BE ON TIME OR THEY'LL CALL THE COPS
I know this is a bit of a long read, but trust me it's worth it because it ends in the police being called.
I was really excited to come here with my two friends. We had heard great things about this place and booked in advance. What I'm about to share with you might change your mind about coming here...
The first thing that alerted me about something being off was when I called to book our three appointments. I was to get a full manicure, and my two friends were just getting shellac without manicure. They asked for a $100 deposit, which I thought was pretty weird considering that our three services only amounted to about $70. I pointed this out, but they told me that it was policy. At this point I said I wasn't comfortable and that was that. I got a call back a few days later from the salon asking if I was still interested in keeping the appointment. I said I was, but was still not comfortable with paying a hefty deposit. The employee said this was fine, and they could forgo the deposit and come anyway. Great!
I arrived to the appointment on time, but my friends got stuck in traffic and had trouble parking. I updated the receptionist on their status who didn't seem bothered at the time. When they arrived they sat down and a few minutes later the receptionist abruptly told them their services were cancelled and they would rebook. I was put off by her quick change of demeanour, not apologetic approach and curt communication. Because I had just begun my manicure service I politely asked the nail technician if she thought there was time for them to complete a short service for my friends. She was polite and understanding, but came back and said it was unfortunately not possible according to the receptionist. I asked her if it would trouble her at all if I stopped my service at that point because the goal was to have time to catch up with my friends during the manicure. She was kind, polite and understanding - I gave her a tip and apologized.
The receptionist was abrupt and told me I owed $25 (full manicure is $30). I stated that I was disappointed with the customer service overall and did not agree with paying the full fee. They asked me to return in one hour. Not exactly convenient. When I returned the manager was curt and abrupt in her communication. She stated plainly that my friends were 18 minutes late and they are far too busy to accommodate their late arrival. She said if I saw her calendar I would understand that their is only 20 minutes for shellac and 30 for manicures. I explained that I was sorry for the inconvenience and apologized. To be honest, I very much understand the inconvenience of being late and if she had handled it differently I would paid the fee willingly. She refuted every statement I made. In the end we agreed that we would leave it, and move on. We said goodbye and left.
I was met at my car by a security guard who told me that the store was calling the police. He was kind and caring and apologized but said they would not budge. He returned to the store and then came back to my car again and stated again they believed I had an outstanding balance and they would be calling the police to address the issue.
I was scared to re-enter the store. My friends returned to the store and refused to pay the full fee. The manager stated that 50% of the fee is for the technician and 50% is for the spa. They agreed to pay the technician fee to respect her time but no payment would be paid to the spa. The manager stated the spa needed to be paid. We refused and paid the 50% fee. I am deeply disturbed by their approach to customer service and am left feeling confused and worried for their ability to manage conflict. I am sorry I was late, but I am a calm, polite and respectful individual and I found it upsetting to be met by a security guard and the threat of a police officer over a contentious $20 fee.
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