Should I be upset at paying £300 for haircut

[charlieginger1987]

Hi ladies,
Have waited 7 months to get my hair done and finally went today. I got a full head of balayage highlights, a root tint to cover my greys and a cut and blow dry. The website was really unclear and it said £130 for a full head of balayage. Knowing sometimes that hairdressers add optional extras I budgeted £180 just in case. I got to the till, the receptionist seemed awkward, didn't confirm the price straightaway, so I asked her what it was, and £300 appeared on the credit card machine. I can only guess that she didn't say the figure out loud because she was embarrassed to charge me that much. I didn't want to say too much in front of a full salon full of people but I simply said "wow that's expensive?" She shrugged and didn't say anything but "your e-receipt will be sent directly to you". I thought I'd best pay and then query the receipt later as I already felt so embarrassed and caught off guard.

Looking at the receipt they have charged me for:
£130 full head of balayage
£65 full head of permanent colour
£65 ladies cut and finish
£35 olaplex
£5 tip
Total: £300

Am I right to be completely shocked at the price of this?? It did take 4 hours and I have long thick hair but really? Have you ever heard of a haircut this expensive and fellow hair stylists, does this price sound reasonable to you?

Needless to say I have sent Rush an email but am I being unreasonable questioning the price of this haircut?

I had the exact same experience with Headmasters. It is an embarrassing situation to be in. I will not be spending that kind of money again, so no more chain salons for me.

That's shocking. I once went to one of those places where they charge £11.99 for a cut, she asked if I wanted a wash and blow-dry and that would be £11.99 on top. I declined. She took about half a cm off and said is that ok? I said um no not really 🤨. Haha last time I had my hair cut was about 4 years ago. Now I get my husband to straighten it off with the blade on the clippers and I do a black box dye to cover my greys. I always wear it up. I would be pig sick paying that.

That’s a completely normal price for Central London.
You could’ve researched the levels and prices before making such an extensive appointment. Rush does a lot of promotions but to be fair after the lockdown people should be just happy to be able to get an appointment.
I worked at a hairdressers once and was always flabbergasted when people questioned the prices and tried to get discount afterwards. Do you shop without checking prices? I bet the answer is no.

You didn’t pay £300 for a haircut bit misleading.. you had what salons would call the works so yes £300 is normal depending where your from etc that is a high end salon price so really going in a high classes salon you should of really checked the price list to save yourself this upset... 🥴

Milar0ma, you miss the point. She was charged for a full head of balayage AND a full head of permanent colour, which isn't possible; they gave a vague price for the olaplex; and the receptionist was shifty and evasive, which suggests she knew what they were charging wasn't 'normal'.

It is possible its how it’s quoted she has had a full head balayage a lot of hair will have been left out in between which then will have been coloured root to tip and the fact that she has lots of hair as she stated means more colour use so works out the same as a full head..

RUSH? - yeah they're a chain. Had a really shit haircut there once and never went back. I'd ring the manager and query it, saying that you weren't told the price beforehand and felt too embarrassed to query it in front of other customers. Or if you're confident enough to do it, go in and ask for the manager and query it out loud-they won't want that in front of other customers. Before either look up info to see if there is an ombudsman or some sort of body that deals with the haurdresding/beauty industry. They should've told you beforehand that it would cost that much. Check also their online price list or if it's up in the salon. Even so it should've been made obvious/easy to see the price list. (just covering all bases so you're well armed!) What you hadn't have had that much in your account?

Meant 'hairdressing' and what would've have happened if you hadn't have had the money in your account

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I would love to make sense of this for you! I’m a hairdresser so can help explain a little in depth. Although that is a massive bill and a bit more than I would charge personally, central London and chain salons do tend to be more expensive than us little ones 😊
This is a problem that a lot of stylists are facing (especially self employed) as clients really sometimes don’t understand all of the outgoing costs of ‘just a haircut’. I have recently stopped hairdressing because of this issue.

First of all, balayage and full head tint are 2 different things. You will have been charged for the products used for balayage and time taken for balayage (probably about an hour of their time plus a good amount of training in that technique) plus and extra tube of colour plus an extra 40 minutes? For the root tint. Also, there is a pretty good chance if they have used bleach to balayage they will have used a toner too (another tube of colour). Next, olaplex in my opinion when using bleach is soooo worth the money BUT it is expensive for the client but also expensive to buy in. This is also a way for us hairdressers to make a little bit extra money.
As for the cut and blowdry, this requires not so much ‘product cost’ but about an hour ish of our time. Not to mention the fact that we spend YEARS training (when I trained I was on £95 a week) AND 10-12 hour days on our feet, rent and overheads like insurance and also to leave at the end of the day with a profit.

In no way is this a rant to anyone, I would just love to educate more people on what really goes into getting a haircut.

I have a painter coming in for half a day to do my skirtings and walls. Probably the same amount of time as your hair. My bill will be around £300. Tradesmen have no issue charging accordingly for their time and labour. Why not hairdressers???

I have a painter coming in for half a day to do my skirtings and walls. Probably the same amount of time as your hair. My bill will be around £300. Tradesmen have no issue charging accordingly for their time and labour. Why not hairdressers???

I absolutely agree that the two types of skill are comparable and should cost the same. However where people get upset is that hair grows quickly and you need to spend that money again within 6 months or so to keep maintaining it, whereas your house paint job will last several years. That is not the hairdresser’s fault, but it does mean that people overall have less money to spend on hairdressing and that can drive down average prices.

@Blondiej1234 yes, thank you! I’m not even a hairdresser and I know full head balayage would not include root colour, yet the number of people here who keep saying OP has been charged for a full head of colour twice is crazy!

@charlieginger1987 did you get a reply from Rush?

Maybe BC I am in Hawaii, but my average ticket price for a balayage, root touch up, toner and haircut is $350 to $400. That being said, my clients come in knowing that. Or we discuss it in the consultation, and if it’s not in the budget for them. I try to come up with a solution for them that sticks to budget and makes them happy. I don’t find the price unreasonable. I find not discussing it with you up front, unreasonable.

I've just been charged £270 for my hair in the South East too....roots (big ones!), toner all over, treatment wash and curl style to finish. Took about 4 hours, very long hair. The cost did make me cry a little inside but it was pretty much what I was expecting for this area.

Blondie1234, I would say a decorator is more like £300 for a day, and also they charge men and women the same

Regardless, let me say from experience and owning my own salon that the majority of people don’t really understand the hidden costs of hairdressing. people disregard this trade as ‘just hairdressing’. I have been questioned on my pricing before over £5 and it is so humiliating an demoralising. Hairdressing is a very challenging job and can take a toll on a lot of stylists (physically and mentally) We are here to make a living too, not just to give good deals and charge less than what we are worth. Too many people expecting everything for nothing and it’s about time that someone said it.

For anyone saying they only pay £60 or £70 for their full works colour and cut/style. Let me break it down for you based on a self employed stylist -

£70 (balayage, toner, root tint, cut & blowdry)
-£10 (probably more but numbers for ease)
-£10 tube of toner
-£10 root colour tube
-£10 for half a days rent (average in salons near me)
Not to mention insurance costs and tools.
This leaves £30. divided by 4 hours which leaves us with £7.50 per hour.
Your stylist will be getting under minimum wage because we can’t afford to lose clients over raising our prices and being ‘too expensive’

Need I say more?

100% exactly what I would charge for that as a professional, you didn’t get a haircut you got a whole colour, cut and style. You sat in the chair for 4 hours and you have said you have long thick hair? Do you not expect us to make any money? We are professionals and if it looks great don’t complain, if you were really unhappy with it then yes complain. But that’s ALOT of work to have done and balayage is not easy at all, you should always ask for a exact quote after your consultation. I’m sorry but as a professional this really frustrates me. Balayage is for the ends of your hair if you want the greys covered you need to have the tint in between olaplex saves the condition of you hair and obviously the hair cut and blow dry speaks for itself.
Also it’s not the stylist who sets the prices it’s the owners of the business to confront the stylist then and there would have been the wrong thing to do and would have just caused a scene with someone who has nothing to do with prices. Which would have upset her and embarrassed her when it wasn’t needed. Always ring to speak to the manager, or ask to speak to the manager then and there. If you were to know the break down of not only the over heads, (water, electricity, rent) the staff wages, the cost of colour that went into your hair, the time you were in the chair and couldn’t book anyone in ect they would have only just broke even, please stop undermining our industry and undermining us as professionals you don’t question your Plummer or anyone else with a trade so stop doing it to us, we work really hard and have to deal with a lot it’s not just playing with hair. Next time get a price before she starts and leave if you aren’t happy with it. Sorry to rant this whole thread has just really made me feel frustrated. I’ve been a stylist for over 10 years now and have a lot of experience and would never feel embarrassed to charge this much for the hard work I’ve created.

Rush are con artists... they are known for this. I would never use them!
Go to an independent salon in the future. X

Hi, a hairdresser here. As a stylist especially after COVID prices have normally been increased from the last time clients have visited from normal inflation over this time. Also if you have 7 months of roots with grey a full head colour is reasonable to charge as you won’t have one inch of regrowth as if you were coming every 6/8/10 weeks whatever you normally do. You’ve been provided a service I would never see someone query say a joiner for having to charge for every material and minute of his time but as stylists we are always questioned on this. If you’re not happy with paying for the service provided by probably a very experienced person then you’re completely obliged to go somewhere they’re cheaper but I can guarantee the service will never be the same

My hairdresser uses opalex and charges £5. Tbf you did have two colour treatments but they could of at least thrown the cut and opalex for free.

From my own experience as well I wouldn't mind paying extra for quality work, but the total cost should have been explained to the OP before the whole process was started.

Pre-lockdown it didn’t cost that much. So assumed it would be the same as no notice to say prices had changed. They should have advised this before pulling up the amount on the pay machine, especially as a regular 6-weekly appt customer pre-lockdown.

This is what I paid today at a boutique hairdressers in London following an appointment that lasted 4hrs!

Full head balayage with toner - £105
olaplex and root shadow - £45
Cut and blowdry - £40
Tip - £10

So £200 in total, which whilst a lot, for me was worthwhile as that last appointment I'd had for colour was back in February 2020! Also, I should point out that she did a great job, and I'll definitely be returning.

I'll probably have to go back in 8 weeks for a toner and root shadow top up, but after that I should be good to know for 6 - 9 months... balayage on me can last this long.