I want to preface this by saying I rarely leave reviews. I generally give service workers a lot of grace. I understand bad days happen, people are new, mistakes occur, and I've worked in the service industry long enough to empathize. That said, this experience was completely INEXCUSABLE.
This was my THIRD visit to Oasis Head Spa, so I'm not unfamiliar with their services. I've had positive experiences here in the past, which makes this visit even more disappointing. What happened during this appointment was, without question, the most unprofessional customer service experience I've ever had.
My friend and I had confirmed 10:00am appointments. We arrived around 9:55am and were immediately met with rude, visibly irritated behavior from the two employees who ended up servicing us. Two other women were also there for 10:00am appointments and entered just moments before we did. When the employees realized we were directly behind them, they exchanged looks and displayed clear annoyance through their body language, as if our presence was an inconvenience, despite having booked and confirmed appointments.
Once the service began, it was immediately apparent that this experience was nothing like my previous visits. The entire treatment felt rushed, aggressive, and careless. My scalp and hair were pulled painfully throughout the service, the conditioner was not fully rinsed out, the steamer was positioned so close that it felt suffocating, and the "massage" felt less therapeutic and more like they were taking their annoyance out on us. The pressure was excessive and inappropriate for a service that is supposed to focus on scalp and hair health. If I wanted a deep tissue massage, I would have booked one. My friend had nearly the exact same experience (she left a review as well), and before we even left the treatment room, we both agreed the service was awful and that we would not be returning.
At the end of the service, despite us being visibly unhappy, the service providers acted as if everything was fine, not once checking in. Mind you, the two women who came in at the same time as us were raving about how great they felt and how wonderful their services were (this was how my friend and I were our first time there as well). Our hair was then half-heartedly brushed and dried. The man who serviced me spent about 10 minutes aggressively ripping through my hair, clearly not knowing how to handle long hair (Again, I did not have this problem the first two times I was there). My friend's hair wasn't even dried at all, leaving it in a frizzy poofy mess. At that point, we just wanted to pay and leave.
What ultimately pushed me to write this review, however, was how the appointment ended. The 70 minute service costs $100 per person, which is already difficult to justify given the experience. When I went to the counter, I handed the man $110 in cash. $100 for the service and a $10 tip, despite how unpleasant the experience was. Again, I've worked in the service industry my entire life and understand the importance of tipping. He looked at the money, appeared confused, then DEMANDED that I give him at least $8 more, pointing to a tipping chart that listed 18-25%. I know how tipping works. I also know that tips are earned. While I did not feel the service warranted more, I am non-confrontational and ultimately felt bullied into giving him the additional $8. That means I paid $118 for a painful, uncomfortable service with terrible customer care. At this point I'm beyond frustrated, upset, and feel taken advantage of.
To really top things off though, he then attempted to pressure my friend into tipping as well, but she stood her ground and told him she was unhappy with the service and that it did not deserve a tip.
When this service is done correctly, it is essentially a glorified hair wash. Paying $100 for that is already excessive. Being pressured to tip nearly 20% on top of that, after having our hair pulled, being handled roughly, and treated rudely, is absolutely unacceptable. (Noted in her review as well)
I cannot stress this enough: DO NOT GO HERE. Save your money, your time, and your sanity, and find a more professional, reputable establishment.
As a final note, now that I'm home, my hair reeks of latex from the gloves worn during the service, and my friend's hair is a frizzy mess. We came here looking for a relaxing Saturday afternoon (as we have received in the past), and got the complete opposite. This was genuinely one of the worst experiences I've ever had, and I am still in disbelief that it happened at a place I had previously trusted. read more
