Hairdresser left me at the sink for 1 hour to do someone else's hair ...aibu?

[lookatmeeeeee]

I had an appointment at 9am this morning for a t section of highlights and trim and blow dry.
Arrive at 8.50 and she starts my hair at 9.10.
By 9.45 she's done the highlights and says she will leave them to say for 50 minutes.
At 10.30 am a lady turns up and my hairdresser tells her she is 45 mins late but will accommodate her.
So she gets the young apprentice to rinse my colour out 5 mins later.
She doesn't shampoo /condition or tone just rinses bleach off.
My hairdresser starts doing this lady's hair (full head of highlights)
I'm still sat at the sink at 11.30 am ...another 15 mins passes and she apologised and shampoos and conditions.
I finally leave the hairdresser at 1pm
Bare in mind this was literally a t section and trim.
Aibu to think it's pretty crappy to leave me sat there for a hour at the sink whilst she does the lady's hair (who arrived 45 mins late)
I arrive early and are expected to just wait.

What sort of set up is it? If she’s a one woman business with a junior for washing etc then maybe she can’t afford to lose the other woman’s fee. Or she has a boss who wants the income and tells her to crack on regardless.

Its bad service though and she or the salon manager should 100% have spoken to you, checked you were ok and apologised. Rather than complain to others you need to call or email and say that you are pleased with your hair but really disappointed with the experience and it made you late for your next appointment/ meeting. They don’t want to piss people off and probably didn’t realise they were doing so. Ideally they then offer you some form of compensation.

I went to a salon where the hairdresser had to repeatedly leave me o answer the phone without any apology or explanation. I didn’t go back.

I would did put up with something like this when I was younger and still think about it - basically a very aristocratic young Mum came in with her two dcs and the staff (this was in Kensington) behaved as if she was Royalty, cut the tiny Earls' hair while she looked on adoringly and left me to stew. Then they made a mess of my hair . Now I think I would be more likely to say it wasn't OK. I don't think I would ever have sat with my head in the sink and nothing to read/no phone. I wonder why the hairdresser put the other customer first.

That's a bit crap, I would not be pleased either OP!

It's a big salon with around 7 members of staff but only 3 stylists in today and the other 2 were busy on other peoples hairs.
The managers weren't in today

I personally find hair dressers are a bit lax in terms of being professional sometimes, they can be extremely easy going. Sometimes they misunderstand or make errors, and that’s okay. But in the moment you really need to advocate for yourself and speak up.

Your hairdresser has probably left clients waiting like that in the past but hasn’t been called out so thinks it’s fine practice. Equally, they’ve probably refused to see a late client then lost that client for life so lost income - now they feel pressured in the moment to see the late client. They booked their diary as to not have too much of an overlap between clients but this was an unexpected event.

so in your position I would have started to ask when I would be seen after waiting uncomfortably long. I definitely would have sat upright and got my phone if I was in for a wait? I don’t understand why you sat with your head back in the sink for hours if it was hurting you

I don't see why they wouldn't just ask the late client to wait?

I honestly can’t see why you just say there and didn’t say anything for a WHOLE HOUR?!

At the very least she should of offered you a free complimentary hair treatment while you waited.

@MinervaTerrathorn I'm assuming because then every client would be late getting their hair done
If she had washed /shampoo /toned before doing this other lady's hair ...her next client would of been there

probably had a long appointment afterwards that the late client would majorly cut into. I know hairdressers hate attending to multiple clients at once as it’s a bit stressful.

If she puts the highlights on the late client asap, the bleach can develop and late client can sit on the side whilst they put highlights on client 3. Whereas if the hair dresser tried to put highlights on client 3 and the late client at the same time, both clients hair would probably turn out shit as it would be a rushed job

If a client was 45 mins late then they should have been turned away. Maybe speak to one of the managers about it?

If the client was 45 minutes late , they should have asked her to rebook. I don't know why then didn't put a hair mask on you , let you sit up and give you a magazine etc

Whereas OP’s treatment wasn’t quite as time sensitive as her highlights had already been rinsed out if that makes sense

What did they say when you told them you had been waiting there? Surely you weren’t sitting there for the full hour without asking???

This happens ALL the time in Afro Caribbean hairdressers and it honestly kills me. They do bits of everyone's hair simultaneously so you can't leave but end up staying for absolutely hours. I've been to so so many places and it has happened In all of them!

I think it's awful customer service you are certainly not being unreasonable.

It's completely normal to book another client in during a colour treatment whilst your colour is developing she can easily fit in a cut and finish .. however that client turning up 45 mins late is unreasonable, she should have been rebooked or dry cut and go

I would never ever sit with my neck back
I say " is it ok to put my head up ?" While she's massaging in anything as it's so bloody uncomfortable

Surely they would say " sit up while you wait for and would you like a coffee ? "

I have ditched hairdressers for doing this to me. At the very least have you sat up & provided with coffees etc. complain (manager or their Facebook page) & find another hairdresser.

Appalling way for a customer to be treated. Why didn’t you complain?

I'd put in a complaint, and give them a bad review online

You could have said something about it being a while. You could have gone up to get your phone after asking for a towel. You weren’t chained there with a gag on.

you allowed yourself to stay there. You literally can’t go through life like this. Speak up next time.

I’d recommend calling in tomorrow and speaking the manager. Explain the circumstances and what you’d like them to do. I’d ask for a refund.

The hairdresser sounds totally incompetent. Apart from the waste of your time, it’s really uncomfortable to be left like this. There are also health risks for some: www.theguardian.com/fashion/shortcuts/2016/dec/12/hairdresser-danger-beauty-parlour-syndrome

that’s shit service but I’m afraid you’re the problem here for just meekly sitting waiting and not saying anything. businesses get away with shit service because of people like you

That's not very good for your neck, I would have sat up after 10 minutes and said I can't sit like this.

It took an hour to do the other client's highlights? Had no clue it took that long!

My friend had an arterial tear in her neck and a stroke after neck compression from a hair salon visit. Knowing this, I’d have absolutely kicked off at being left there. Complain.

I avoided saying this in my earlier post but yes, the same happened to a friend of mine.

But please don't berate the OP. Some people are just not very good at speaking up for themselves, especially when they are not sure of the drill.