A close friend referred me to Cindy after I had a failed attempt to go blonde from burgundy with…read moreanother hairdresser. I arrived at her salon with bright orange hair that had sustained some damage from the previous process. I understood this transformation would take several months, possibly even a year, and I was willing to commit to that.
When I first walked in, the young man at the reception was dismissive and, at times, almost rude. However, I was there for Cindy, so I decided to overlook his behavior. Cindy seemed very nice, and after my first few visits, I left feeling very happy with my hair--something I consistently made sure to tell her. I saw her several times over the following months but started to notice a pattern. After a few days, the toner began to fade, and my hair would revert to a brassy color. During my last visit, she left about an inch to an inch and a half of my roots uncolored when she added new highlights. She offered an excuse, claiming it was all part of the process. I was becoming less convinced over time.
The last time I was there I realized that I had left a brush at her salon and wanted to retrieve it before leaving town. When I returned, she was busy with another client and asked me how my hair was feeling. I mentioned that I was seeing "some" breakage, which was actually quite significant, but I didn't want to criticize her in front of her client. I tried to be diplomatic in my response.
After returning home from my trip, I attempted to schedule my next appointment, but Cindy was unresponsive for close to two weeks. I had a feeling she was upset with me. When she finally got back to me, she essentially "fired" me. She explained that she didn't feel comfortable doing my hair anymore because I wasn't taking the necessary steps to keep it in optimal condition, and for the sake of my hair's health, she wouldn't be working with me any longer.
I thought she was joking. I had purchased every expensive product she suggested and had been following her instructions diligently. I suspect she was upset because I expressed my dissatisfaction during my last visit, as I didn't want to leave the salon looking like my roots had already grown out.
Additionally, I didn't like how the last interaction went between her and her assistant. Usually, after Cindy finishes the coloring, she starts to dry my hair. If a new client walks in, she'll attend to them, and her assistant will finish the blow-drying. However, during my last appointment, after I voiced my unhappiness about my roots, her assistant left me halfway done to help Cindy with a new client. I sat in the chair for several minutes, thinking she would return to finish my hair. She didn't come back until I asked if she was going to finish blow-drying my hair. Did she expect me to leave the salon with wet hair? If I hadn't said anything, that's exactly what would have happened! How strange is that?
Cindy's excuse for "firing" me seemed completely unfounded, especially since I had been careful with my words to avoid criticizing her in front of her client. She informed me that she didn't appreciate me speaking negatively about her work in front of another client, but I truly knew I had been diplomatic. Besides, if she didn't want to hear my honest response, she shouldn't have asked me in front of her client.
I understand that Eddy James isn't a fancy Beverly Hills salon, but I believe I'm not the only client who expects a certain standard of service for the money paid. Despite receiving a "friends and family" discount through my close friend, the services were still not inexpensive, and I consistently tipped Cindy and her assistant well.
It's clear I bruised her ego, and that is likely the real reason she didn't want to deal with me anymore. Regardless of the situation, it's my hair, and I deserve to be happy with the results.