UPDATE/RESPONSE TO THE SALON:…read more
Their response largely addresses things I already gave Thao credit for while leaving out the biggest concerns I actually raised.
Having a text consultation before a $700+ color service and reviewing what will happen on the day of the appointment is completely normal to me. This was my first appointment with Thao, bleach was being put on my hair, and I wanted to make sure we understood each other. Asking questions about an expensive service does not mean that "no amount of time, explanation, or accommodation was enough."
The correction was also not something I demanded. Before I even left the salon after my original service, Thao told me that if I was still unhappy with the tone, I could come back within a week and she would adjust it. I gave her credit for that in my original review. But correcting a color that did not initially match what I showed and asked for should not be presented as some extraordinary favor.
I also strongly disagree with the implication that I was disrespectful or unkind to Thao. I did not yell, curse, call her names, or use disrespectful language toward her. I was actually very appreciative, which can be seen in screenshots of our texts. Thao has every right to decline service, and based on how firm she is about who she wants in her chair, I genuinely don't believe she would have continued my original appointment for hours, invited me back for a correction, and completed it if I had actually been treating her disrespectfully. She could've declined service at any point. She didn't, because I wasn't rude.
During the appointment, I made normal conversation with Thao, complimented her hair, and tried to keep things comfortable. When I returned for my correction, Thao was doing her sisters hair and we were all talking normally. After the correction, I literally told Thao I was happy and that this was the hair I wanted. So I'm confused by the suggestion that nothing was ever good enough for me. My later questions were mainly about maintaining the result, and I was respectful when asking them. I also thanked her for sharing the formula.
What their response DOESN'T address is one of my biggest concerns: the physical discomfort. When I expressed how much the aggressive raking through my hair/scalp hurt, Thao told me her nails were "better than a brush or a comb." I find that concerning from a safety and sanitation standpoint. I was repeatedly being scratched/raked across my scalp with long, sharp fingernails. My discomfort was visible enough that she asked me about it, and I specifically told her it was her nails hurting me so bad that I also got a migraine.
Whether that conduct violates a specific State Board regulation is for the Board to determine, but let me preface that having long nails itself was never my issue. Using them to aggressively rake through my hair/scalp instead of proper hair tools, especially after I said it hurt, was my issue.
Their response also skips over the freezing water, product/color getting on me and my clothing, feeling rushed and uncomfortable, the initial color not matching the inspo pictures I showed from Thao's own Instagram, and the condition of my hair afterward.
Instead, their response discusses how "emotionally taxing" the experience was for the stylist. I find that ironic because I was the paying client sitting in the chair feeling physically uncomfortable and intimidated. Thao's communication during my appointments with her came across to ME as closed off, sassy, dismissive and condescending at times. Despite that, I remained appreciative and conversational.
Yes, I have reviewed other salons when I felt an expensive service wasn't worth what I paid. Those reviews are genuine and based on my experiences. Hair services are expensive, and I write detailed reviews because if my experience helps someone decide where to spend hundreds of dollars, I'm happy to share it. I even included other local salons in my original review because I want people to find places worth their money. Previous negative experiences elsewhere do not erase what happened during THIS appointment at THIS salon.
I am NOT desperate to be in Thao's chair. I chose not to publicly review my original concerns because I liked my corrected color and hoped our communication would improve. Now that there won't be an ongoing stylist/client relationship, I decided to share my full experience.
My criticism is simple: the professionalism, kindness, communication, physical comfort and customer service did not match a $700+ service. I wish their response addressed those concerns instead of shifting the focus to my character as a client.
Thao can feel I wasn't the right client for her, and I can feel she wasn't the right stylist for me. I stand by my experience. Future clients can read both sides, decide for themselves, and message me through Yelp if they have questions. :)
