Took my 1-year-old daughter for her 1st haircut and got the "1st Haircut" package. Generally happy…read morewith the overall cut for what we asked for, but not too happy with how clean and slightly uneven the cut turned out. Not too happy with how the appointment went either, and definitely not happy with the quality of customer service we received.
Expectations:
- Expected customer service to feel more welcoming and accommodating for kids.
- Expected the stylist to be more diligent and professional with their service.
- Expected a certain level of quality and care for my child, given a price of around $30 or more.
What actually happened:
- The stylist was quiet, maybe timid? Maybe not as experienced with handling babies, toddlers, or kids in general? Not sure.
- We sat our 1-year-old on a stool meant for older kids. No booster seat was offered. No seatbelt was offered. The stylist didn't ask how we wanted to handle the seating situation or explain how she usually handles babies. Nothing. Just "ok, let's get started."
- My daughter slipped off the chair, and if I hadn't kept my hands on her, she would have fallen to the ground. Only then did the stylist try to add some sort of seatbelt strap. And then I turn around to look in the corner of the store and I see a booster seat!! I didn't even ask at this point, but I'm surprised the stylist didn't even offer it as a solution! Lack of care for the safety of my child!
- We were given the option to let our 1-year-old watch something on Disney+. So is this the crutch they rely on to distract kids?
- My daughter was crying and screaming. Obviously, for her 1st haircut, it can be scary. But I don't blame her. The stylist wasn't interacting with her in any meaningful way to make her feel comfortable. I would expect a salon that specializes in kids' haircuts to actually be great with kids, or at least hire people who are experienced with handling children of all ages.
- The stylist was having a really difficult time cutting my daughter's hair because she was crying uncontrollably. The crying itself isn't the stylist's fault. Maybe it's my job as a parent to try to calm her down? Sure. But part of the reason my daughter was crying was likely because she was unfamiliar with the stylist and the whole experience. You would think the stylist would try to offer some solutions? Or at least try to be more entertaining, engaging, or friendly with the child? Her best idea was offering a keychain with a key on it?
- The stylist was able to get most of the haircut done, but at a certain point, she asked, "Is that good enough?"..... I mean, I get that the customer ultimately has the final say, right? But the cut still looked unfinished and slightly uneven. Again, I can't 100% blame the stylist. She tried her best with my screaming and flailing daughter. But don't just ask me, "Is this good enough?" I think at that point, the stylist could have offered her professional opinion and said something like: "I know you wanted this style of cut, and there are still some areas that could be cleaned up better, but I can see your daughter isn't having a good time. Would you like us to try working together to calm her down so we can finish, or would you prefer to leave it as is?"
That kind of communication would have gone a long way. It would have shown some professionalism, experience, and genuine care for the child and the quality of the service.
Maybe my expectations are high. I understand that cutting a 1-year-old's hair isn't easy, especially when they're crying and moving around. I don't expect a perfect haircut under those circumstances. But I do expect a salon that specializes in kids' haircuts to be better prepared for situations like this.
At the end of the day, my biggest disappointment wasn't even the haircut itself. It was the lack of communication, engagement, and effort to make my daughter feel comfortable during what was supposed to be a special experience for her 1st haircut, especially when we paid extra for the "1st haircut" package. So you would think that a place upselling themselves on giving kids their 1st haircut, should PROBABLY know how to deal with kids getting their 1st haircut!! I don't know. Maybe I'm wrong.
Based on our experience, I would definitely caution parents about bringing children under 2 here, especially if they're going through a "stranger danger" phase. Again, it's not the stylist's fault for my daughter crying. But you would expect more engagement and communication.
Super disappointing.