Sarah

I am really upset
My hair naturally is a dark blonde. I have it lightened professionally, as I prefer the way it looks than when it comes out of a do-it-yourself bottle. My hair needed doing so the ball and chain told me to go and get it done as a birthday pressie to myself.
So.... today I had an appointment at a salon that I'd never been to before, I chose them because their website looked great and was full of awards they had won, the owner made wigs for children with cancer etc, so I thought this looked like a great place to try out.

I got there and realised it was pretty cruddy, really small little basement salon, with 70's linoleum on the floor and faux bricks around the reception, plastic plants everywhere and old, old barbers chairs with the stuffing coming out of them. My heart sank even further when the woman who called me over to do my hair had a horrible half grown-out perm, lots of chunky gold jewelry and stank of ciggies. Her hands shook like a crack addict the entire she was doing my hair.

Ok, I thought, just get it over with and hope for the best, all I wanted was my roots touching up and this being a kinda downmarket place, its bound to be cheaper than the swish salons I'd been to before where everyone swans round in black and you're given a cappucino and told how fabulous you look.
Anyway, I was done pretty quickly and went to the counter to pay and was told that that would be $113.00.
$113 f--king dollars????? I was in and out of there in a flash and charged $30 for the 2 minutes fag ash Lil spent trimming the ends of my hair and the rest was for the colour. It's the most I've ever paid for a haircut + colour in my entire life, and I used to pay through the nose for it when I lived in London.
I just paid and walked out, got onthe cellphone to the hubs to tell what a pile of shit experience it had been.
Then....I get home tonight and take a closer look at my hair...the colour the woman has put on my head doesn't match up with the rest of my hair, when I pull my hair back into a ponytail, it looks exactly the same as it did yesterday, like I have an inch of roots. Its only when I smush my face up against the mirror that I see that there's actually any colour been on there and it looks like its only on one side of my head, the other side looks completely untouched

AARRGGHHH!! PISSED OFF!!!!

So...what should I do? Yes, I should've asked for a price quote beforehand, I know that, lesson has been learned and trust me I will never, ever, go to a place without asking exactly how much lighter my wallet will be at the end. But I could stomach it if I'd come out of there with a kickass haircut & colour, but the fact that the colour doesn't even match up....my hair is blonde and the colour she's put on is a reddy colour. FOR F--KS SAKE!!!
Cut to the chase - what is the best way to go about complaining about this?
Have you ever gone back to a salon and asked for a refund? I am a normal person who hates confontation and have only ever complained a couple of times in my life. What is the est way to go about, how do you begin to lodge a complaint about something like this? Or should I just admit defeat, put it down to experience and move on?

Ray

Write a nice letter to the owner telling them what you said here
and forget it all ... A chance to exact will come in the future ...

Sally

You should ask them to re-do it with an all-over colour, but if it's a cruddy place it could come out even worse

I think I would let them know I wasn't happy and try for some sort of refund towards going to a better place. Hairdressing does seem expensive here, and the price on the board bears no relation to what you are charged.

Sure you still look nice

Andrew Cross

I am so sorry to hear about your experience. I for one am always pissed off at hairdressers. EVERY single time I go, I come out feeling like I might as well have done it myself. There have only been rare occasions when I have been happy with what they have done. My hair grows very slowly and when I ask for the teeniest trim - they cut off two inches, it then takes 8 months to grow back to what it was..

I really dont know how to advise you on your dilemma, suffice to say I never complain. Maybe a letter like Ray suggested might be the ticket or just put it down to experience and never go back...

Tried to karma you, but gotta spread it....

Elvira

Aaaarrrhhhh - American hairdressers!!! You have my sympathy.

This is probably one to chalk up to experience. You could go with Ray's suggestion, though I wouldn't hold out much hope.

For the future, I would never let anyone colour my hair without having first tried them out with a simple cut and blow-dry.

willmore

I would go back and explain to them that you arent happy with the final results and would like it redone or your money refunded. If the salon is as sleezy as you describe, I wouldnt hold out much chance of either happening.

If you are unable to get any results from the salon, tell them you are going to report them to the BBB and also pass on the word to everyone what a terrible job they did on your hair. Small businesses depend on "word of mouth" clients......Then just chalk it up to experience.....tough I know hon.....that's why I do my own.

Just a hint for the next time.....I depend alot on "word of mouth". Ive been going to the same gal for many years now but found her this way.

Sorry it didnt work out for you. Its very frustrating to spend that kind of money and be unhappy.

cindyabs

Sorry to hear about it Sarah and yes I think I would go back and see if it is possible to at the least get a redo. When I was your age I decided to get my hair frosted-went to a salon and it looked fine. However, whatever they used on my hair turned it into the consistency of straw-talk about a rat's nest!!!

I've been going to the same guy here for 12 years. Found him at the mall and was impressed how he had me keep shaking and moving my head to see how the hair lay after he cut it, he worked til he got it just right. Later on he went into business for himself and one of the things I enjoy is going to his house (where he set up his salon) for a good gossip and laughs. I even invited he and his partner to our wedding. He did my hair AND my Mom's hair for a wedding present.

Maybe next time look around and if there's someone whose hair looks good, ask them where they go. I have referred several people to Ted when they commented on my hair.

paddingtongreen

Are you nuts? Those recommending Sarah go back, why would they be more competent a second time. The place is a dump. It would be different if it was a good place, and the bad hair, an aberration.

clydegirl

Don't go back it will turn out worse than it was.

When you are out if you see someone whose hair you like ask them where they go.

britvic

You should of run a mile when you saw how out dated it looked, let alone some really old bird touch your hair :scared: I hunted around for a salon where they always look like there doing plenty of business, all the Women working in there under 40 with descent looking hair styles, I asked for an appointment with the Manageress, as luck would have it she lived in England and knows her stuff, and I had a good cut the other day

Guest21

I have had horror storys in Hairdressers over the years worst was in the 80's I was having a perm and the stupid girl put some kind of solution on my hair that reacted to the bleach that was already on there, she put me under the dryer and my head started to burn so badly that it was steaming under the dryer and they had to spray my head down with cold water,hence rather then a soft shaggy perm a bloody poodle perm that stuck to my head and frizzed all the ends off lol.

Oh yes any way my friend went to a Reggis Salon I think they are called 2 weeks ago and the cut was awful she was really pissed so she went back complained and said that she would report them to the Illinois Cosmetology board and the BB BUREAU she got her money back and went else where.

Every state I think has a Cosmetology complaints board that would cover this incident, you don't have to act on it but make them think you are an get your money back.

paddingtongreen

James carville said that PA consists of Philadelphia in the Southeast and Pittsburg in the Southwest, with Alabama in between. Sarah lives in the Alabama part of PA. Probably hard to find a place out there in the sticks.

Rodney you plonker

Why didn't you leave right there and then. You are just too nice a person Sarah, if you felt uncomfortable with the place you should have told them to shove it up there arses......... In the nicest possible way of course.

NC Penguin

You should've gone with your gut reaction on entering the salon and seeing the stylist (but you probably realize that on hindsight) and left.

Didn't you say you read a review online? Well, maybe you should write a review yourself and write pretty much what you wrote in your OP. i.e. a warning to others about the salon.

If I were you, I'd call the salon and speak to the owner. If the person's not there, call back when he/she is there. Mention that the trip was as a birthday present and neither you or your husband was happy with the results. Ask for a refund (I personally wouldn't let them try to correct their poor job).

I feel your pain. I'm on my fourth hairdresser now and she does the best job, doesn't advertise at all (all her business is by personal referral) and is the cheapest. Best of all she's friendly, down-to-earth and works really quick even though she likes to chat.


NC Penguin

Elvira

Eh? Old bird?