Summary: Arrived for 1 pm appointment. Still hadn't been seen at 3 pm. Walk out at close to 3:30 pm.
I don't write reviews very often and when I do, they usually are positive. When I have a negative experience at a business, I usually decide to never spend my money there again. But the experience I had at JHB yesterday might be the worst I have ever had at a salon, and that includes inexpensive hood spots and high-end salons in NJ and NY.
I scheduled my appointment in early June for July 13th. I was really excited about coming here because I have been searching for a quality natural hair salon for over 2 years as my most recent stylist only had the experience with straight styles (I went to him when my hair was relaxed). I found JHB on Instagram and after looking at the great-looking posts and stories for a while, I decided to take the leap and make the appointment.
I arrived at my appointment ahead of time and could not enter the building. After a while of numerous people trying to get in (and out) of the building, I finally call up to the salon to let them know what was happening; I definitely did not want to be charged a late fee when I had been early. The person who answered the phone said they would send someone down. They did not. Luckily another person outside had called another business in the building and that business had someone come down to open the door. Perhaps this should've been a sign?
I finally enter the salon and Julie, the owner, was very pleasant. She asked me my name and what service I was getting, then put me in a client chair, put me in a robe and offered me a glass of wine,; she said she would get to me soon. I assumed she was about to quickly finish what she was doing with the client in her chair as it was 1:00 pm (my appointment time). Turns out, she was not about to get to me. But I did get a nice brownie while I waited.
Near 2:00 pm, she checked in with me and said they would start my wash soon, then she walked out of the salon. Yes, it was an hour after my start time and I was still in the same position I was in at 1:00pm. I happen to be a really patient and thought, ok, this is pretty unprofessional but I will let it go. I decide to run to the ladies room, which is outside of the salon, so that I wouldn't have to get up once she finally started on my hair. I had assumed she left the salon for supplies or something, but it turned out she was just having a conversation in the hallway with another women... while other women were waiting for their hair to be done. When she finally finished her conversation, which may have been about 30 minutes, I expect her to start on my hair. Nope. There had been a woman sitting by a sink with a plastic cap on her hair ,who had been sitting there since I arrived (huh) that she started working on. I was hoping (praying) that this woman was just getting a wash and go and would be done soon. Nope. She has a blow dry, cut, and style. Now I am just steaming inside. Did I mention that Julie never checked in on me again after that hour mark?
Once 3:00 pm came (yes, I still haven't been seen and absolutely no mention of the apology for the wait or explanation, or even an offering of more wine or chocolate) I am furious. I had organized my whole day around this appointment and traveled from out of state to make it there. For the cost of the services at this salon, my expectation for quality service certainly was not misguided. At 3:20 pm I stood up, took off my robe and started walking out. Julie finally must've remembered that I was still sitting there (not sure how she could've forgotten as I was LITERALLY in the chair next to her) and asked me (and I really wish I was kidding), "Is everything ok?" Yes, this is what the business owner, who after having a paying client wait almost 2.5 HOURS for their appointment, asked as I am walking out. I responded that I had waited almost 2.5 hours and wasn't going to wait any longer. She didn't even bat and eye and said, "I am sooo sorry". I don't remember the last time I heard such an unapologetic "apology". Perhaps this is common for her and why she was so unbothered. At that was it. I just left. It was pretty obvious that she didn't care either way about whether I was satisfied or not, she had other women in there that were fine with waiting hours for their hair to be done, including walk-ins that were started before me - the person who made an appointment over a month ago.
This is not a salon that I would ever go to if I was interested in supporting a business who cared about their customers. If you are looking for a place that has a lot of great Instagram pics of before and after shots, definitely give it a try. But if you are looking to give your money (I'm talking hundreds of dollars) to a salon that cares about its customers and respects their time (and pockets), please go elsewhere. Wish I had listened to reviews saying the owner didn't care about clients. read more