I have been a loyal Eikonic client for years and have always trusted this academy, especially for…read morecustomer service. Unfortunately, this visit was deeply disappointing.
I booked a 1:30 PM appointment and arrived early to check in at 1:15 PM to give the student extra time if needed. When I returned at 1:30 PM, there was no one at the front desk. I eventually found the receptionist in the back, who told me the stylist was still at lunch. I explained I had a 5:30 PM meeting and needed to leave on time today. She said she would ask the instructor. The stylist arrived around 10 minutes late with no awareness of my time constraints, and I had to repeat everything again.
Nathaniel, my student stylist, was warm and kind throughout the appointment.
I was very clear during the consultation that I wanted one even colour--essentially the same brown I already had, maybe slightly lighter since I had some washed-up browns. The instructor initially mentioned that "coloured hair cannot be lifted unless we use bleach," in which I understood and reiterated that we can keep it the same brown. She described it to the student stylist as "basically just a root touch-up and toner for the bottom half." During the consultation, she also asked if I was okay with "a bit of red" in the sun, and I said yes. At no point did I ask for black hair.
Another student later asked Nathaniel, "What brown is this? Chocolate brown?" and he responded that they were matching the brown I already had.
After the colour was rinsed, I overheard Nathaniel asking the instructor if he should just blow-dry my hair after washing it, which confused me because my treatment seemed forgotten. When I asked about it, the instructor initially told me my package only included colour and a cut. After I pushed back, she checked and confirmed with the student that the treatment was included, but never acknowledged the mistake to me directly.
When my hair was finished, it was completely black, with dye left on my forehead. The student assured me that it would look more brown when it's dry.
When I raised my concerns about the colour, the instructor insisted she had confirmed I wanted "one colour for the whole hair", which she interpreted as black? Nathaniel directly clarified that I had wanted brown. Despite this, the instructor escalated her tone and continued insisting she had confirmed the consultation correctly. The discussion went in circles for about 10 minutes before she stated there was "literally nothing" she could do.
What upset me most was that both Nathaniel and another student stylist understood I wanted brown hair, yet the final result was black. I became extremely emotional because I could not understand how a simple brown colour became a full colour change I never requested.
At the end, the school manager offered 50% off a future lightening service, a $40 head spa coupon, and a small treatment sample. While I appreciate the effort, it was difficult to accept a resolution that required me to spend more money at the same establishment to correct the mistake.
Nathaniel was exceptional throughout this experience--humble, compassionate, empathetic, and willing to advocate for his client when his instructor would not. The manager also genuinely tried to help. However, while this is a school, the error itself came from the instructor's consultation and communication, not from the student stylist. That is what makes this experience so disappointing.
Eikonic is capable of much better, and I hope this feedback is taken seriously.
