Was I wrong to tell hairdresser the truth ? Pic*

[Brighton5555]

I have been going to a new hair salon since the summer so this was visit 4/5…

I have lovely long thick hair and I’m quite specific and clear about what I want, more so over the fringe as I’ve had bad ones in the past. The hairdresser has cut my hair on two previous occasions with no issues but today in my eyes she butchered it and my British politeness evaded me when I looked in the mirror…

She asked if I liked it … I have a sharp No!
She asked why don’t you like it ? I explained that it was wonky, above the eyebrow when I specifically said I wanted it just below and the thinning had given different thickness throughout … the hairdresser was clearly shocked I said no and said ‘ I’ve seen lots of fringes and this is fine ‘

The manager also sided with her, I paid and left ( £90) for the colour cut and blow dry. A few mins after leaving the salon calls me and I ignore as I’m raging at this point on my phone to my friend and then a mobile number calls me and it’s the manager calling off her phone to tell me off for leaving a 1 star on Treatwell… is that even allowed ?

She asked me to remove the one and said giggling ‘ we really don’t deserve the one ‘ I said I deserved a decent cut . She said she didn’t know how I felt about it I pointed out she was there the whole time standing and I paid her and spoke about it at the end … she said what do you want to be happy ? I’ll give you discount or free £15 treatment next time…. Next time ?! Hell no!

I made a excuse to get off the line but I did leave a google review and a photo.

Was I wrong to be not typically British politeness and straight up say NO when asked if I liked it … ? What is your opinion on that fringe cut ? For context it was just below my eyebrows , even and the same thickness when I went in

No you weren’t unreasonable to tell them the truth and they’re out of order calling you and trying to get you to return and giggling.

Recently I went for highlights, I knew what I wanted but it was base colour and highlights. The highlights weren’t strong enough and I wasn’t happy at the end so the hairdresser said I had 14 days to return if not happy which I did and she did what I asked for. At the end though she pointedly said it was free, I didn’t have to pay, which I knew. But I’d paid a lot of money first time round.
She was also rude about a friend of mine she’s met a couple or a few times at most.
Suffice to say I won’t be returning.

My hair grows like Billy-oh, so whenever I have a....misguided 'do', I shrug my shoulders and sit in the 'it's only hair' camp.

Having said that, that is a spectacularly shite fringe, and had a salon try and fob me off like you describe, I'd be livid.

You're my hero! I've lost track of the numbers of times I've been wanting to scream"what you on earth have you done?" (or a less polite version) to various hairdressers but instead I just pay and say nothing.

Yanbu at all. It’s not great. Not that you’ll look awful walking down the street or anything, but not what you asked for or professional standard.

I’ve had a hairdresser give me haircut I really didn’t like - too short and just not what I asked for - and she also got arsey with me when I said so. “Oh you’re making out like I ruined your hair!” - well you did!

I'm so sorry that is REALLY bad.
Worse still managers customer service is shocking.

Absolutely YANBU- if you're not happy with something then you should say- well done.

I think if you always had the same cut there's no excuse for getting it that wrong. I presume you asked for what you always do. Disappointing, hope it grows back quickly as fringes seem to do.

Last time I hated my haircut (and it was really awful) I refused to pay. YOuve done absolutely nothing wrong. I really wish hairdressers would listen!!!!

@peachesarenom

The number of bad hair cuts I've had! I wish I'd gone in like you and told them.what I really think! I wish you hadn't paid the full amount!

Me too! I didn’t think to say I wasn’t happy to pay in full , as I had two of them telling me it’s fine despite me saying it’s not .. I wish I had refused full payment to be honest

It looks like a child cut it, and they handled the situation appallingly.

@Aderyn21

Small businesses aren’t owed unwavering support no matter how badly they fuck up. Businesses exist to make money - they aren’t a public service doing us all a favour. If they charge £90 for a haircut, they should listen to the customer and get it right.

Exactly.

And as for the handful suggesting that the small business get a chance to 'make it right', they can't very well glue the hair back on to her head, can they? They fucked up: they didn't listen, she kept cutting and she kept thinning it ... all contrary to what the OP clearly expressed she wanted and has been provided before in that salon. It looks like a child got hold of some scissors, frankly.

The google review should not have been reviewed. I'd complain about that as well.

With nice hair like yours I can see why you complained

A hair cut is SUCH a personal thing so when it's wrong it feels so unfair!
I'm lucky because my hair dresser has been cutting my hair for years and years and she knows me and I trust her...
I took my son to a local hair dressers and I really didn't like the cut, I felt they were a bit rude and I just didn't think it was what I had asked for.
But in reality, I may have no explained what I wanted all that well, I was probably a bit shocked and sensitive and disappointed and it grew out within a few weeks and I went elsewhere.
I think that the salon were completely unreasonable in calling you and speaking to you as you described, but I also think your initial reaction of shouting NO is a little unreasonable too. The hairdresser will have done their best with what they thought you wanted and I bet felt devastated they got it wrong.
If you don't like them then don't use them again. Simple. But IMO I just feel your initial reaction was maybe on the verge of being unreasonable.

I do better on my fringe after a few glasses of wine

Did she do it wet?

I think especially with fringes you need to be completely honest.

Well done for being honest!

You weren't wrong to tell the truth and it looks as bad as when I do my fringe.

@Jayaywhynot

As the recipient of lots of dodgy haircuts, which in my britishness I always say "thank you, I love it" and promptly burst into tears when I get home, I applaud you OP, they royally fucked up your fringe and deserve their one star. Well done for not backing down. I'm getting my hair cut on Friday, it's thick and chin length and my hairdresser insists I have a 4 weekly appointment even though its not grown out, she books me three appointments ahead, I'm too cowardly to argue, she always goes too short and thins it out too much even though I tell her not too plus it costs me £95. Youve inspired me to stand up for myself

And have you?

YANBU. It is too short and too sparse especially in the middle. They were really unprofessional. It is not up to the manager to side with the hairdresser if the client is saying they are unhappy. They should be trying to make it right - although in this case what can they do? They can’t put hair back. They certainly shouldn’t have charged the full £90.

Hopefully it will grow out quickly. You did better than me, I would have said I liked it then tried something on in a shop just so I had a private place to cry.

Slightly off tangent but what the hell are reviews for if they can’t be honest.

I once got told off for leaving an honest, detailed NOT unkind review of a company. They contacted me immediately saying people don’t usually leave bad reviews and I should have taken it up with them before reviewing. In this context it wasn’t something that could be fixed afterwards. what are reviews for if not to give some contextual experience for others?? It’s made me really wary of any of these online reviews now. They heavily curate their own hype.

Now I personally think it looks fine, an in fact you can see your nice eyebrows with it at that length. However, maybe it usually looks even better, can you post a blacked out photo of how it usually looks for comparison?

Did you ask for layering, feathering or thinning out of your fringe? Or did you ask for a thick, blunt fringe? Just curious to know what you actually asked for?

That’s AWFUL. It’s wonky, it’s patchy.

Can you get it fixed somewhere else OP?

Definitely NU and definitely leave the review up

It's hair. It will grow back. Lesson learned to be more specific with hairdresser. Now grow up.

No you weren't wrong. They should have offered your next cut free. But, I'd also probably just not have gone back.

Well done for saying something. I've often wanted to but not felt able to get the words out.

I've just had my hair cut and coloured, no blow dry - £145 and it also looks rubbish. I didn't say anything this time because I like the hair stylist as a person but I do feel ripped off. I've been using my stylist for a while and I'm sure some become complacent after a while.

YANBU.

I’ve had crap hair cuts and challenged them, only to find myself at the receiving end of salons who REALLY don’t like criticism. First one was highlights that didn’t take (they still charged me £120!) and when I said they haven’t taken, their answer was my hair was too dark. You’re the professionals, you should have known that it wouldn’t have taken and advised accordingly. The colour was at their recommendation. When I tried to get the stylist to redo them he refused to take my calls.

The second one was a salon who cut “layers” by hacking chunks out of my hair. A different hairstylist looked at it in horror and asked who on Earth had done this. Went back to the original salon a few months later, explained why I had been unhappy previously and they made a huge thing of telling me why I might have thought it was a bad hair cut but it wasn’t really

Both of them I never went back to but I wish I’d kicked up more of a fuss.