TLDR: 3 not great experiences with Ashley, including her recording without me knowing, her being…read morelate, and then her canceling on me unexpectedly hours before an appointment and then charging ME a cancellation fee.
Longer version: I found Ashley on socials and booked a new client appointment. She had me follow a bunch of rules: come in with no product in hair, no detangling, and completely dry. She was late to the appointment and I called/texted/DMed to no avail. Eventually, she did text me and let me know that she would be there.
In that first appointment, we did a treatment and a wash and go. She also walked me through different products and how to style my hair. I was new in my wash n go journey and she told me to text her when I'm buying my products and to keep her updated on my hair journey.
She asked me to write a 5 star review on the spot and to give her any feedback in-person instead of in a review. She tried to convince me to book a haircut, however I wasn't prepared to pay for a curly cut on the spot, but she did convince me to go ahead and still leave a 5 star review and book another wash and go.
In the second appointment, it was pretty simple. We did a wash n go, and again she tried to upsell me to book a haircut by kind of insulting me about having dry hair and then also had me write a 5 star review again on the spot. She asked about my hair journey, and I told her how I still don't enjoy doing my own hair, but that I am trying my best to follow her instructions and to use the products she recommended me. I texted her ONCE when I bought the products to make sure it was right, as she requested, and ONCE a photo of my own wash n go.
I later saw an Instagram post where she posted a recording of a conversation where I mentioned a salon that I'd visited over a year ago for a curly cut. In that video, my eyes are covered because I'm in the shampoo bowl, so I did not know that I was being recorded. I messaged her telling her that I did not give her permission to record me, that the context of the caption was misleading, and asked her to take that video down. It took some back-and-forth, but eventually she did take it down. That's when I noticed some of the before and after photos which I believe to be also misleading. The before photos she calls my hair dry and makes fun of my new growth, failing to mention the fact that I showed up as requested with my hair uncombed, unconditioned, no product and a year out from a cut. My hair was hydrated in the after photo and looks defined, as it does anytime I do a moisture treatment at any of the salons I've been to. Making fun of my hair while bashing another salon I hadn't been to in a year was unnecessary.
This year I was going to a wedding and planning to have my hair in an updo. I wanted to support a black salon and the last one I went to was unavailable the week of the wedding. I saw that Ashley's salon is now using a different stylist other than her. I should've listened to my gut and distanced myself from anything related to Ashley from the jump. I booked a simple Wash N Go appointment with the other stylist, figuring that this is a simple appointment and that I wouldn't have too much interaction with Ashley. My plan was to have a wash and go there to define my curls and then put my hair in an updo for the wedding.
The day before my appointment, Ashley texted me re-confirming the appointment and saying she was excited to see that I booked. She asked if I've gotten a curly cut before to which I told her yes and then she asked what products this "other" stylist has me using. I'm not sure why she needs that info if I'm just getting a wash n go but before I could even respond, I got a message saying that my appointment had been canceled and I'm charged a late fee for canceling within 72 hours. I thought it was an error given that she had just reconfirmed less than 5 minutes prior. I had to go back-and-forth with the booking company to eventually get my full refund, including that late cancellation fee. She never responded to my text about why I was canceled but she sent me an email mentioning the video that she recorded without my knowledge and said that "we have our choices."
She had never previously expressed any issues or concerns with me, and I thought this was very unprofessional. Looking back, this unprofessional behavior is in line with every interaction we've had. I am posting exact screenshots of my conversations with her, so you can see for yourself the way that she speaks to clients.
The fact that she charges people for canceling within 72 hours yet does it herself is telling. The fact that she texts me excited about an appointment just to cancel minutes later is crazy. The fact that there are many reviews saying she retaliated against them for giving less than 5 stars and/or sharing constructive feedback is ridiculous. The fact that she recorded my audio conversation while my eyes were covered in the shampoo bowl is asine.
