7-31: Can't update + out of space, response to Patrick in photos.
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My hair came out so bad that I cried and I think the salon staff are trying to gaslight me about it.
The staff is incredibly defensive if you have a complaint and use the salon being a school to excuse bad results. Only one correction is free before they claim you want a different service and try to charge you, you're forced to use the same student even after they mess up twice, they won't tell you if it's the student's 2nd ever time doing the work you're requesting, they won't believe that you're unhappy if you tip, and they won't give a refund so you can go somewhere else and move on.
I'm now out $180 after tip (+ more to continue covering the damage), so please learn from my ridiculous experience and just don't come to this salon.
7-24: I come in to get my hair cut and balayage-d with chocolate brown pieces. The instructor, Bethany, looks at my photos and recommends a color for the student to mix. That's the extent of my consultation. The student (trying not to reveal his name) dyes my hair using foil between sections--not typical for balayage. When we wash the dye out, I notice my hair is orange and much lighter than I requested, so the student decides to tone my hair for less time, which an instructor will later say is wrong.
It's almost 9pm when my hair is dyed, so the student hurriedly cuts it and asks if I'm okay leaving with it wet. I agree since everyone is obviously waiting to go home.
Because my hair is wet, I don't get a full look at the finished dye job or cut, but I tell Bethany privately that I'm worried about it being light. She assures me that I can come back if I'm not happy.
7-25: I see how brassy my hair is at home and call in the morning. I came in that night to see the same student but another instructor, Joanne. I tell her the highlights are orange and not blended. She shows the student a new dye technique for a few sections and leaves us alone. She comes back when the left side is nearly done and points out that the sections are again too chunky; she does a few more for him but never corrects the ones already done.
I'm still not sure about the color when we're done, but it's 9:30 and dim in the salon, so I want to wait until I get home and in better lighting. I feel bad for coming back so I tip the student again for his effort, not knowing it will later be held against me.
7-26: I call because I notice sections of dye that are still patchy. I reach Joanne, who says she was high fiving her student the night before and is shocked that I would call back. She now tells me that my hair needs several rounds of dye to get as light as I want; I respond that it was never meant to be that light at all and offer to stop by or send pictures of the patches. She refuses and tells me that I can come back for another correction but it's their policy that it's with the same student, I have to pay for anything else they do, and they won't do any further corrections if I'm not happy. I'm so distressed at the prospect of coming back that I start crying, but I set up an appointment anyway because I don't know what else to do.
7-27: I see I'm being fooled and need to go somewhere else. I call, get Joanne, and ask to cancel the appointment and get a refund instead. She says only the salon directors can authorize this and they're busy but will call me back at an unspecified time; she refuses to talk to me any more. I'm left crying again by how rude and defensive she is. I don't see a missed call all afternoon so I stop by after work; Bethany tells me the directors have left but to call the 28th.
7-28: I go to another salon in the morning. In the afternoon, I call and reach Elena, a director. She says she is the only one at the front desk and can't talk; she says meeting in person on Monday after work should be fine but to call first to confirm.
7-30: I call midday to confirm a time to meet and get the same excuse that the directors are busy, so I can only wait. Patrick, another director, calls back later and starts a phone conversation though I say I'm at work.
He refuses to believe I can be unhappy if I was calm and tipped again the second day--sorry for trying to be reasonable and polite. Should I be screaming at the nervous student who clearly feels terrible?
He says I was told at my first appointment that my hair couldn't get as light as I wanted in one sitting and talks over me when I say that conversation never happened because my hair was never meant to be so light and when I point out that I would have made further appointments if I actually wanted a color couldn't be done in one go.
Patrick declines when I offer to send pictures of the patchy dye and what I originally requested, though he's never seen my hair, and berates me for going to another salon. Finally, he accuses me of lying entirely when I briefly misspeak and correct myself, and he hurries me off the phone, refusing to refund me or speak to me further. read more