Hair Salon Complaint Etiquette

My hair dresser always asks me if I'm happy with it and even if I say I am, she always says if I don't like it when I get home or wake up in the morning, I can make another appt and she'll fix it.

We cant read minds, lol. I personally have no problem with someone coming back for a touch up as long as it is within 2 weeks of the original service. Once in a while even one of my regular clients stops back in because the bangs are too long, layers are not laying right, the color faded as soon as they washed it. Sometimes its hard to tell until you style it yourself whether or not you like it. When I give my card at the end of a service, I always tell them there are free to call if they have any problems with it. I would much rather redo than have an unhappy client. The only time I ever had a problem was this one woman would call and complain that I screwed up her hair in order to get a refund, then call and request me again the next time. That chick pissed me off, she got so bad the manager eventually told her she wasnt welcome there anymore. There is a huge difference between someone like that, and someone genuinely unhappy with their service.

My stylist always says "Go home, live with it and call me if there's anything you'd like changed."

I know people who have gone back and gotten another haircut for free, but I also know people who the hairdresser refused to do anything. I would suggest that you try to stick with one person. You have to let someone get to know you, and your tastes and wants. Then they will know exactly what you want. And, if you go to an expensive salon, most of the time you get what you want. If you go to Great Clips, not so much. Just my experience. Stop skipping around so much and maybe something good will happen.

If you don't like it, you should probably say something when it happens even if you say "I am not sure I like this. I wanted xxx. I'll try it for a day or two but I may need you to correct it". Some things can't be fixed and may just need to grow out a bit first. If you didn't say these things, it isn't too late. You can still call back or stop back in. You should first say something to the stylist and if they won't help you or you don't want them to try again, you can talk to the manager. If the same stylist does it, there shouldn't be a charge but if someone else fixes, you should definately tip them.

not a hairdresser here, but i have been told if it's within a week it's no big deal to ask them to tweek it. i also use Supercuts and they have notes on file for me so that it is less likely to get messed up. if you're not a supercuts girl, i would talk to the hairdresser as much as possible. ask her, (assuming you like what she did) what you need to ask for next time to get the same results. get her name and go back.

i had to go back one time - can't remember details but i know that i was not happy, and when i went back that lady wasn't there, but the man that took me was visibly surprised she cut it so badly. he did it for free, and i tipped him. i imagine it would work the same if it was just miscommunication or whatever.

also i like to look at a lot of pictures online before i go. you mention a picture, take one every time. that's a great idea. and keep in mind that your hair may not act like the person's hair in the picture. the same cut may not look that way on you. just my thoughts. i have spent my whole life searching for good hair...at 34 i finally found it lol. you really have to know your hair and what works. good luck!

I am not a stylist but as a customer you need to be reasonable with your complaints. What I mean is you come in and you want it to be this. Well there is no this color so they have to try to come close. It isn't like the paint scanner at Home Depot.

So next time you go back, a good stylist will have a record of what they did. You say it was too light, too dark, the highlights were too big too small. Then they change what they do to match your needs.

Does that make sense?

So far as cuts go you can say I want this or that but that doesn't guaranty it looks good on your face. Another thing is hair. I have curly hair, just because it looks good on someone else with curly hair doesn't mean my hair is going to curl the same.

I guess what I am saying is instead of complaining, explain and keep going back to the same person. It usually takes a few visits but eventually they know your hair, know you, and things get better.

I cry when my stylist retires.

VM, I don't work in a salon, or do hair. But I've been getting color and highlights for 13 years now. The question I have for you is, do you take into consideration the remarks you got on your other thread about highlights taking time to work on your hair? Several of us explained that the highlight color would change in the following weeks. The problem with jumping around a lot is that you don't give the stylist a chance to work with your hair long enough for her to make your hair work. And if you complain right away and tell her to change it, in a few weeks it won't be what you wanted regardless of how she tries, because it will continue to change. (I hope that makes sense - I am just trying to tell you that the highlights aren't supposed to look exactly like what you want when you leave the salon. They will change with time - it's what highlights do.)

I think that you need to understand highlights better. When you understand them, THEN you'll be able to make a better choice as to whether or not you need a new stylist.

I hope this has helped - I say this because I can't tell that you understand that key point about highlights that I am trying to convey.

Dawn

Hello,
You can call back w/in a couple of days after your service. Sometimes it takes a couple days to see if you do truly like the color, or maybe you finally wash your hair after your hair service and you realize that you need some more weight taken out of the layers so that you can style it better yourself. Or it could be that while blowing your hair dry you notice as you're sectioning it that there has been some slippage of the highlight foils and you've got some band marks, or some gray that wasn't covered w/ the tint.

I'm a former hairstylist, and yes, I have gone back to my stylist for the above mentioned reasons. They've gladly comped the re-do because they want me to remain a happy client. Stuff happens; it's how your stylist addresses it that matters. Unless you're having this problem consistently w/ this particular stylist, and then it's just time to move on.

Almost every time I have gone to a salon I have left in tears. My hair either ruined or cut in a shape that is....not anything.

So I cut my own hair, color it, highlight it, etc...all myself. I am always pleased with how it turns out. I have done this since about 7th grade so I have lots of experience.

They times I have been at a salon I have always been very specific about what I want. I usually have a picture in the magazine picked out that I want it cut like and am very good about giving instructions such as I do not wear a bang that is cut directly across my brows that is worn covering the forehead. I DO pull a few tendrils out of my hair when it is pulled off my face to soften the forehead and hairline. How hard is that to understand that if you comb all my hair forward and cut it straight across my eyebrow line that I am not going to like the cut....

I had a formal ball that I was going to and I made an appointment with a friend who I sat with and discussed what I wanted, found a picture, etc...she bought the hair thing that would go inside the updo to make it fuller. It had several braids that laid on top of the hair in an almost french twist look. It had some curls on top that came down on one side to the top of the ear. A very sophisticated updo....

I ended up working about half an hour late, she had an appointment and had left when I got there. The lady who did my hair looked at the photo, again, it was a very close match to a french twist with the top left unrestricted and a mass of curls. The lady pulled my hair into a pony tail on top of my head and curled the ends a bit. That's all. I was in tears. She had so much product on my hair that it was stiff. It was ugly. I started crying when I saw it. She got all huffy with me and told me it was a cute updo. I should be glad she could take them time to do it. The manager came over to see what was wrong. I showed her the picture and she told me she didn't see any difference....I thought how stupid these women were thinking I was. I told her that my hair looked like it did when I didn't brush it and wanted it out of my face. I would pull it up and put it is a curly ponytail. It was horrible and could not be brushed out.

I did not pay, nor did I tip. I called my friend and told her what they had done, sent her a picture of it.too. I had to go take a shower and do my own hair. It looked just like the picture. I am good with hair and can copy anything.

I think if a person ignores you and does a bad job they should not get paid for their time. They have a responsibility to listen and try their best to do what you have asked.

I wanted my hair very similar to the hair in this picture on this video. BUT my hair is not kinky, more wavy up to long loose curls. The pony tail on top of my head with stiff curled hair was not anywhere close.

http://www.designessentials.com/styling-systems/natural-s...

I should think they will fix it for free, unless it's cut too short. If you go to a cheap place then you can only expect getting your hair done by someone just out of school. The old saying you only get what you pay for. You need to find someone with a "to die for" hair style and ask where they go. Hope that helps.

I have been with the same hair dresser for 10 years now, and let me tell you she always wants to know you're happy with what she's done and if not, she will fix it free of charge. She once put blonde highlights in my hair that were way too blonde for my taste... she took me back in later that evening without question!! Don't be afraid to speak up if you don't like something; you're the one who paid for it and has to live with it!!