stays on for 10-15 minutes and therefore buys them time. My hair doesn’t need a treatment. It is annoying, especially as the only parking is in a pay and display car park and I am nervous about running over, and I have to be at school on time for pick up so I rely on them running to time or close to time.

Because they talk too much!!! Well, mine does anyway!

Never happens at my hairdresser. Foils, cut, blow-dry. Always on time, takes 90 mins. Every 6 weeks £140 plus £10 tip. Been going to her for 20 years.

This happens every time at my hairdressers. Drives me crazy when I rush like mad to get there and invariably have to wait at least 15 minutes before she starts. I like her though and have been going for years and she does a good job so I just put up with it.