My husband has been a loyal Floyd's customer for years, from Pasadena, CA to Cinco Ranch, TX…read more Despite being different locations in different states, Floyd's has always felt like Floyd's: welcoming, energetic, professional, and staffed by barbers who take pride in their work and the experience they create.
Walking onto the barber floor at the Cypress location felt like walking into a completely different company.
The front desk staff was pleasant and greeted us, but that experience ended once we reached the barber floor.
We specifically called ahead because this was our toddler's FIRST haircut. He has long curly/coily hair, and we were upfront that we didn't know how he would react. We asked for someone experienced and comfortable with toddlers and made an appointment with the person recommended to us.
We even called beforehand to say we were running a little late and gave our updated arrival time. Yet for reasons never explained, the recommended barber wasn't there when we arrived, so we effectively became walk-ins and were paired with Skye.
We were told to wait while Skye sat in her chair chatting with a coworker--not preparing for us or her station despite knowing when we would arrive.
No introduction, no hello, no attempt to engage with us or our son. Her first words were, "Oh, he's hyper," while he was simply walking up and down the aisle looking at the iconic Floyd's wall mural.
When he later became frightened by the chair and cried, she expressed concern about him disturbing other guests. Every interaction seemed to communicate annoyance with normal toddler behavior rather than patience or reassurance.
There were no other guests.
This was around noon on a Sunday, and the shop looked like a piece of hair hadn't fallen on that floor since last summer.
To be clear, our complaint is NOT that the haircut couldn't happen. We recognized our toddler simply wasn't ready or comfortable and WE decided not to even start. We weren't going to force a milestone just to get his hair cut. We understood the safety concerns and would have happily rescheduled with the originally recommended, qualified barber.
Our issue was everything surrounding that decision.
As a first-time mom already nervous about this milestone, the interaction sent my nervous system into overdrive. Skye's demeanor gave me no confidence this would be a patient or positive experience. My husband felt uneasy too, which was particularly telling after years as a loyal Floyd's customer without an experience like this.
The physical setup added another concern: a raised soft block on the barber chair with no seat belt. It sat only about 2 inches below the hard armrests, leaving virtually no barrier around him or room to safely hold on. If our toddler leaned too far over, he could have fallen from a height taller than he is.
That was an immediate NO for us.
I wish there had simply been enough self-awareness and professional awareness to say, "I may not be the best person for his first haircut. Let's reschedule you with the barber who was recommended." Not every barber needs to be great with toddlers. There is nothing wrong with saying a service isn't in your wheelhouse.
I returned afterward and spoke with the gentleman at the front desk. He listened, validated my frustration, explained the legitimate safety concerns, which I agreed with and said he would speak with management about Skye's behavior. I appreciated how he handled it.
Floyd's has always been about more than a haircut. The people, atmosphere, energy, professionalism and pride in the work ARE the brand. Whether you're looking for a great cut or bringing your child in for their first one, the experience matters.
Management: your employees and the environment they create are some of your best or worst marketing. Maybe we caught Skye on a bad day, but this didn't feel like the Floyd's we've known for years.
