I got my hair trimmed recently. It was my first (and now last) time at Envy. I mostly chose this…read moreplace due to the convenience of scheduling an appointment online, but the reviews were also promising. The lady who trimmed my hair did a decent job and was nice.
My review, however, is for an atrocious experience I had with the owner, Brandi Wilson.
My sister's first time at Envy didn't go as well as mine. Someone there attempted a balayage that... Well, let's just say she's had to spend hundreds of dollars correcting at other salons. Unsure of how the refund process works, she took me with her to speak with the manager about it.
Ms. Wilson was with a client when we walked in. Awkwardly, my sister had to explain her situation while Ms. Wilson washed another lady's hair. She barely looked at us and acted like we were an annoying distraction from her work. Nevertheless, my sister kindly explained that the stylist didn't use the freehand painting technique that one uses for a proper balayage. Instead, she used foils from root to tip, all over, which resulted in chunky highlights that didn't naturally blend in. It was not a balayage in any way, shape, or form. (Picture attached.)
Ms. Wilson saw that picture and didn't see anything wrong with it. She responded, first, with a lecture on what balayage is in an effort to discredit us - with misinformation, no less. She said balayage "isn't necessarily a technique" - no, it is a technique. That's literally what it is, what makes it special in the first place - the unique application. The more she talked about it, the more ignorant and patronizing she came across.
She told us we have to talk to the stylist and that she could give us the stylist's number. All well and good. But then she left us standing there and continued picking apart my sister's complaint. She kept saying unhelpful, inflammatory things like, "Well if you'd talked to [the stylist] first maybe she would've fixed your hair for free."
I don't know if she was in a bad mood or what, but she wanted to argue. Understandably I was irritated by this, but I stayed calm. I said we didn't want the original stylist to fix my sister's hair. Ms. Wilson acted like she had been personally attacked. She raised her voice and became visibly angry, demanding, "What do you want me to do?" I tried to say we just wanted the stylist's number but she kept talking over me.
It made us very uncomfortable, so I had to tell her to chill. She seriously needed to calm down; there was no need for her to get defensive and escalate the situation. Instead, she lost it. She started yelling. She told us to leave before she called the police. She shouted, and I quote, "Exit my fricken business!"
I was beyond done and going to leave, but we still needed the stylist's number for a refund. So I asked her, calmly, "Could you please give us [the stylist's] contact information?" I thought it was a reasonable request. Still enraged, she snapped, "You know what? Find it online."
(We have this exchange on video, by the way.)
Admittedly I did call her a name right before I left, but it was my only act of aggression in the whole mess and, frankly, she deserved it after the way she treated us.
I will be doing what Ms. Wilson said and staying out of her "fricken" business for good. I'm telling everyone I know to avoid Envy as well. There are better salons in the area that are professional, friendly, and highly skilled - Tease and Ross Michaels comes to mind.
Ms. Wilson needs to work on basic customer service skills because this does not bode well for any business. As the owner you represent your entire salon, your staff - even if they are independent contractors. You need to treat customers with care and respect. Don't be condescending. Don't make excuses. A little empathy goes a long way.
Doing a little research on balayage wouldn't hurt, either.
