Horrible haircut Toni and Guy - long rant!

[higgle]

This morning I'm feeling like having a real moan.

Due to a cock up over dates I couldn't get an appointment with my usual hairdresser on a day that suited me. I though I'd go to Toni and Guy in Bristol for a restyle and colour and foolishly thought that "the" "style director" there might give me a new look that was abit more edgy that the haircut I usually have - sad delusion.

Having agreed to pay an eye-watering amount for these services and with an assurance I'd be out for 12 noon I turned up to be told I was due at 9.20 not 9am - I knew then I'd not be out for 12.

My usual hairdresser is top notch at colour, and I asked the colourist at Toni and Guy to use 3 colours and that I wanted my hair darker but rich in tone - I even explained what the 3 colours usually used were. He didn't show me any charts, said it would look lighter and proceeded to use 2 colours only. They didn't even check how it had taken before washing it off, and now my hair is brown, plain boring brown exactly as nature provided me with, but with a tiny glint of cheap red if you shine a light hard on it.

Bad enough, but when "the style director" (who then told me it was just a grade and there were several of them) got started, it went from bad to worse.

I wanted a new haircut and mentioned 3" off and lots of choppy layers, she told me it had only grown an inch and a half and proceeded to administer a pudding basin bob. I kept saying that I didn't want a sleek blow dried look and she carried on doing that, only spending a few moments on the layers after I had pointed out she had not cut them at all.

I couldn't just sit there - I spied a lady about twenty years older than me leaving with a horrible bob like the one I was being given and started to cry - the stylist said it was nothing to do with the cut but to do with the products applied and I couldn't have it sorted out if I had to be gone by 12. She then dragged the poor colourist in to hear what I thought about the colour and lovely chap that he was I could only say the truth - that it looked plain brown with no sign of any highlights at all.

When I got home DH said it didn't look as nice as usual - he was struggling to find something to say actually. TBH I look like some of the old ladies who use the care service I run - flat bob seems to be all the rage with the 80+s these days, especially the very religious ones.

I'm dreading going to work tomorrow - my colleagues know I was off to spend £££s on an edgy new look, they will laugh their heads off. It looks like a DIY job and an application of brown Nice and Easy.

They did give me £20 off because I wasn't happy - so it "only" cost me £126 !!!!! But quite frankly I feel violated - should I spend some time writing a vociferous letter of complain to the manager about it?

Can anyone recommend a hairdresser in Brisol/Bath or Cheltenham ( or area in between) who will actually listen to what I want and deliver me something that looks half decent?

Perhaps I should forget all about it and head off to M&S to buy a nice long flowery Per Una skirt to complete the look.

What did I do to deserve this - I turned up at the appointment wearing a shortish jumper dress, boots etc - all carefully chosen to give them an idea of the sort of look I like.

Sorry for length of this rant - I'm so fired up about it I feel like heading back to the Salon on Monday with a placard saying "don't go in if you don't want to look like this!"

YANBU Toni and Guy are shit. Whatever your hair is like and whatever you say, you will always walk out with one of their set styles. I went once, never again. DH went once, never again. They are awful.

I've also had a T&G hair colour disaster once. I have dark brown hair, and wanted it dyed black. The colourist INSISTED that jet black would look too harsh and wanted to give me just one shade lighter - "almost black". I paid £70 for the privilege, and.....I couldn't tell any difference. At all. I went in with dark brown hair, and left with dark brown hair. It was no where near black! I went back a couple of days later and complained, and they offered to re-colour it for half price, but I really didn't feel like paying £35 for something they should have got right in the first place! I def. wouldn't recommend T&G for colouring.

I have emailed a written complaint to the head office and to Bristol now, Bristol are talking to the owners about a refund. I don't think I could face going back there ever again to have it sorted out - well their version of that.

i am sorry it's been such a disappointment for you. It is awful when you are really looking forward to a new haircut and you come out feeling worse than when you went in! IME, like a lot of the other posters on here, the more expensive the salon, the worse the service! Over the years i have been to lots of different salons and have always found the more moderately priced, independant small salons the best ones (obv there are also some crap ones, but at least you don't waste as much money!!) Hope you manage to get a full refund and you find somewhere that can sort yoou out and give you what you wanted in the first place!

Go back. It must be sorted out.

I know this one......all heads lead to a bob!! Toni and Guy had me looking like my mum after a trip to them in Hereford.

It cannot be underestimated, the fragile relationship between a ladies coiffure and her self-esteem. They should fall over themselves to sort this out for you, the prices they charge!!

My SIL has a little salon in Bristol (Kendall Hair Design) and always does a great job with my hair - she listens to what I want - and is reasonably priced. PM me if you want details

I've had some ok cuts in tony and guy but the recent one I had is awful. I do wonder if they cut according to what age they think you are, so if you're over 40 they just give you a standard old person's cut. I hate mine :(

t&g wanted me to pay them £140 for a cut and colour - without taking anytime at all to explain before they started exactly what colour I would end up with other than it would be 'warm'

where else would you pay out such a huge amount of money for a product so vague

I haven't booked with them and it really pays to shop around getting consultations before you agree to anything, I spent a whole day in york (precious time on my own) and out of about 7 salons only 2 stylists did I like.

It really brought home to me how in the past I would have just trusted the first one and handed over my money, now Im more tightfisted and older I want to hear what I'll end up with before I pay.

Its awful that you spent so much money I really hope you get a full refund and find a nice hairdresser

I have had an email from Bristol now saying they will not refund without an assessment at another salon, so I am going into Gloucester on Thursday to get this done. I'm just thinking about getting a report from my own hairdresser too so I am fully covered if I have to take county court proceedings - it is so unlike me to feel like this but today I don't even want to look in the mirror when I go to the loo!

Hope they are going to be compensating you for your time and travel costs too...!!!

Console yourself with the bad publicity they have received on here, there will be a few mumsnetters who will give T&G a wide berth now because of their consistent ability not to listen to customers.

I got to Artizan in Bath and they are great. I see Sophie and she always listens to what I want. Phil is also brilliant and another friend of mine always has hers done by Zac (who is quite cute too!)
Artizan

See if you can find out who owns thr franchises. Could well be the same people. [hmmm]

I don't live in the UK so have no stylist suggestions. But I had a similar experience in November. My usual hairdresser was off and I wanted my hair done that day so tried another woman there. Mistake. Ended up drab mousy brown, not even a nice brown. Was supposed to be dark blond with lighter highlights. I told her while I was there that I wanted it redone with more highlights, she wanted me to wait a week to "get used to it". I said I definitely didn't like it and booked to return after 3 days to have her re do it, at no cost.

It is time to go back, my usual stylist is in the same salon, and I feel embarrassed that she will know I went to someone else.

Chain - store hairdressing. I avoid T&G, no imagination and nobody listens to you.

I have had an email back from head office saying that Bristol will contact me to wort out the problem. I really want a refund as I don['t trust any of them now. What on earth would happen if I agreed to "rectification" and ended up looking even worse?

I haven't been to a T&G in years - not because I had a bad experience, but because they charge like a wounded bull for nothing special. Why pay so much for something so average?

Would love to know why the people who do go to them, go to them.

When I moved to an area where I didn't know any hairdressers, I was sucked into the 'brand' that is T&G. Paying that sort of money should guarantee you get what you want. I think they have a good 'brand' ID but not a great product..if that makes sense?

Good News - having considered the long letter I sent as an attachment to Bristol salon and HQ they have decided to refund my payment. I think it is right to give them formal credit for agreeing to do this, though I remain rather sad about my experience, as I had really been looking forward to having lovely hair this week.

Thank you to all of you for your suggestions for good hairdressers in the South West - I will put these together and post as a new thread. I shall be going back to my usual hairdresser to have the colour put right and let her suggest a restyle that will suit me - in fairness toher I have not asekd for this before now as I've always been happy with the way she cuts my hair ( just wanted something a bit more exciting this time round.) Thank you to everyone who has posted.

OP, glad it's been sorted. If it cheers you up, after one terrible haircut the stylist who cut my hair doubtfully told me it might look better after I'd washed it. [sceptical]

(It didn't, I took to wearing a hat for a while.)

I heard years ago that T&G always send you out with a bob of their choice, I didn't believe it

Glad it's sorted and you are on your way to good hair!

Well, isn't it the least they could do really.

As a qualified T&G stylist I'd like to say something. It sounds to me that you may have had a rough deal. If you consider this though, the colouring products used by Toni&Guy are of a high standard (L'oreal and Wella). Other salons around the country use these products also.

Bringing in a picture of what you'd like to achieve may help, also asking for a colour chart would be handy too. Toni&Guy are the most powerful hairdressing brand in the world, and I honestly don't think we would get there without good quality training. After sponsoring London Fashion Week also.

We cater to a wide variety of clients, and sometimes asking for the younger trained stylists doesn't go a miss, as they have a better idea of the new trends and training. Some are much more eager to please than you'd think.

We are hairdressers, not miracle workers. I agree that maybe you had a bad experience...but it doesn't mean we are all that bad.