To be upset after hairdresser visit

[carlottavaldes]

I've been going to the same hairdresser for 3 years and we've always had a good relationship. I went in today for a consultation before my haircut and colour next week. I'm dark blonde and want to go lighter so I asked for balayage - I had it done by her two years ago for £200 so was expecting a similar price. Instead she quoted me £300. She also said that if I paid less it would look unfinished, blocky, dry, not shiny, and I would be disappointed - which made no sense, as I paid less last time.

I told her that, but she kept pushing and didn't suggest any alternatives (e.g. highlights) - it was basically "pay £300 or have crap hair". I know she's trying to recoup the money she lost during lockdown, and to make the most of people's desperation for haircuts at the moment, but a 50% price hike is ridiculous.

I had been really looking forward to treating myself and being pampered and instead I found myself being pressured and manipulated and told that my budget was no good, which was upsetting as £200 is a lot for me. I don't want to go back, even for a cut, but I'm struggling to find an appointment elsewhere.

Has anyone else experienced hairdressers hiking their prices to make the most of people's need for post-lockdown haircuts? I have a feeling it might backfire for them.

[ElinoristhenewEnid]

Gosh I pay £100 per year for my haircuts. 6 cuts per year. I would pay prices quoted here for my hair!

[neveradullmoment99]

@Fairyliz

Ok it was two years ago since you last had it done but that’s a 50% increase!
Has anyone’s salary gone up by that much?

Well to me its completely exploiting the circumstances.
Its ok though to charge what you like as long as people will pay what a world!

[neveradullmoment99]

Sorry that was the wrong quote and meant in response to @apooagnuandyou

[HarebrightCedarmoon]

Last year a cut and blow dry was £40, this year £45. I thought this was reasonable, it's still 12.5% though. The OP's increase is 50% though, that's just greedy.

[Thomasina2021]

I do my own balayage for under a tenner

Garner 10.1 and a paddle brush !

[PerveenMistry]

@SpringtimeSummertime

It's quite nasty to imply she is price gouging

Sounds exactly what she is doing.
1/3 increase in two years? I don’t think so.
She can charge what she likes and good luck to her but if I were you, I’d go elsewhere.
The fact that she didn’t offer alternatives is bad. Also, what is this ‘rubbish’ job she is talking of?

She has a right to maximize her income; she's not a charity. Those who don't think it's worth it can go elsewhere.

[Jumpingintosummer]

Not all hairdressers had no income. My hairdresser received 80% of her average over the four months prior to lockdown.

[apooagnuandyou]

Well to me its completely exploiting the circumstances.
Its ok though to charge what you like as long as people will pay hmm what a world!

yes... that's how things work actually
Never asked for a payrise in your life, have you?

and what circumstances? It's a luxury service. I still consider it an essential one but no one really needs a balayage or anything.

If the OP goes once every couple of years, she's not the dream client either. I get my hair done every 2 or 3 months!

[PerveenMistry]

@carlottavaldes

Thanks for all the replies everyone, interesting to get all your different takes.

To be clear, I didn't ask her to lower her prices, I only queried why they'd gone up, and I told her I'd let her know if I wanted to go ahead. I agree that she can charge what she likes, but I didn't like her saying it would look bad if I paid less than that - that felt manipulative and like she was trying to scare me into paying more. It's also clearly untrue, as so many of you are paying much less than that!

She may have meant that if she spent less time on you the effect wouldn't be as good.

Or she may be an intimidating asshole but she can still charge what she likes.

[apooagnuandyou]

Ok it was two years ago since you last had it done but that’s a 50% increase!
Has anyone’s salary gone up by that much?

some people's have, what's that constant race to the bottom? If you are all happy with minimum wage, some of us really are not!

[Thiscantreallybehappening]

Hi OP, If I were you I would find another hairdresser. I know that is going to mean a longer wait but I don't think she deserves your custom.

£200 is a very good budget. I think she treated you very badly. Basically, she was saying she wanted you to pay £300 and if you didn't your hair would look awful. Firstly, what hairdresser says that?

Secondly, why didn't she explain nicely that her prices had increased substantially due to lockdown etc and she understood if it was too much money now but if you had a budget of £200 she could do the following: maybe an all over colour, foils etc.

Whichever way you look at it £300 is a substantial amount of money for a hair appointment. Any hairdresser indicating that a £200 budget is not much is, quite frankly, taking the piss and If she continues to treat clients like that, she probably won't have a business very soon.

Also, to all the posters saying they have lost money during lockdown etc. Yes, of course, it has been a very difficult time but there are various schemes they can access. The self employed scheme has been extended. I do understand that this won't suit everyone though.

Find another hairdresser OP, she sounds awful.

[RosesAndHellebores]

I had my hair done on 12th April. Hairdresser sent me a text as soon as the Ann about 12th April was made. Have been going to her for 20 years. Non glamorous salon in Wandsworth.

2 sets of foils with two colours; tint between the foils (I am 30% grey). Cut and blow dry £175.00. Then 2 x 6 weeks a Tbar cut and blow dry for £125.00. Always tip £10. that's why I get fitted in as a priority

She does a better job than friends pay in the West End at and with "big names".

Yes I pay a lot but I think it's worth every penny and I'm not ready to be grey yet.

[Shellingbynight]

My haircut has gone by just under 10%, which I thought was reasonable. If it had gone up by 50%, I'd be having my hair cut elsewhere as there's no way I could afford it. Many of the hairdresser's customers will have lost income too.

I hope you find another salon, OP.

[Thiscantreallybehappening]

Also meant to say, I go to a very experienced colourist and also have cut and blow dry and my bill is under £100.00 and that includes a slight increase since lockdown.

[Judystilldreamsofhorses]

I think the price going up since you last had it is to be expected, although probably not by such a huge amount! Like everything, you can vote with your feet. I pay a lot for my cut - no colour - and go every five weeks, but I see it as something I "wear every day" and I am happy to spend on it.

I love my hairdresser, and if he increased his prices (he owns the salon) I would suck it up, whereas I have friends who would switch to somewhere cheaper. Either is fine.

[apooagnuandyou]

Prices for the colour specialist in one of the top London salons:

Short Hair £595
Medium Length Hair £795
Long Hair £995

Price includes finish

[Annasgirl]

@apooagnuandyou

Ok it was two years ago since you last had it done but that’s a 50% increase!
Has anyone’s salary gone up by that much?

some people's have, what's that constant race to the bottom? If you are all happy with minimum wage, some of us really are not!

This.

I am astounded on here that people expect a trained stylist to spend 2-4 hours doing your hair (and it takes 2-4 years of training) for £60. There really is a race to the bottom. Do you expect your plumber to spend 4 hours in your home for £60 ? You know the hairdresser has to pay rent, rates, insurance, and cost of cleaning (Covid compliant) and cost of colour etc - on top of their time. Oh and they pay their accountant and probably pay for ads on google and a website.

I don't think many of you have run your own business - but I do. And my DM was a hairdresser.

[seensome]

Just go somewhere else, switch to highlights instead?

[Daydrambeliever]

No one is owed professional hair services at their preferred price. Don't like it, there's always box color and DIY.

Or other less expensive hairdressers.

[Devlesko]

I suppose they can charge what people are willing to pay, I don't blame you for not falling for it.
Mine costs £40 for a wash, cut and dry.
They can bugger off with expensive treatments.
I'd just complain if it looks crap, they obviously can't do a good enough job.

[CleverCatty]

@PerveenMistry

It's quite nasty to imply she is price gouging.

Many stylists haven't worked in a year. They are perfectly entitled to charge what the market will bear.

No one is owed professional hair services at their preferred price. Don't like it, there's always box color and DIY.

I think the opposite is the case in some salons!

There's one salon where I live which is giving lots of deals (they have a beauty salon and hair salon in one) at the moment.

I 'think' my hair salon has gone up slightly but because I like them, they do a good job and don't fuck up my hair like Rush did last year! then I'm happy to pay a bit extra.

[Cactus1982]

Where the hell are all these hairdressers that are charging in excess of £200 for a cut and colour?! I pay between £70-80 for mine and it’s now bra strap length due to it growing in lockdown! They also have colour sales fairly often, and if you get it done then you get 20 percent discount.

[apooagnuandyou]

Where the hell are all these hairdressers that are charging in excess of £200 for a cut and colour?!

Central London and South East for me. Expensive but well worth it in my case!

[CleverCatty]

I also personally think if the stylist doesn't discuss your options with you (e.g. highlights etc) then they're not v good.

Last weekend my stylist (owns salon) told me not to do balyage and I've got perm colour right now and getting scattered highlights (caramel) soon. Also advises me what to use on the hair, what will be too heavy etc. and mentions when I've used a hairband that will break hair! Honesty is best!

[Thiscantreallybehappening]

@Annasgirl

To be fair, OP wasn't expecting to pay £60.00. That is other posters just giving their experience.

Unless you are going to a top salon, which would probably be more than £300 whatever way you look at it £200 is a good budget. OP's hairdresser could have explained nicely the price increase for that service but then gone on to say but I could do foils/tint etc and discuss that with OP. Instead she basically said £300 or I will mess your hair up. I don't think that is very good customer service.

It's not so much the price increase but the way she spoke to OP.