I tried this salon twice. Nikki did my hair both times, and she was really nice. She listened and made recommendations for my hair, and took the time to do the job right, and I felt really happy to have found a new salon and stylist that I really liked.
I needed my hair cut recently, and was looking forward to going back for a third visit, so I called and asked if I could schedule an appointment with Donna (the owner) this time.I like Nikki and would definitely go back to her again, but I just wanted to try another stylist, too, because I can't always make my appointments very far ahead of time due to a crazy and ever changing work schedule, and having more than one stylist in the same salon that can do my hair makes it easier for me to get an appointment when I need one last minute. It gives me more options. This approach has always worked well for me in the past, and most stylists understand my situation when I explain it to them, and are willing to work with me without hard feelings. Any salon that truly operates as a team will not have a problem with a client trying different stylists within the salon. I chose to try Donna, because I had seen her do a really nice style on someone with thick, long hair like mine, so I thought she'd be a good person to try.
When I arrived at the salon for my appointment, even though I had explained in detail why I was trying someone new when I called, the person who made my appointment obviously never relayed that information to either of the stylists, so there was confusion. Donna didn't know why I was scheduled with her, since I usually go to Nikki, so she asked her to do it, but Nikki didn't want to do it because she was getting ready to leave for the day. It was awkward and uncomfortable, because I felt like neither of them wanted to do my hair. I explained (again) to Donna that I had made the appointment with her, so then she finally took me back to the shampoo bowl and did a quick consultation, but she really didn't seem genuinely interested in taking a little time to help me figure out what to do with my hair.
After my shampoo, Donna was combing through my hair at lightning speed, it felt like my hair was being ripped out of my head. She was really rough and seemed stressed. That's when she told me how overbooked and behind schedule she was. When your stylist tells that they are way behind schedule, and they haven't even started your hair yet (especially if you are a new client and not one of their "regulars"), it's not a good sign. It usually means that you are going to be rushed through the process as quickly as possible so they can make up the time, and that is exactly what happened in my case. My haircut was sloppy and uneven, and my bangs were chopped much shorter than I had requested.
To make things even worse, when it was finished, they charged me $50 for which was ten dollars over the price that they had quoted to me on the phone, so I told the receptionist that I was not happy about being quoted one price, and then charged another. She just made excuses. As I was leaving, one of the other customers who was waiting then gave me the stink eye for speaking up - as if I was the one who was out of line! I was so disappointed and disgusted with the whole experience, and I just couldn't wait to leave the salon.
So, basically, what should have been a pleasant and relaxing experience, turned out to be miserable and stressful one, and no one cared that I left as an unhappy customer. The haircut and service that I received was NOT worth the price I paid, and I felt really ripped off. Upscale prices should mean better quality and service, and that is not what I received in this case. This is the worst salon experience that I have ever had, and I will not be going back to this place ever again.
I realize that people get defensive when someone writes a negative review, so I expect that right after mine is published someone else will go on and talk about what a wonderful experience they had with Donna at the salon (as if that timing isn't obvious...lol), but that doesn't mean my complaint isn't legitimate. A good business owner who received a negative review would try and resolve the situation, and no matter how many positive reviews they get from other people, that still doesn't make how they treated me acceptable. read more