I really hesitate to do this because I was a loyal customer of Summer's from before she even…read moregraduated hair school to after she opened Salon Palomino, which is honestly what makes this whole situation even more disappointing... but I have tried to resolve this privately to no avail.
In 2024, I received a service that was not exactly what I had asked for. At the time, it seemed acceptable when I left the salon, but after sitting with it overnight, I realized I was unhappy with the result. I reached out to her promptly to address the issue. She declined to offer a complimentary correction (even something as minimal as a root smudge, which, to be clear, would not have fully resolved my concerns but was a compromise I was willing to accept). Instead, I was told I would need to pay for an entirely new service, despite having already paid nearly $400 plus a 20% gratuity. Because of this, I chose not to return and decided to go elsewhere to have it fixed (which put me out another $400 plus 20% gratuity!!!)
The larger issue, however, is what has happened since. For reasons I don't understand, Summer continues to repost a video of that same service every few months. Reposting a service that a client ultimately expressed dissatisfaction with is, at best, questionable. But more concerning is that these reposts present the work as recent.
This morning, she shared the video again. Several people reached out to me asking if I had just had my hair done, which highlights the problem: the post is misleading. The service is from two years ago, yet it is being presented in a way that suggests it is current work. Given this, I reached out respectfully and asked if she would consider removing the video.
I acknowledged that she may technically have the right to use the content for marketing. However, I asked if she would consider taking the video down out of respect, especially knowing I had expressed dissatisfaction with the result. Her response emphasized that she has a signed waiver and declined to remove the video, instead offering to block specific viewers if I provided their names. She also dismissed my concerns by reiterating that she believed the results were beautiful and suggested my reaction was unexpected. The full extent of our communications are also attached below.
At the end of the day, I genuinely support small businesses and wish her success. However, transparency and respect for clients should be a baseline standard. In a small community like ours, trust and reputation matter, and situations like this reflect a broader issue of professionalism that needs to be addressed.
