360 Degree Disaster,.... Installed…read more
For about 6 months now, my sister has been on the hunt for a stylist that can do a 360 Degree wig install with a melt/glue front and draw-string rear. Most have said that they cannot do them and they are up-front about it. However, Chris Williams of Exquisite U, 2550 Valley Road #9 stated with unwavering confidence that he can do it and has done them before. My sister takes her hair down beforehand, so there is only a need for a wash, treatment and braid before the install. Just to schedule the opportunity for disaster cost $56.00 for a slot, using a scheduling program (Style Seat) that requires a degree in nuclear thermodynamics to understand (It keeps wanting to direct the user to PayPal and not allow the user to input a debit/credit card). That was the first portion of the frustration, as she prefers to make the appointment and just pay in cash, with a receipt at the time of service.
The wash, oil treatment and braid went well. I will state he is an accomplished braider, yet the buck stops there. The wig portion of the install took 4 hours, in at 12 and out at 5:30pm. Now, in every video I watched and my sister watched, it states explicitly "Do not Cut the Strings on the back of a 360 wig". The installer is to pull them tight and tuck them under the back of the wig for readjustments. What did he do? He glued the back of the wig down and closed with the strings out, then he cut the strings. The strings are there if the wearer wants to wear the hair up in a pony-tail, up in a bun or just pulled back and the wig needs to be tightened later. The strings help keep the tension on the front of the wig. The strings are gone and so is $300.00 on a wig that can never be used again.
Now, one cannot gauge the experience of a stylist based upon on the website pictures alone, as stock photos and TikTok / Instagram videos are easily obtained and touted off as their personal work. We have run into this a few times now. The wig installs on the website do not compare to what this final product turned out to be. All of that aside, we understand that accidents happen, but when a stylist burns the back of your neck three times and provides a second degree burn to the side of your face, something is terribly wrong here. One wonders,... Are they fresh out of school, getting Barber Hours, is this the first time they handled a curling iron on someone else? You should never be burned once, let alone 3 times in one sitting, especially on your face. Turn off the TV and pay attention!
Glue,... There was so much glue used, one would think he was building cabinets, not installing wigs. First, he did not trim the lace in the front to the hair line. At one point he was prompted by another lady in the shop (I am assuming the owner?) to trim more of the lace in the front. Based on the pictures, it still was not enough. It is supposed to blend in with the natural baby hairs, not sit on the forehead to later roll up after drying (Refer to the pictures). There was so much glue, her sunglasses were stuck to the back of her ears and I had to peel them off of her. There is more lift up on the back of wig, yet there is plenty of glue. How do you slather all kinds of glue all over, and still get wig lift? When she removes the wig, she will lose a good portion of her natural hair in the process.
Following the procedure she paid $165.00 for the install, plus a $20.00 tip, thinking at first he did a good job. The carnage was not revealed until the next day when the band over the front was lifted,... Actually pried off because of so much glue. It was stuck to everything, the band, her ears, the baby hairs lifted up and the back of the wig lifted up as well. To add insult to injury, my sister noted an additional charge on her credit card two days later, when she had already paid in cash.
If you are still learning and are not quite sure of something do not come off as a professional like you have done it for years. You are not just costing the client a $300.00 wig and a $165.00 install (Plus a $20.00 cash tip), you are costing them their dignity and reputation. If you are new to that type of install or are unsure, say so. Do not let ones need for a dollar jeopardize a professional reputation for the client, the shop owner and the practitioner, as poor reviews and evidence can and will happen. These will be carried with you through ought your career and word-of-mouth is a powerful tool. As one can see, there is little that can be done to salvage this install other than tear it out and start over, at a significant cost of both time and money to the client.
Later on,... My sister contacted Mr. Williams about the install and the issues she is having with it. No answer, no contact, not even an apology. But the money was surely charged to her card, and an automatic tip is calculated with the scheduling system if you do not notify the system within 24 hours that other arrangements were made for payment.
