GREAT PRACTITIONER - HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE - SHADY CREDIT CARD HANDLING POLICIES.
After 60+ years of perms and varied hair services, I learned of a new curly perm technique called the GinaCurl. I waited 2 years for a qualified beautician to become certified in this new curly perm process in Arizona. Finally, Endless Creations Salon of Chandler Arizona was listed as having a trained stylist and I immediately booked an appointment, being among her first customers.
I was delighted to find Ms. CeCe, the salon's owner, and sole stylist, to be very knowledgeable on the science of hair and hair care. I admired that she was attempting to partner with a young man, presumably a relative, in salon administration and social marketing. I complimented her use of space in the cramped 1-chair salon cubical, even though her website and complicated appointment procedures would suggest an upscale multi-stylist business, which it was far from being.
On my first visit, I was not put off by the $950 (+$150 in tips) price tag. Nor was I put off by the lengthy and complicated new customer interview and appointment process. I even understood the need to reserve a total of 8 hours for the service. It was my choice to travel the 100 miles to Metro Phoenix and spend an additional $200 for an overnight stay at a salon-recommended hotel, making it a 2-day trip - all in the name of vanity and being pleased with my first GinaCurl.
Problems first surfaced 3 months later when I was overcharged on a return visit by $80.60 for deposits not credited to my account after spending $150 for a conditioning treatment and $185 in products. When I discovered the overcharge a day later, I asked to have the refund applied to the credit card I paid with, as is normal business practice. After agreeing to a refund, I received an email from PayPal stating that I would have to open an account with them and register my ID and credit card info in order to receive the refund. Being burned by PayPal credit card scams in the past, was not a risk I was willing to take. I offered to accept having the refund credited towards future services or an $80.60 gift certificate or some other way of making this right. Jay, the salon's "customer service representative" informed me that was not possible. NOT POSSIBLE? Such a mom-and-pop operation, barely coming out of the basement, could not rectify a simple credit transaction. REALLY? I let it slide for the moment.
In preparation for a third visit to the salon, (now about to spend another $1200 + for services plus time, travel, and lodging), I paid their required $300 deposit on their online payment site in order to "secure an appointment" for a GinaCurl Touch Up 22 days in advance of an available opening. I texted them their required screen-captured deposit receipt and mentioned an opportunity to apply the credit of the $80.60 instead of the $60 promotional gift certificate they were offering to customers. Three days later over nearly 5 hours of back-and-forth texting, I received multiple texts requesting the screen-captured receipt from their website - again, available appointment dates - again, 7 annoying automated marketing texts asking to complete an appointment request form and join a waitlist, a statement that the $80.60 could not be credited, a statement that the $300 deposit could not be refunded as "Salon Policy" and worst of all, one stating Jay was "forwarding my concerns to Ms. CeCe" who would get back to me in "48-72 business hours" - which never happened!
Becoming very irritated at this level of incompetence, poor judgment, and bad business, they lost me as a customer. I am out $380.60, even after filing with my credit card companies. I now must either travel out of state for a retouch or cut away the GinaCurl after all the expense, as other perms and stylings are not compatible with it.
GinaCurl is a great product and definitely worth a try as long as you want to stick to that look, have the money to travel for it, and deal with a competent and trustworthy business operation. Felecie Foxworth, a.k.a. Ms. CeCe - Owner/Practitioner and Customer Service partner Jay of Endless Creation Salon of Arizona is not that business. read more
