Alyssa's brow work was consistently great, and I was a loyal client of hers for nearly six years…read more Unfortunately, my experience with her business practices and customer service has been deeply disappointing.
I recently purchased a 10-session package for $430. I only learned Alyssa was leaving because she casually mentioned it during one of my last appointments. As a client with a half-used prepaid package, I was never proactively notified, offered options, or told how my remaining services would be handled.
To be fair, I genuinely tried to make the situation work. I even booked an appointment with one of the artists Alyssa personally recommended. Unfortunately, while they were kind, the results simply were not to my standards. That confirmed what I already knew: I purchased this package specifically because I trusted Alyssa's work--not simply because I wanted eyebrow threading.
Feeling stuck, and without another solution, I requested a prorated refund of the unused package. I didn't ask for this refund because of any changes on my end. I requested one because the provider whose services I specifically prepaid for became unavailable indefinitely. Had Alyssa not left, I never would have requested a refund. Instead, I was expected to absorb the financial loss caused by circumstances entirely outside my control, which I believe was fundamentally unfair.
Although Alyssa did agree to issue a partial refund, which I appreciate, she would only do so after retroactively repricing all of my completed appointments at the full individual session rate instead of the discounted package rate I had paid. As a result, my refund was substantially reduced.
I would never have chosen to receive these services at the full individual session rate. I purchased the package because the discounted pricing reflected the value I was willing to pay. Retroactively converting completed appointments to the full retail rate fundamentally changes the financial agreement I originally accepted.
I was told that Alyssa's policy only allows a package-rate refund if an artist "permanently leaves." However, "buying a one-way ticket", "planning to travel for over a year", and having "no return date"is, from a client's perspective, functionally no different. Expecting clients to leave hundreds of dollars with a business indefinitely in the hope that an artist may someday return is unreasonable and unfair.
Unfortunately, this experience reflects what I now recognize as a broader pattern. When the studio transitioned to the Fresha booking app, I accidentally booked with a newly hired artist because I didn't realize the new system assigned providers differently than before. Of course, I was welcome to keep that appointment, but I am very particular about my eyebrows, and for several years Alyssa had been the only person I trusted to thread them. Rather than proceed with an artist I didn't know, I immediately explained the misunderstanding and chose to forgo the appointment and wait for Alyssa instead. Despite being a loyal client for years, there was no flexibility or grace for what was clearly an honest mistake during a confusing system transition, and I was still required to pay for an appointment I never received.
I've also seen disheartening posts on her business instagram page where she appears to poke fun of clients who arrive late. While every business has the right to enforce a late policy, publicly ridiculing clients who support your business struck me as unprofessional and disappointing. Even as someone who was never once late to an appointment, I still found these posts to be incredibly off-putting.
True customer service isn't only about offering clients a drink when they arrive. It is about showing respect for them in difficult situations, especially when your business can no longer fulfill its obligations. Although Alyssa's talent is undeniable, and I sincerely wish her the best with her travels, her talent doesn't excuse poor communication or unfair business practices. After six years of loyalty, I expected to be treated with far more transparency, fairness, and consideration than I received.
