Hairdresser gave friend 50% discount but not me?Would you be annoyed?

[ohbreaklongs]

Me and my friend both go to the same hair salon and both get full head of highlights and a cut which now costs £160
Last Monday morning I booked an appointment for yesterday (the following Monday )
The afternoon they put a offer on fb /Instagram 50% off colour in January -book now.
So my friend booked in for yesterday too (Monday )
Got to the till hers came to £80 and she charged me £160
I asked why I didn't get the 50% off colour and she said I had booked my appointment 2 hours before they put the social media post out there for the 50% off colours
Aibu to think that's unfair ?
I go there every 7 weeks and have done for years

I'd tell them they'd lost my custom unless they extended the offer to me. £160 every 7 weeks is a lot and I'd expect better service.

The salon owner is a shortsighted jobsworth.
She's just saved herself £80 - &, I hope, lost herself a long-term customer.

Given that you used to go approx 7 times a year, she's just cost herself £1120 annual revenue. And more, if you find somebody better, & tell all your friends ...

Sucks but technically they’re right. The offer is to drum up business and they already had yours. That said, they’re idiots not to honour it for a regular/good customer. If this was me I would have phoned them as soon as the offer went up and asked if it applied to my appt - or at least have asked at reception before the treatment. That way if they said ‘no you booked before the offer’ I would say ok, I’ll cancel and rebook for another date in January and they would have (hopefully) seen that they were being petty.

Was the manager/owner there when you went in - If not I think an email to them calmly pointing out that you would have cancelled and rebooked if you had known your appt wasn’t included in the offer, plus that you are a regular and loyal client would be worth a punt and if they agree to fix from there all good. If not, sod them. Legally they’re right but they’re being dicks about it

Do you think it’s fair that they should give you the 50% off before the offer even existed? You can’t be unhappy with the price when that’s what you were presumably expecting to pay when you booked? Unless you pre booked knowing that the offer was coming up that day (and even then it’s not really fair as it hadn’t started yet). It would have be noted who booked once the offer was made available so they knew what to charge people.

If you’d booked it the day before the offer fair enough, but two hours, yes as a regular customer id be pissed off with that too.

That's just mean and these people presumably know you very well. I'd be tempted to take my custom elsewhere too, but that's not always easy when it's a hairdresser - it's hard to find someone you trust to do your hair as you want it.

Can you possibly appeal to the owner?

Have they done this sort of offer before?

@NoseyNellie

I'm not sure that we have enough information to say whether or not they're meeting trading standards regs as we haven't seen the wording of the post.

Regardless, I wouldn't bother arguing the legal side but might contact the manager and hope they agree it is a poor way to treat a loyal customer.

Maybe not the most logical from a business pov but not a scam or anything done legally wrong as she booked at full price.

Surely that depends on the wording of the ad and any publicised terms and conditions. If all it said was '50% off in January" then it doesn't matter when it was booked as long as the appointment is in January.

It's January. You should get the discount. She'd lose my custom.

They'd lose me a as a customer over that.

Can you screen shot the Instagram post and put it on here. Not the name of the salon but the exact wording of the deal?

I'd be cheesed off as well.

That would annoy me even if they were in the right. You don’t treat a loyal customer like that.
The 2 hours thing is just petty.
I would not be returning and would take my custom elsewhere.

Yes that would piss me off.

It’s shit customer service but

Did you know about the offer before your appointment? (If so you should have phoned up to check you’d get the discount) and if they’d said no then, you could have cancelled and rebooked.

Never assume, basically.

But it is terrible customer service regardless and I’d go elsewhere from now on if I were you.

Technically they're right, but it was stupid of them. I assume you're not going to use them any more, so they've lost themselves a regular customer just as the country goes into recession. Not very clever.

Technically they aren't wrong. From a customer retention perspective they're very wrong for the sake of 2 hours.

I'd give them one chance to honour the discount and make it clear that if they don't then you're in the market for a new hairdresser and they've lost your loyalty and regular custom.

The offer said
"Book now for 50% off colour for the rest of January"
And because I had booked the same day as this post I assumed it would count.
It's not like I booked months in advance or mr and friend went on different days.

It is normal for these kind of social media posts to only be for new bookings. It is disappointing though. Would have to be an amazing hairdresser for me to go back.

I wouldn't make a fuss, but I most definitely wouldn't return there again!

It wouldn't of felt as bad if it was a "new customer offer only " but both regulars ,both booked same day ,same stylist ,same hair service
It has stung a bit

Was the wording 'booked in Jan' or 'services in Jan'.

Either way as a long term customer it's very silly of them not to give you the discount for the sake of two hours. I'd switch salons. Also if you and your friend usually go together and she switches with you they really haven't done them selves any favours.