Crying and walking out of hairdresser

[Calmondeck]

I don’t usually place much importance on haircuts but today’s was a big one. My first haircut post brain surgery. I was partially shaved for the operation so have rocked a very misshapen head for the past 8 months. Now I have multiple bolts holding my skull together, and I guess the psychological significance of getting to cut off all of this old hair that remains and starting afresh 8 months on felt big. I researched top hairdressers in my city and booked aiming to make it a special afternoon. I explained to them in advance the scaring and bolts issue. I arranged childcare.

After 4 hours, an hour of which was spent waiting for the hairdresser, and an hour waiting with wet hair while they forgot about me at the sinks… i just got quietly teary, realised I had to leave in order to cross the city and make it home to breastfeed my baby before bed…

now walking through the city with wet hair so disappointed. First world problems I know.

was I ABU for leaving?

Sorry they made you feel like crap. I think sometimes there's a bit of power tripping going on in some of these places like as if you should feel so very grateful that they even notice you're there. And they couldn't even bother to do that. I don't want to wish ill on them (well I do but I won't much) but maybe they could have just a small migraine to give them a wobble.

I've been to some posh places and am so happy with the cheapo guy who cuts my hair and has done so for the last 17 years. He's nice, he tells me all his woes, I tell him mine, we both complain about my DH and we have a good laugh. He's also very good at cutting my hair and has spent the last 17 years ensuring I don't grow a rat's tail. I'd like a rat's tail but I agree that maybe it's not a good look for someone my age.

4 hours 🤔 Forget the so called top hairdresser OP, find a small place who’ll appreciate the custom & treat you like you deserve to be treated. Or book in with the local college. They’d appreciate the experience, do a job far better than most hairdressers, & at a fraction of the cost.

Similar thing happened to me years ago. They left me for an hour and a half with wet hair - I was quite fragile at the time and got very upset and walked out in tears. I felt humiliated.

YANBU

We need a go fund me for this lady!! She deserves a special day with a proper hairdresser who is empathetic to what she has been through!!

I’m so sorry that happened to you. If your anywhere near north London. My hairdresser is amazing she would take such good care of you. Can pm you the details.

I think the 4% must make a mistake when they vote, or not read the OP message properly. No-one could judge that you were being unreasonable. I am so sorry that you were treated in this appalling way. You deserve better. I hope you find a good and caring stylist who makes you feel fabulous.

So sorry to hear this happened to you! It’s appalling behaviour on their part. I would absolutely write to them (or call if you’re up to it) and let them know how awful your experience was and ask what they plan to do to rectify the situation. Write it all down so you have it in front of you to refer to and ask to speak to / contact details of the manager. My first haircut during and then after chemotherapy were really emotional ones and I was so lucky that my hairdresser made them such gentle experiences. Get in touch with the salon again, if they’re any good they’ll fall over themselves to make sure your experience doesn’t happen again. (For the more cynical, they won’t want you going to social media or the press). Good luck! We’re all rooting for you.

Absolutely disgusting

What an effing awful experience. Complain to the Hairdressing Federation , Head Office of this Salon and your local radio station.

I’m so sore this happened to you OP !
Don’t let this slide x

Sorry x

OMG, I am so sorry to hear how you were treated. That is absolutely disgraceful behaviour, and would be so to anyone who had an appointment there. But they should have made doubly sure that you received extra special care, assistance and service, especially as they were aware of your special circumstances beforehand. They should have allocated a member of their staff to ensure that your experience at that salon was 100% perfect.
i am not sure what your current position is with regards to this salon, but when you feel able to, I would phone and ask to speak to the manager or owner of the hairdressers and explain that you chose to go to them after extensive online research as you felt that you would receive the highest level of customer service and care that you so rightly deserve. I am so very sorry to hear that you have had such a bad time health wise recently, I really do sympathise as I too have had cancer and necrosis of my hip.
You really should have received a much much better service and I am so sorry that you ended up crying over what should have been a muncher nicer experience for you. If you yourself feel unable to call and speak to the hairdressers, could you husband, family member or friend call on your behalf with you with them so you can hear what is said. In my own opinion if I owned the business, I would be phoning or visiting you personally to apologise with the largest bouquet, bottle of something and chocolates together with a voucher or vouchers for complementary hair treatments until your hair is back to how you want it and I would ensure that every time you visited you would be treated like a Princess along with all of the other customers.that visit.
you definitely did not receive anywhere near good customer service and a business will not survive being run so badly and by treating customers with no care.
whatever happens with that hairdressers, don’t give up, there are lots of really good hair dressers and lots of lovely people out there who will look after you with the care that you deserve.
Sending big hugs and big love to you and yours and hope your health improves every day. xxxxx

I am so sorry. I’m just repeating what others have said above about the higher-end places, but your post really struck a nerve with me as I’ve been through similar (minus the brain surgery. You sound incredible tbh). I just want to share to say I know how you feel. I booked a posh place as a treat, but didn’t like the colour they did so they fixed it for free a few days later. HOWEVER I was treated appallingly: they said ‘blow drying is not included as it’s a correction’ and I was left with the option of walking out with soaking wet hair, or to dry it myself in their salon. I chose the latter and was given a hairdryer and in front of all these other customers had to try and do my own blow dry, which I am terrible at. I was fighting back tears. It was so obvious that they felt I didn’t matter - this place has lots of wealthy and very well-known clients and they would not have been made to do this, correction or not.
I now have a lovely, much cheaper hairdresser based in London Victoria if that’s at all useful - please PM me. Xx

This was totally unacceptable and I’m so sorry you had such a terrible experience. I have been working in the hairdressing industry for 25 years and would be absolutely appalled if this happened to anyone at my salon. Some salons have terribly tight time slot columns which is both unfair to the clients and usually poorly paid stylists …BUT there’s absolutely no excuse for the awful customer care you received , this was totally unacceptable and horrendous and if this was my salon I would definitely appreciate being told what had happened so that it wouldn’t happen again. If we have a bad experience in life we tend to tell far more people about that than a good experience so for a business it’s a fast track to getting a bad reputation. I’m so so sorry for you xx

Anyone would be annoyed or upset at this awful experience. I’m a man, paid £10 for my last haircut, and got treated well.

That’s totally unprofessional!
I would be going on Trustpilot & giving them a bad review!
I hope you’re ok? Having one’s hair done is a special occasion and usually a relaxing experience, but the service they ‘offered’ you is appalling
all the best for your recovery x

Good lord, @Calmondeck, that's absolutely awful. I can't believe they did that. It would be shocking customer service in any circumstances but they knew this was a big deal for you. I'd be naming and shaming them everywhere I could think of.

That's awful
I go to a male hairdresser who specialises in curly hair and I'm the only one in the salon when I go, full attention

He's even set up a private area where you can't be seen from the street and can have a female cut your hair

What a terrible experience. Write a very strongly worded letter to the manager/owner ,tell them that you hope to hear how they plan in dealing with this issue and your discomfort and distress you felt. before you post your online review!

Disgraceful and completely unacceptable. I am so sorry that you were put through that. You were completely right to leave, they should be ashamed of themselves. I really hope that you find a much nicer stylist with some manners next time. Good Luck X

You are clearly a very strong lady to have gone through all of this and are keeping going and breastfeeding, Wonder Woman in real life. You’re not unreasonable at all to be upset but remember how awesome you are and what you have overcome and try not to lament on today. Sometimes people are so busy with their own role and personal issues that they make silly mistakes, it wasn’t personal xx

Post your area and maybe some nice salon will offer to treat you how you deserve. X

Sorry you had a terrible experience and glad you had the courage to walk out. You might find it could work well for you to have a mobile stylist come to your home but either way I hope you get an apology from the salon and your hair done by someone who is considerate and makes you look a million dollars, sending hugs 🤗

OP I think you did bloody well to turn up and I would think any decent person would be mortified when they realised what had happened. You were not unreasonable at all and I hope they do contact you instead of bury their heads in the sand.