Hairdresser ripped my earring out by accident...

[liklypaddy]

Was getting my hair done today. I have a hoop earring in the cartilage of my ear. It's tiny and never had a problem with it before. I leave it in as I find it hard to take in and out.

Hairdresser had a ring on today and it got caught in my earring. Cue a lot of pain, a lot of blood and a tear in my ear. I won't be able to put it back in so will have to have it re-pierced. It was cleaned up, plaster stuck on it, hair finished.

She didn't really apologise and when she went over to her colleague at the till I heard her moaning about me having an earring in. Couldn't really make out all of what she was saying but I could tell she was pissed off. I definitely heard her say 'seriously I can't deal with any more difficult people today'

Until this point I hadn't made a fuss at all, I laughed it off, so thought this was unprofessional. It was just an accident.

I asked for a partial discount based on her being rude about it, and the fact that my earring had been ripped out.

So my question. WIBU to ask for a discount? (Which they refused btw).

@SpongeBobJudgeyPants - did you get your earring back?!

@liklypaddy i would take a picture of it and if you have the manages number I would give her a text to make her know what had happened and how rude her staff was towards you as that is very bad customer service even if it was a accident..

Oh my goodness. My hairdresser always checks for earrings and asks for them to be removed. You always wear yours, and it's not something you see when you look in the mirror. But its her job to notice.

Yours didn't do that and even worse she was wearing a ring which caught it.

But even worse than that, she didn't apologize - and she caused you pain, blood, and cut you. That boggles my mind.

Then she refused a discount. WHAT? I think she should have given you a free hair cut (yes, I might not be in the majority opinion here but that is what I think).

And then, literally adding insult to injury (not figuratively) she is rude and complains about you in earshot.

I would be writing a formal letter of complaint and considering claiming on their insurance.

Your small cut could end up in painful scar tissue. Or an infection. It's unlikely, yes, but you don't know yet.

Don't be a pushover, that's my take.

I agree with pp saying don’t be a pushover.

Will you go back to them and update us, thanks ;

Rude! I wouldn't return to them either. Hope you are ok and your ear isn't too sore x

The young girl who washes hair in the salon I visit wears really long false nails and they get caught in my hair and foils, and she digs them in when washing my hair, it is so painful. I used to persevere until eventually I had to ask for someone else as couldn't stand the pain.

Totally at the ‘Seriously’ comments at pointing out the OP can make a claim.

In answer: I am ‘for real’ - I am a lawyer and the OP is entitled to claim if she feels she wants to. Not if she doesn’t, obviously.

You might be concerned that these sorts of claims are why insurance premiums are ‘so high’. They are also why there are numerous safety and risk procedures keeping you safe - so as to avoid claims.

A friend had a small cut (on the face, not the ear) that left a little scar. She was awarded £5k compensation.

Not that I think you should sue, but I definitely think she should have apologized much more genuinely and should have been concerned, both for you and for her business.

I think that the issue is her attitude rather than who was at fault for the accident. Accidents are going to happen. She sounds very immature and unprofessional.

I think it would look best if you got in touch with the manager and give a brief overview of the incident with a photo and run down of the discussion. I wouldn't beg for a discount but say that you feel embarrassed by her attitude and are seriously considering changing salons following your last appointment. Judge how you take it forward by her response, I would expect her to pretty apologetic and mortified by the member of staff representing her business.

Isn’t the clue in the word ‘accident’ ?

I would take a photo of the blood on your top and contact the manager about the incident. Accidents happen, but the response of the hairdresser was very poor.

I always take out my earrings.

I agree, she shouldn’t be wearing a ring except maybe a simple band given the hygiene situation, but she just as easily could have snagged it with a hairbrush.

There are two key issues: did they ask you to take them out beforehand/should they have asked; and, when the accident happened did they make every effort to minimise the impact on you (or did they make it worse)?

@Ohtherewearethen has it totally right.

I wouldn't have minded until I heard her bitching about me. I wouldn't even have minded if she'd been saying 'Oh God, I caught her earring'. But slagging you for wearing it? No. Not cool. I'd complain.

Could be worse, a hairdresser snipped my mum’s face with the scissors once!

If you think it’s worth the aggro then ask, but silly to wear hoops to a hair appointment in the first place really.

You should have taken your earring out

Log it with 101

If she had apologised and shown real remorse I would have let her off but how dare she moan about you so rudely so you could hear her!!! I'm outraged for you.
Ring up and talk to the manager about how you were treated, tell her you are thinking about taking her to the small claims court for compensation and give them the stinking online review that they deserve.

So you don't actually know what she said but still think it's worth complaining about?
In the discount I think they should have given you one but if the manager wasn't there they may not be authorised to give discounts so I'd talk to the manager when she gets back. You can say the hairdresser was moaning about you but I wouldn't because you don't know what she said.

I have a conch piercing (the inner ‘shell’ bit of the ear) and hairdressers have caught the back of it with a comb in the past but they’ve always been very apologetic. As others have said, it’s a peril of wearing earrings to the hairdresser!

However, actually ripping out your earring and then complaining about you so publicly that you were able to overhear is unacceptable. Accidents happen but her attitude towards it would piss me off and I’d definitely tell the manager.

This happened to me once, a hairdresser with those rank long acrylic nails ripped and actually snapped my hoops earring, and then made out it was my fault for not taking them out. But I always had them in and it had never happened before.

I voted with my feet and never went back there.

Well it will cost more than a discount as I assume you won't go back ?

When I took my toddler for his hair cut I had no idea a trainee was doing it and she cut his ear! Not only was there no discount there was no apology and they charged me full whack. I left no tip and never went back.

Given he was three good customer service would have been apologise and no charge. It isn't like his hair took hours.

If it were my salon, I would have thought we were to blame in this scenario. Hope it gets sorted without too much stress. X

You might be concerned that these sorts of claims are why insurance premiums are ‘so high’. They are also why there are numerous safety and risk procedures keeping you safe - so as to avoid claims.

THIS ^

If it's genuine claim (and this one is) you are entitled to make it. Businesses have insurance for a reason - and if they behave properly and professionally they should very rarely need to claim on it.

She didn't do it on purpose, you should have taken earrings out, she'd obviously had a bad day and ws venting to colleague.
What are you complaining about?

Sympathy for the pain though, that must have hurt.