If you are not Ethiopian and can't speak Amharic (the official language of Ethiopia), DO NOT BOTHER COMING HERE!
I have been there three times and 3 strikes out! NEVER AGAIN!
[Quick Summary of below: Run down waiting bench with holes in it, horrible worker to customer ratio, unable to give the customer what they want even if you show pictures, no protection for the hair when straightening and you have to speak Ethiopian for them to give you exactly what you want/how you want it and be given good service].
Details:
First of all, they have this waiting bench and it is ratty and broken down with holes in it. Anyone in the business world knows that appearance is everything and this should have been my first clue.
The one positive about this place is that they can wash hair really well.
That's it. So I gave it a star for that.
After you get your hair washed, they put you under the blow dryer for like FOREVER! After 20 min, my scalp was hurting, I was squirming in my seat and I was clearing my throat and tapping my foot to respectfully give hints that they should come and check up on my hair! When I did get out, my scalp was as dry as the Sahara desert.
Then if you're getting your hair straightened, they sit you down (first of all the worker to customer ratio is like 1:6, absolutely horrible considering the workers live in apartment buddings across the street), then they use this hand held comb/brush thing and start going through your hair and it has NO support and they don't even hold your hair at the root when they comb/brush! They start and end at the tips! THAT IS NOT THE RIGHT WAY TO DO HAIR!
I showed them a picture of how I wanted my hair to be for a special occasion which included curls and it to be pinned up in a nice and cute way.. The lady just did one big loop on the back of my head and pinned it down with a bobby pin (AFTER I ASKED HER TO DO IT).. No where NEAR what the picture looked like.. The picture was for short haired people too so it should've worked out!
And when they straighten your hair, there is no protection serum or spray or whatever it is called, they just go straight to the straightening using two different flat irons and the hot comb that SHE BASICALLY COMBED MY WHOLE HEAD WITH! You're not supposed to do that!
I tried telling her that but she said "that's how it is supposed to be." To avoid her taking further revenge on my hair, I said "thank you" as soon as she finished 3 min. later, paid exact change and put a hoodie on my head and left.
I'm the type to avoid arguments but when it comes to my hair, I have learned here that I, the customer, as long as I am being respectful and paying, I can test your professionalism. read more