I’ve been going to the same salon for about 12 years. I’ve used different stylists – the first one left, they switched me to someone who had been doing my hair for maybe 9 years, had a bunch of health problems, there were a lot of missed and rescheduled appointments and then she had to resign. That was last fall. But over the past year, it seems that if I make an appointment 5 weeks ahead it nearly always has to be changed due to the stylist or salon schedules. This despite numerous confirmations from a few weeks out right up to the day before via text and email. Last time I did not make my appointment ahead – but when I called today they were unable to get me an appointment any day this week at all.
I think I’m gonna walk. I am so frustrated. This salon is very nice, but it is not the best salon (or the most convenient salon) in town. I spend $125-250 every 4-5 weeks, for the past 12 years. I really expect them to take a little better care of me. Am I wrong?
Of course you are not wrong! That’s abysmal customer service. Find a new place! (PS – you certainly do not need a good reason or any reason to change salons if you want to. But they have certainly given you a good reason to
Absolutely walk. It’s obvious they now take your business for granted, and no longer value you as a loyal customer. There are bound to be a number of other salons that will meet your requirements, perhaps even better.
Whoa… talk about bad service! Time to look around. Any chance you can get in touch with any of the people you saw before and left and ask them for new recommendations?
Gotta say, stories like this make me realize how lucky I am to have seen the same person for 20+ years, although it has required me to follow her to several different places - some close to home, and others a little bit further. The one time she was on maternity leave, she made arrangements for her clients to see someone else.
No it’s time to start looking. I tried a new salon for my last haircut and felt like I was cheating on my husband. I miss the gal I used to go to about 7 years ago…she gave great head massages and haircuts.
You are not wrong…divorcing your stylist can be difficult , but I would say, find someone you know who has a style/ cut / color you like and make a consultation.
If it is the same hairdresser, I may reconsider. My loyalty is only to my hairdresser, not to the salon. I have been going to the same person since I was 25. She charges me 90 for color and cut. I have moved out of NYC a few times, and now I am not in NYC most of the time. She’ll come in early or stay later for me. Whenever I’ve called to ask her to fit me in, she would always do it.
I’ve been going to the same salon for 25 years. It’s like a family. I know all their stories and they know mine. I go to mainly two of the women, depending on what I’m having done but through the years, all of them have done my hair. I have never had any of them cancel, nor have I cancelled, other than once when I had bronchitis and didn’t want to spread my germs. I tip very well but I think they give all of their clients the same great service. I agree that you deserve better service and I wouldn’t put up with that.
I’d walk. It just doesn’t work to do scheduling twice- every month.
I am a similar customer to you and have followed the same stylist through 4 salon changes in our area. While the salons have varied in their service, the stylist is as loyal to me as I have been to her for 15 years and she makes things go smoothly. You don’t owe them more chances and it doesn’t sound like there is any reason to endure the complications.
I had a bit of the same problem – once I arrived at my appointment on-time, only to be told that my stylist was running behind. They asked if I could come back in an hour, which I reluctantly did. When I arrived, the receptionist yelled at me that I was late! After I told her I had been told to leave and come back, she sniffed, “Oh, she’s blowing out Mrs. X; Mrs. X always takes extra time,” as if I should know this and it was somehow my ignorance that caused the problem. The owner stepped in and gave me a free coloring while I waited for the stylist, but I decided that in my upscale town, there are certainly enough other places to try.
This was during the days I had a one-way hour and 45 minute commute, and my kids were 9 and 4. I really didn’t need to spend my Saturdays waiting for my hair stylist.
“After I told her I had been told to leave and come back, she sniffed, “Oh, she’s blowing out Mrs. X; Mrs. X always takes extra time,” …”
Wow. Just wow. Glad you voted with your feet. That’s what scheduling is there for!!! If they knew this, they should not havr scheduled the next customer until the “extra time” was over!
I have stumbled into this thread obviously by accident. I used to cut hair for friends on my dorm floor back in the day. I still cut my own hair rather than going to a salon. And yeah, I get compliments.
Sorry, cutting hair is not brain surgery. I’d love to have someone do a great job for me.
Actually there were two people I loved–one became a doctor and the other an ortho assistant.
Hair grows back–it’s not that big a deal.
If you don’t get a good cut and special service to make it worth your money then go somewhere else.
I would change, too. I can’t even imagine a situation like the one you have been dealing with. I often schedule my appointment to coincide with a special event - so my cut and color look fresh. I would be furious if my appt. got cancelled.
I’ve never had my stylists cancel on me - even the one I had before my present stylist. She was battling colon cancer and still never missed my scheduled appointment. Sadly, she didn’t make and I’ve been with another stylist in the same salon since then.
Similar situation! My stylist of 7+ years has gotten busier and I find she is squeezing me in between other appointments. The time she leaves me sitting with color varies from 40 minutes to over an hour depending on how busy she is with other people. For the last year she has forgotten her “good” scissors several times and last time forgot her appointment book. I’ve said several times that I’d like to think about letting some gray show and perhaps experimenting with lighter colors and highlights to let it blend in. She just says, “your husband will hate it” and slathers on the usual monotone. She is also very rough and I usually leave with a headache. It’s been almost 10 weeks and I don’t think I’m going to make another appointment. I’ve bought some Schwarzkopf Igora professional color on Amazon (about $10/tube, enough for at least two colorings) and I’m going to find someone to just trim every two months or so. Coloring at home was easier than I expected and I’m happy with the results. My question is whether I should send her a note or some other acknowledgement of our long “relationship”.