I recently relocated to Long Island and have been a loyal customer at Aqua for just a few months now. I've had the pleasure of being serviced by both Vinny and Madison, who are truly exceptional professionals. Kathy at the front is amazing too. That being said, I've also referred over a dozen friends and family members, all of whom have also become regulars.
However, my experience with Jen at the front desk has been disheartening. During a visit in December with my girlfriend, who is a person of color and openly gay, Jen displayed passive-aggressive behavior, insisting we pay upfront for services, despite my previous visits where payment was settled afterward. Despite my discomfort, we complied, only to later discover an overcharge (3x) on my card. When bringing this up, Jen insisted that my girlfriend just pay me back, worried that she wouldn't be able to afford the service herself. Despite my objections, Jen failed to rectify the situation until Kathy intervened and resolved the issue.
Subsequent visits revealed a pattern of passive hostility from Jen, with other staff members acknowledging her behavior to my girlfriend. When I raised my concerns with the owner, he apologized and comped my appointment, acknowledging Jen's problematic conduct but citing difficulty in finding a replacement due to the nature of the job.
During my latest visit (04/20/24), Jen's unprofessionalism persisted when she made a mockery of me when I let her know that i removed 180 grams of hair extensions from my head, which i was told was the reason I was paying $45-50 for a blowout, and that the new price could be applied. Making yet another joke, she said "Okay so it's $44" while laughing. Her dismissive attitude and refusal to acknowledge past issues prompted me to confront her, asking why she had been so passive and rude with me in the past when she and I don't know one another, only to be met with denial and defensiveness. She continued to bad mouth the rest of the employees by saying they're the same and all dislike me, not knowing i've formed relationships with several of them, having their personal cells or having them on social media.
Even after expressing my grievances to the owner once more, his response was disappointing, brushing off Jen's behavior as trivial. He spoke to her for a brief moment before walking over to me and saying "she says she has gay friends, how would it make sense for her to be homophobic?" I was in absolute disbelief! He then suggested what he did months prior, that I find her replacement myself. This time around, I did let him know that it is not my job and that he can post a facebook post or put a sign at the door, instead of asking a customer to do his job. It's disheartening to realize that despite his kind demeanor, he's unwilling to address the toxicity within his own establishment.
Regrettably, I've decided not to return to Aqua. It's unfortunate that members of the LGBTQ+ community continue to face discrimination, even in seemingly progressive environments. It's a sobering reminder of the challenges we still face, even in small towns read more