Hair salons - pricing transparency...

[Flyinggeese]

...or 'money no object' attitude! Really interested in discussing if anyone has thoughts on this.

Yet again i have emerged from the salon £90 lighter - and I only went in for a root touch up...

Does this happen to others? I booked for a 'regrowth' colour and when I was there the stylist asked how I'd like my hair finished at the end so I asked for straightened. Bill was half head of colour + blow dry. Yes I definitely asked for hair to be finished straight but what I would expect is something like 'you've booked for a regrowth colour and to finish it off that's a blow dry to add to the service.'

Would you expect the drying to be included (just maybe not with any styling done - was that my mistake?)

There seems to be a general culture of 'money no object' in salons - e.g. they may ask if you want a conditioning treatment after the wash but no 'that will be £X'...

Am I just not getting it? Do other people experience this?

The stylist was really good and no complaints there - it's just like discussing the cost is somehow unusual - and I've had this in other salons too - not just this one.

Thoughts please!

I have the same thing with my hairdressers, I have the same colour done every time but the price is always different. If they tell me I need a toner they really ought to say how much that will cost.

I do know if you don’t want to be charged for a blow-dry you just have to ask for a rough dry

I agree. I have no idea how much my trip to the hair salon is going to cost. If you don't know what level your stylist is at relevant to the price list or what precise service you've booked in for, it's not possible to guess at the cost.

I took DD once, asked on the phone how much a wash and cut would be, was told a price. After the appointment they charged me more and I queried this. I made them charge me for what she'd been booked in for, not what they'd actually done. It was up to them if they tagged on a blow dry. The appointment book said wash and cut.

It's infuriating.

Mine is the same - the price always varies and there are no prices up. It varies from about £75 to £90, and it is absolutely not the done thing to discuss.

I don't know why.

This drives me bonkers! I went in and they started talking about Olaplex and how they'd use it on my hair... didn't mention it was an additional £15 treatment

CadburySpira yes! That accounts for the extra £10 - toner went on too. I've been trying to retrospectively work out how they arrived at the price. It was half head + toner + blowdry. I booked a root touch up and that's all.

It's so embarassing to have to ask constantly - how much will that be? It's clearly not expected to even mention money.

I just say ‘no’ to everything that I’m offered! They are always so coy about the costs involved that I feel I would
Come across as rude to ask outright, so instead I just politely refuse anything that is offered.

It's also the assumption of hairdressing knowledge - I just want my greys covered up where they have regrown - surely that;s a colour - why toner too? Is the colour not sufficient? Agh!

I'd promised myself I'd stop box-dying and start getting my hair done properly but this is a total minefield.

Generally, the blow dry is included with a haircut but not with a colour. Still, they should be transparent about it.

If I ever get my colour done without a haircut, they check who I'd like to do the blow dry. It's much cheaper if you get a junior to do it.

Any additional treatments should be discussed prior to being used in fairness. Deciding to use Olaplex and not telling you about charges is wrong and I’d refuse to pay in that instance.

Its not always clear with highlights whether you’d need a toner or not without seeing the results of the highlighting process. When it comes to colour I do think if you’re having more than just a full head colour, you need to have an open mind to cost. There is no harm asking beforehand how much it will cost, like getting a quote.

I've never been to a salon that charges to dry/ finish it off (I usually go to not very fancy independent salons though).

Don't pay for a service they've added on without making you fully aware that it will be charged.

A colour, in anywhere I’ve worked, is the price on top of a cut and blow dry or blow dry.
Even a rough dry and finish takes time out of a stylists schedule so you can’t expect not to be charged something.

CooCooCoo totally agree - but they should say! I booked literally for a root colour - should I expect to walk out with wet hair unless Ipay bor the drying? There is no price for rough drying on the price list - is this unusual?

I pay for

Everywhere I've been has been the opposite and s colour and cut has ALWAYS included a blow dry. Surely it's bad business for them for you to walk out with wet/ scraggly hair? And they've needed to dry it and run the straighteners over to check that the cut is even.

Thanks for the replies. Think I'm going to have to prepare myself next time and find a way to bring this up.