Breaking up with your hairdresser

[Innermagic]

Would love some feedback from people on the reasons they decided to find a new hairdresser.
I've noticed I've lost a few loyal clients recently and can't help take it to heart.
Would also like to hear from other hairdressers on how they deal with this.

I stop visiting a hairdresser if they give me a bad cut. Unless you've whacked up your prices recently? Or got a new colourist who is ruining your good cuts by trashing people's colour?

Although I've also stopped going to a hairdresser because I've moved house, I liked the hairdresser but they were thinking of going travelling anyway and I didn't think it was worth trekking across town to go there.

I found a new one after I looked closely at my hair and realised it was 1cm shorter one side than the other. I dropped another after my requested very fine subtle highlights looked like badger stripes. I dropped another one for putting their prices up a lot x2 in one year. I dropped one as I hate small talk and she used to dribble on endlessly and talk over me.

However a good hairdresser is worth her weight in gold and I would travel far to get my hair done by them.

I moved 2 yrs ago and have only just a good hairdresser. She really listens to me, when I had a restyle she tailored it to suit me and always get my colour just right. She also brings me endless coffees and magazines, asks after my children and then gets on with it. I always leave her a big tip. I have also recommended her to everyone.

I recently left my lovely lovely hairdresser as my blow dry was lasting about an hour. Took me ages to pleck up the courage to go somewhere new but it's been amazing. I still feel bad though she was so nice 😑

I've left mine as a cut and blow dry has doubled in the last 3 years. I can no longer justify that expense so swapped to someone cheaper

Bad haircut
too expensive
Moved house
Found hairdresser that came to my house

I always give a hairdresser a second chance if I think they've given me a bad cut. Two bad cuts and I'm gone.

Once, I went back to have my hair 'fixed' (there were much more layers on one side). He fixed it but his attitude was so bad I didn't go back.

How many pairs of footwear do you have & does your wardrobe work for you ?

Thanks for the feedback, I have put my prices up but think I'm still competitive with other local salons

Bad haircut. I got blonde highlights put in my brown hair (at his suggestion) and they were awful - silver on top, dark at the bottom. I got lots of negative comments about it. I rang up as I was very unhappy about it, especially as it cost £175 and asked for some sort of fix (e.g
toner on top) and I got a snotty email back telling me it would be at cost. Six years with them and god knows how much money....Byyyyeeeeee!!! I love my new hairdresser.

I left one who had done my wedding hair. I'd booked a repeat appointment the day of my wedding and when I went in the next time I took in chocolates to say thank you for my wedding hair. Had my hair done and the owner came to the till when I was paying and informed me they'd put the prices up and I'd have to pay the higher cost.
I think they could have let me know when I arrived. I never went back.
And I left another because he refused to listen to what you requested. He did his own interpretation, which I found out later was uneven and rushed.

Bad colour too many times. I always feel like a hairdresser gets complacent if you stay with them for a good while, and stops looking properly at you, iyswim. What works at 30 doesn't always work at 40!

I do give a hairdresser a second chance if I asked for the bad cut and it wasn't their fault I didn't suit it (went through phase of short hair that got restyled all the time). I don't if I was trying to explain what I was after and they didn't listen, or on one memorable occasion declared confidently 'I see, like this' only to hold up a picture of something not at all like it, to which I said no, not like that, and he said don't worry, it will be perfect. It was not. I complained and got a refund, but I certainly didn't go back to the salon.

I've left hairdressers in the past because:

• too expensive - either they put up their prices or I got a bit hard up,
• bad cut - I used to have very long hair (past my bum), it's now very short pixie. Too many times I've left feeling like I was treated as a guinea pig for them to try out a new style / technique / product, rather than actually doing what I asked for. I always go with photos, BTW & am very clear about what I want.
• Taking too long to do the job. 30-45 minutes for a wash, cut (I don't need a blow dry at my length) is adequate. Significantly longer & I figure they're unsure what they're doing, or messing about.

Could someone be trashing your reputation or undercutting your prices?

I'm staying with one who does amazing highlights but an average cut. I've cheated with others but always end up going back to him with a mumbled excuse (e.g. had it done at the spa on a hen weekend!) as I think I can live with longish boring cut but love the fab blondness.....

I've left a hairdresser for....
Colourist ignoring what I've requested and doing her own thing
Hairdresser running out of ideas when I like to change my hair frequently
Totally ballsing up my colour and not even noticing/caring

However my personal bugbear, and it seems to be an issue with lots of hairdressers, is that the total price changes every time, even when you've had the same services. Suggests that the pricing is all a bit dodgy and reduces my faith in the hairdresser

Has your me pricing but you in a new price band? Going over set limits people have in their head e.g £15/20/30 etc would make people ask around for recommendations in their range.

I think a lot of hairdressers lack clarity about their pricing, with very few seeming to have set price lists and a definite cost each time you go. I only find out how much my hair will cost at the end when I get up to leave, and quite often don't feel it's great value for money.

I had a hairdresser who came to my house, last time she was here she told me she'd started smoking again (never knew she smoked). Nipped out for a fag while my colour set. The smell while she was finishing my hair was gross. Found a new hairdresser.

My haircut went up gradually but last time was so much and I felt that my hairdresser wasn't really keen on cutting my old hair. That us seeing my friends with I a good cut from a local place and lack of cash made me leave my fancy place. The fancy salon has dodgy toilets now and I didn't get a brew last time. Can't pay £50 for cut and blow. Just can't afford it

I've changed hairdresser when they've been too busy to ever be able to fit me in (so have to book 10 weeks in advance wtf?), when they have given me an old lady hair cut, when they've fitted in other clients which has left me sitting with a mask for 40 mins, when they've messed up my colour, when they can't comb my hair through without pulling it, when a blow dry has fallen out before I've got home... so many reasons. Another hate is when they are running late but don't call me to tell me - I don't want to sit waiting for 25 minutes.

It's always due to price.

I start off with the salon junior stylist, then every time I go back they've been promoted, and their prices have gone up! Eventually I jump ship and start off with someone junior again.

I don't have complicated hair - I don't want to pay megabucks.

Mine wrecked my hair with how she coloured it. I had almost waist length hilighted hair in really good condition for years. My previous hairdresser had only ever coloured the regrowth. New hairdresser painted dye down the entire length of my hair, and god knows what kind of nuclear products she used, but a load of my hair broke off at the roots, and the rest was like badly coloured straw. I've had to have about 9/10" cut off, it's now just below shoulder length. Fortunately I don't dislike the shorter length but I'm letting it grow long again after all the dodgy colour has been cut out

I think if the cut and colour was perfect, I'd pay the increased prices unless the salon changed from a budget to a mid range salon. I think if people are worried about prices, they will seek out a cheaper salon all the time and change according to special offers etc. Unless you have low overheads and a big clientele e.g. barbers, I'm not sure you can do anything about this as you are changing your target market.

As a number of your clients have left recently, has a new salon opened in the area? Have you a new staff member that people aren't happy with? Have you changed your products/colour brand to one that isn't lasting as long in people's hair?

My hairdresser talked endlessly and I find small talk difficult, it started to stress me out when my appointment got close, plus despite all the talking he wasn't listening to me, the colour was wrong for me and the cut was unflattering.

I switched to a new young girl who's just finished training, she's full of ideas and enthusiasm and reasonably priced.

Being unreliable. He's the best hairdresser I've ever used but he also does a lot of session work so I was often going in and being cancelled last minute. Ended up using the guy he trained up now, who is almost as good but I know if I make an appointment he will be there when I arrive!