Fight at hair salon. What would you have said, if anything?

[Anonymous]

Cranky seeming lady was upset, insisting that her colorist (new to her apparently) snickered when she complained about something (not sure what it was- something about a knot in her hair..?) and then made a comment to a co worker about her. The cranky customer refused to continue working with her and went and sat in the waiting area, but not before another customer got involved, I think to defend the colorist, and there was a yelling match over MYOB etc.

Cranky lady sat and had to be convinced by another colorist (who is also the manager) to go back to her chair to finish. She insisted the colorist had ‘snickered’, that she was ‘triggered’ and ‘very offended’ and wouldn’t go back to her seat. All of this took awhile and my appt was delayed by 45 minutes.

I felt like saying something to the lady but kept quiet. I kept my nose in my phone.

This was at a salon in an upscale location fwiw.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cranky seeming lady was upset, insisting that her colorist (new to her apparently) snickered when she complained about something (not sure what it was- something about a knot in her hair..?) and then made a comment to a co worker about her. The cranky customer refused to continue working with her and went and sat in the waiting area, but not before another customer got involved, I think to defend the colorist, and there was a yelling match over MYOB etc.

Cranky lady sat and had to be convinced by another colorist (who is also the manager) to go back to her chair to finish. She insisted the colorist had ‘snickered’, that she was ‘triggered’ and ‘very offended’ and wouldn’t go back to her seat. All of this took awhile and my appt was delayed by 45 minutes.

I felt like saying something to the lady but kept quiet. I kept my nose in my phone.

This was at a salon in an upscale location fwiw.

This gives me flashbacks of getting braids in African brading "salon" (yes scare quotes intentional) in Oxon Hill and the lady parting my hair unevenly and I told her, then proceeded to talk about me badly in French to her coworkers, I think (but pretty sure). One of the few times I wanted to turn around and hit someone but I didn't!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cranky seeming lady was upset, insisting that her colorist (new to her apparently) snickered when she complained about something (not sure what it was- something about a knot in her hair..?) and then made a comment to a co worker about her. The cranky customer refused to continue working with her and went and sat in the waiting area, but not before another customer got involved, I think to defend the colorist, and there was a yelling match over MYOB etc.

Cranky lady sat and had to be convinced by another colorist (who is also the manager) to go back to her chair to finish. She insisted the colorist had ‘snickered’, that she was ‘triggered’ and ‘very offended’ and wouldn’t go back to her seat. All of this took awhile and my appt was delayed by 45 minutes.

I felt like saying something to the lady but kept quiet. I kept my nose in my phone.

This was at a salon in an upscale location fwiw.

Did this occur right after you made up the “Race-based verbal attack - what would you do?” troll post, OP?

Get a life and stop making troll-posts here.

Without trolls you’d have no website to air your complaints.

[Anonymous]

I have a suspicion this could be my MIL.

It’s a childlike tantrum, like a toddler holding their breath, waiting for someone to beg them to stop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cranky seeming lady was upset, insisting that her colorist (new to her apparently) snickered when she complained about something (not sure what it was- something about a knot in her hair..?) and then made a comment to a co worker about her. The cranky customer refused to continue working with her and went and sat in the waiting area, but not before another customer got involved, I think to defend the colorist, and there was a yelling match over MYOB etc.

Cranky lady sat and had to be convinced by another colorist (who is also the manager) to go back to her chair to finish. She insisted the colorist had ‘snickered’, that she was ‘triggered’ and ‘very offended’ and wouldn’t go back to her seat. All of this took awhile and my appt was delayed by 45 minutes.

I felt like saying something to the lady but kept quiet. I kept my nose in my phone.

This was at a salon in an upscale location fwiw.

Did this occur right after you made up the “Race-based verbal attack - what would you do?” troll post, OP?

Get a life and stop making troll-posts here.

Without trolls you’d have no website to air your complaints.

So true.

[Anonymous]

My goodness. I’d find another salon and send a complaint letter. That should have been handled very differently.

[Anonymous]

I’ve seen this happen so many times. People are so difficult when it comes to hair. Your type of hair and thickness, shade, all the important details are never the same as the person in the photo you bring to get the style of your dreams.

The stylist has to bring your vision to life with only what you are working with. Your hair may be thinner, shorter, dyed, fried, laid to the side with two strands left trying to get the Rachel from ‘96.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My goodness. I’d find another salon and send a complaint letter. That should have been handled very differently.

+1
Yes, sorry but getting coloring can be very fraught if you've had bad experiences. If I asked about something for reassurance, like "please make sure you are getting the highlights thin enough, I'm not looking for a chunky look" and I was dismissed or scoffed at, I think I'd be really upset.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't have said anything as you didn't know what really happened.
I've been lucky enough not so see too many such situations, but they do happen.

[Anonymous]

yet another “what would you have said?!?” troll thread??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve seen this happen so many times. People are so difficult when it comes to hair. Your type of hair and thickness, shade, all the important details are never the same as the person in the photo you bring to get the style of your dreams.

The stylist has to bring your vision to life with only what you are working with. Your hair may be thinner, shorter, dyed, fried, laid to the side with two strands left trying to get the Rachel from ‘96.

Which type of hair makes stylists snicker at their customers?

Totally inexcusable and unprofessional behavior. OP, why did you wait 45 minutes for your appointment instead of walking out in solidarity with the woman who was snickered at? Is that the kind of behavior your support? Or do you not think you'd be next because you're so special?

I'd have walked out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My goodness. I’d find another salon and send a complaint letter. That should have been handled very differently.

That's a little facile and glib. When a customer is irrationally upset and goes off in a huff in the middle of the service, there's no win-win. If another customer weighs in to defend the business, it gets even more complicated.

If you mean the employee who "snickered" should have groveled to apologize... we're not in Japan or Korea, PP. People have different values here.
I'm east Asian and I'm so glad employees aren't asked to sell their soul on the daily on this continent (we'll gloss over what's happening at the DOJ right now).

[Anonymous]

I would never go back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve seen this happen so many times. People are so difficult when it comes to hair. Your type of hair and thickness, shade, all the important details are never the same as the person in the photo you bring to get the style of your dreams.

The stylist has to bring your vision to life with only what you are working with. Your hair may be thinner, shorter, dyed, fried, laid to the side with two strands left trying to get the Rachel from ‘96.

Which type of hair makes stylists snicker at their customers?

Totally inexcusable and unprofessional behavior. OP, why did you wait 45 minutes for your appointment instead of walking out in solidarity with the woman who was snickered at? Is that the kind of behavior your support? Or do you not think you'd be next because you're so special?

I'd have walked out.

You're not reading between the lines here. The situation is that the customer probably imagined the snicker because she was already cranky about something else and spoiling for a fight. Or she's mentally ill and tends to go off like that on service people. I know someone like that, unfortunately.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My goodness. I’d find another salon and send a complaint letter. That should have been handled very differently.

That's a little facile and glib. When a customer is irrationally upset and goes off in a huff in the middle of the service, there's no win-win. If another customer weighs in to defend the business, it gets even more complicated.

If you mean the employee who "snickered" should have groveled to apologize... we're not in Japan or Korea, PP. People have different values here.
I'm east Asian and I'm so glad employees aren't asked to sell their soul on the daily on this continent (we'll gloss over what's happening at the DOJ right now).

That's right, we're in the United States where people are expected to act professional AT THEIR JOB. I can't imagine snickering at work -- and to a client no less. How ridiculous. Why would you hand yourself over to someone that immature, rude and maladjusted and ask them to style your hair?