What really annoys you when you visit a salon?

[soriminah]

Not that I go to a hairdressers often because I do my own hair - but when I do I take a pic of what I want. A few years ago I wanted big chunks of red through my hair - told him NOT FOILS - big chunks of colour like in the picture. What did I get - foils. If it wasn't for the fact that I'd been in there 2 hours and had to get to work I would of told him to fix it.

 

[UKRed]

I'm not trained fully yet, but from reading on here and what I have learnt at college, I know what I got wasn't good hygiene or professionalism.

I used to go to get my nails manicured and painted every week, especially if I had had a hard week at work, well anyway.. she never did any client consultation, she used to have me traipse all over the other side of the salon to wash my hands instead of using a manicure bowl. She once cut my skin and looked at me as if I had moved or something to make her slip, she also carried on with the manicure and left my finger to bleed for 15minutes (she didn't care to do a consulation, therefore she didn't know I have DVT and on blood thinners - i didnt know at the time she needed to know!) then she painted the nail and said 'I'm sure it will stop soon'

Also the same salon, if you walk past and happen to look at the offers in the window, they look at you like you're scum, needless to say I don't go there anymore!


Another thing was unhygenic salons, especially ones that do ear piercing. I had my ears pierced at a salon years ago, and not only did the piercer do the piercing too close to the edge of my ear, they also dropped the earring in a pile of hair, picked it up and blew it then put it in my freshly pierced ear and sent me on my way with 'oh it will be fine just soak it with TCP or savlon' Needless to say, I can't wear earings in those holes and it got infected.



I just realised how long this rant is now and theres another salon I hate because of unfriendliness but I will shut up and go away now!!

 

[Katykitten]

UKRed thats terrible! I really feel for you!

The thing that annoys me the most is when the receptionist is chewing gum, not even discreetly! The really loud, open mouth chewing!!

 

[hippy-chick]

I hate it when you go for a haircut and ask for your fringe to be left long - ie to cover your eyebrows.

You relax as when you look around at the hairdressers, they all have long fringes, so you think they will respect your wishes.

when they dry your hair......ping! half way up your forehead!!!

 

[JANEY K]

OMG ukred that's awful ,you shouldve reported them to H&S for causing you distress & injury ..i'm glad i have a good nail tech who is brilliant & talks for britain and a hairdresser who listens to my requests every time & like a best mate so no gripe...but ive changed hairdresser \therapist\nail tech over the years because of gripes,rudeness ,unfriendliness...saying absolutely nothing at all throughout treatments \haircuts\colouring...not even a "want a cuppa luvvie" ...zip...nada....schoom .right a rantfest ...i can't stand unfriendly,rude & snobby therapists, & managers & peeps ..there is no need for it..i take people at face value what you see is what you get...i didn't like it when i booked into a salon for a treatment after work (ive been in a few) and they look at you like something the cat dragged in...which is why i never bother anymore my friend & i swap treatments. you know when youve walked into a salon\hairdressers ect..you can tell if its nice or not by the atmosphere.....are they friendly & greet you with a smile ....if not it's best to just walk out again that's what i do and add my word of disgust for good measure before closing the door:irked:.i hated being kept waiting for more than 15 mins especially if i'm always on time ,a receptionist chewing gum noisily acting like a glammy version of viki pollard and when they answer the phone to clients its a "hiya..yeah.. ok ..yeah ..sure.. no bother..cya" used to make me squirm.biggest gripe of all is definately sanitation ..i wouldn't want my hairstylist dropping her comb,picking it up and running it through my hair ..yuk! and i wouldn't allow my nail tech to use her tools on me if they weren't clean or in barbicide\mundo fluid or her salon wasn't clean enough\hair all over the place \dirty stuff lying around.. my son & other half call me a tyranical old mare <lol>but i always have a smile on my face....so why couldn't they when they want my money...rant over & off my soapbox.

 

[Lil Ash]

i hate when they bitch!!!
Talk over clients!!!
Cough not using their hand!!!
make me bleed on my nail bed without a sorry
Hate when they dont offer me a drink!!!
Hate when i put 2 hrs on my car and they run over, as it means i have to go back to my car and reput another ticket on!!!

Even worst, run to the front door to talk to their friends :smack:


I know all us beauty/ nail/ hairdressers got our bad points!!! But at lest most people try and be prof!!!

My bad point it prob, i talk to much :lol:

 

[xAnnaBannAx]

When I go to the hairdressers I'm never exactly sure what I want...I expect the hairdresser to look at me and KNOW what will look good on ME...will KNOW what cut will suit ME best...will KNOW what colour will suit ME and my skin tone best...will KNOW how to give ME something a little bit different or something a bit funkier/trendier........but it NEVER happens!

I guess I almost want a hairmakeover...a change etc...but it doesnt matter what hairdresser i go to I am NEVER really happy..ive been to a few different ones in the hunt to find someone that im happy with...but I find them all the same....a colour will be chosen that I like but the shade is never discussed in relation to my skin tone....ill tell them of hair styles ive seen that i love..and it will all be discussed...but they never even try to do something similar that would suit me.

I always get excited that im going to get my hair done....but I always feel so disappointed afterwards as I went in wanting an obvious change...and come out looking the same but a bit tidier.

I've had pretty much the same hairstyle all my life lol with different colours and thats about it....i bet everytime ive been to the hairdressers...ive sat down and said..''right i dont know what i want....im fed up of it as it is....what do you think?'' I expect them to do something really great...but it NEVER happens.

I'm not wishing to offend any hairdressers but I personally have yet to find one with any flair or real expertise.

The last time I had my hair done I was quite happy...that was because I knew what i wanted that time...I asked for it...I practically had to tell her how to do it tho! I got it except for one thing....another hate of mine.....roots....untidy, uneven roots that were far too long....which I complained about...I got fobbed off with..''you can never get the colour right up to the roots..it's impossible!'' RUBBISH....YOu CAN GET CLOSER THAN AN INCH AWAY! lol

rant over!

 

[Tash900]

At a hairdressers I used to go to, the hairdresser was literally about to trim my hair, then a friend of hers came in and who didn't have an appointment booked, and asked if she could have her hair done at short notice, to which my hairdresser said she would and walked away from me, not saying a word, and washing her friend's hair then giving it a trim while I was just sat there completely ignored for ages! I ended up being late for somewhere else I needed to be which I wouldn't have been had she done my hair first like she was supposed to. Another time I was in the salon again with the same hairdresser and her boyfrined came in and she started chatting with him while doing my hair. I stopped going to the salon in the end and the one I go into now is very good, apart from one time when one of the receptionist's said to me ' You seem to get your hair done alot more than other people in here' in a really patronising voice as if I was an inconvenience.

 

[chicgeek]

it's shocking the ammount of places that don't do consultations or patch tests.

 

[tog]

Don't like it when you feel your hair's not been washed/rinsed thoroughly before it's blowdried, my hair's quite thick and needs a good rinse afterwards. Also when you get the type of girl usually young and slightly agressive, who talks AT you, not TO you - a one way conversation all about THEM and THEIR life, not stopping to ask how you are/what you've been up to.
Or worse - you decide to quietly read a magazine after a busy day at work whilst having your hair blow dried, and give the hairdresser a break (after all she's probably been talking all day poor thing) but. . . she just won't SHUT UP! and carries on yapping so you give up trying to unwind and feel forced to reply to her.
Mind you, I suppose they are hairdressers not bloomin' psychologists. And I have returned to the salons where they work because - I like the way they do my hair!!

 

[Peter Pan]

i hate when they bitch!!! i dont
Talk over clients!!! i dont do that
Cough not using their hand!!! i turn away, then sanitise my hands again infront of the client
make me bleed on my nail bed without a sorry i dont make them bleed bt if i did i would apologise
Hate when they dont offer me a drink!!! always offer a drink
Hate when i put 2 hrs on my car and they run over, as it means i have to go back to my car and reput another ticket on!!! that happens with the other girls clients but not with my clients :lol: im not in salon too many hours now, but when my clients come in i greet them, tell them if im running late, offer coffee, magazine, a seat and then include them in the convo that is going on within the salon - i feel it makes THEM feel less uncomfortable

 

[dee]

even though am a trained hairdresser i hate hair salons !! a lot of em are full of spiteful , mean stylists :lol: hence why i just cant work in a salon ! cant stand it when they talk about clients as soon as they go out the door , grrr so unprofessional !!
i know i am sounding like am labelling a hell of a lot of salons but i know lots of people with salons or who work in em and they are always the same .. the really nice ones are few and far between .........

(will prob be shot now :lol

 

[Ineedawig]

- When they don't acknowledge me when I come in, eg. head down in the "very important" business of looking in the appointment book, so I end up standing there like a doll, while everyone else is busy doing something.

- No smiles

- I don't like when a hairstylist talks incestantly. I would rather have my hair done in silence. However, a small acknowledgment is essential, and a few words here and there. I had one stylist who actually told me that she concentrates the best in silence, so she warned me that she won't talk muchwhile doing my hair and I appreciated that. It was the best cut/colour I ever had.

- Bitchiness
- No drink offer

- Rushed jobs, taking no care, not concentrating, skipping steps just so they can fit in more clients, but still taking the full amount. Eg. I visited a salon where head massage was included in the price of a colour and cut. I would sometimes get one, but sometimes not, depending on the mood of the hair washer.

- Grumpy atmosphere, "the vibe"

- Oh, and when a junior (or anyone, for that matter) calls me "hun", "love" or "darling". I am in my late thirties, and while I am young in looks and heart, I think that it is inappropriate and unprofessional for anyone to call their client "hun", "darling" etc, especially a junior who sees you first time in their life.
Along the same lines, I don't like to be addressed as "Madam", sounds sooo old, however, I can see the politeness in "Madam", which I don't see in "hun", "darling", sweetie", etc. It is just plain inappropriate and silly.

- I hate when I go into the salon full of expectations, looking forward to being pampered, but leave at the end dissappointed, with a bad haircut and feeling like I was almost a burden, with an empty wallet. It is a terrible feeling, but it is amazing how many places see their customers as cash cows, and have no idea how to make them feel welcomed and appreciated. Sad, really.

 

[XxBeckyxX]

I hate it when you go for a haircut and ask for your fringe to be left long - ie to cover your eyebrows.

You relax as when you look around at the hairdressers, they all have long fringes, so you think they will respect your wishes.

when they dry your hair......ping! half way up your forehead!!!

LMAO...Iv had this with soo many different hairdressers!

 

[Ineedawig]

Hehe, that is funny and terrible at the same time, happenned to me too many times.
Thank God I don't have the fringe any longer, so no more "young Frankenstein" look

 

[fiona wallace]

Oh good grief Tracy, what did you start?

How bad are our salons, therapists, techs and hairdressers?:smack:

Do any of you actually complain to the owner about any of this stuff? If so, what was the reaction?

 

[Ineedawig]

Hi Fiona,

I don't usually complain, I just don't go back. This is because I often think, if people and the "vibe" are so bad, than it is the management fault anyway. If there was good management there, it wouldn't be so bad in the first place. Bad management/owner often equals bad business in some way. I know, I worked in many places, and if the manager/owner was "on the ball", generally the business was "on the ball" too, and vice versa.

But I do sometimes complain if my hair was not done well, not to the manager, but to the stylist. However, most often than not, they patch it up so-so, "quick fix", so again, I don't go back.

I guess most people complain with their feet and wallets - there are millions of salons out there, thank God, so why go back somewhere where one does not feel good or valued or where he/she gets bad service when there is so much choice elsewhere.

Even though I am not British, I was told that the British people often don't complain, certainly not like Americans or some Europeans do. So I guess, most people just don't return to that salon any more.

 

[fiona wallace]

Hi Fiona,

I don't usually complain, I just don't go back. This is because I often think, if people and the "vibe" are so bad, than it is the management fault anyway. If there was good management there, it wouldn't be so bad in the first place. Bad management/owner often equals bad business in some way. I know, I worked in many places, and if the manager/owner was "on the ball", generally the business was "on the ball" too, and vice versa.
Yes, but mistakes can still happen when the owner and/or manager is not around and they will be unaware that a client has been treated poorly unless the client speaks up. I know this is putting the responsibility onto the client but there is no other way a business owner can put things right for an unhappy client unless they are aware that there is a problem.

But I do sometimes complain if my hair was not done well, not to the manager, but to the stylist. However, most often than not, they patch it up so-so, "quick fix", so again, I don't go back.
If the stylist is doing her job correctly and is confident in her relationship with her employer she should be able to tell him/her that you were unhappy with her service and the owner can then not only contact you to try to make up for the poor service, but they can also use this as a training tool to improve the stylists' skills.

I guess most people complain with their feet and wallets - there are millions of salons out there, thank God, so why go back somewhere where one does not feel good or valued or where he/she gets bad service when there is so much choice elsewhere.

Even though I am not British, I was told that the British people often don't complain, certainly not like Americans or some Europeans do. So I guess, most people just don't return to that salon any more.

Which helps NO-ONE to improve:irked:

We must create an atmosphere of access and openness for our clients AND our staff to feel empowered to FIX things or ask for help to FIX things and hopefully change the way the British public approach bad service or else nothing will ever change and all the posts put up here regarding 'things we hate' will still be getting posted in 10 years!!!!!!

 

[nailzoo]

I have been asked by a few salons to assess their services , many have been faultless in their treatments.

One thing I have noticed in many salons (and this may sound trivial) is the music, actually the positioning of music ..... it's more about speakers really.

The speaker should be in the ceiling central to the client, or if there are paired speakers in the room they should be positioned equally apart (with the clients in the middle).

Every beauty service is based on balance, particulary massage, for everything you do on the left, you do on the right, or do them together.

When speakers are more on one side, the ears are drawn to one side also (which puts balance off), true stereo is about the music being central in the head.

You think it's fussy huh ?

Well now it's been drawn to your attention it will annoy the hell out of you.

Lie down on your bed, listen and think about it (actually feel the music and where it's coming from).

I also hate hearing sponges or flannels wrung out above water (it makes me want to go to the toilet).

Beauty treatments are "sensory" and often the therapist forgets the sense of sound.

 

[Ineedawig]

Hi Fiona,

I actually agree with most of your comments in response to my post.

I agree that I (or anyone) should complain more, even if we don't go back to the salon, at least so that the Salon knows that there is something wrong. I did notice sometimes that, when the owner is not there, the service is worse, that is true.

However, I get so many shoddy services, and I am not just singling out one industry, it happens in the building trade, restaurants, shops, etc.
So, I do plan to complain sometimes, but I just get tired of it and let it go, as it seems to be the neverending marry-go round.

Very few times I get a sincere apology and the offer to fix the issue. More often I get a very defensive attitude from the manager, in a way "but noone else complained".....not really what I hope to hear.

I really appreciate and respect people who offer to make things right. I have my own business (food), and I know what's it like. If there is a genuine complain by a customer, I will do everything to make things right, and more, offer them some kind of compensation (a discount off the bill, a freebie, whatever).
But more than anything, I find that what most people want is a sincere apology and to see that the management really cares about their remarks.

It just happens that whenever I complain, and I do it in a very polite way, often people look at me like:"Oh, she is complaining, what a pain....". So, I just don't bother any more.
However, I agree with you that I should, perhaps that would make things better for the next customer, if not neccessrilly for myself.