My hairstylist now requires a signed contract before services are rendered.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no way I would sign a contract or agree to pay full price for a missed appointment at a hair salon. That’s insane. I would find a new stylist, OP.

So you feel you can not show up/cancel at the last minute, and the stylist loses income because they held that time for you? Seriously? If you hadn’t booked that time, someone else could have booked.

And to the person who said stylists aren’t the “ brightest”: WTH. Outrageous and ignorant stereotype.

Ah, you're talking about me. Sorry, I stand by what I said, particularly for the ones distributing aggressively-worded contracts - that's the fastest way to lose clients.
I am convinced there are highly intelligent, gifted hair artists in the world. However since the profession has a low barrier to entry and is not known to pay much, you'll agree with me that most hairdressers you'll meet won't be those artists.

You catch more flies with honey, PP. Diplomacy is better than war. I think that's the gist of it.

Aww, that’s cute, but that’s not what you said. Sick backpedal though.

I wrote: "hairdressers aren't the brightest bulb". I'm sorry you're triggered, but everything I posted stands together without contradiction. Perhaps you're confusing me with someone else. The more you post, PP, the more you come off as a little too obsessed with this. Relax, and just accept that people in this area expect good customer service and not to be taken for fools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you single out certain clients, you get retribution. Bad reviews, lies told about you -- people find a way to get even when they think you are uppity or acting above your station. It's a lose-lose.

Set it as standard practice and people may leave, but it isn't personal in the same way.

It's one thing to say it's a shame that stylists are doing this, and you'll have to change. Or unfortunate that they are trying to address the problem this way. But many of you are making it personal here, too -- not just that you acknowledge it's probably a bad business decision.

Instead, there's an edge of "how dare she!" Even "she should know her place, or we'll have to show it to her." Am I wrong in reading it that way?

Because if you follow the thread, the contract is very poorly worded, and there is actually a big problem with one of the clauses, such that you really shouldn't be signing that. Clearly it's something the hairdresser doesn't understand and just pulled from somewhere, so the educated people here, who can actually read and understand contracts, aren't happy at being told to sign a ridiculous one.

If the contract is reasonable, I'm sure no one would have trouble signing it.

Fair enough, but I'll ask again:

It's one thing to say it's a shame that stylists are doing this, and you'll have to change. Or unfortunate that they are trying to address the problem this way. But many of you are making it personal here, too -- not just that you acknowledge it's probably a bad business decision. Instead, there's an edge of "how dare she!" Even "she should know her place, or we'll have to show it to her." Am I wrong in reading it that way?

If someone less educated is making an error when backed into a corner, why is that anger the response? Shouldn't it be pity, or sorrow, or regret, or something?

My anger comes from the fact that I am overpaying for a service and I don't feel I'm being treated well by my salon or stylist. So the idea of a contract is a slap in the face. It is annoying to get there on time and find out that she is running late because she accepted a client who came in late. As far as I'm concerned, the second I walked in the clock starts ticking. She needs to stop working on the late person and work on me. The late person should not be in the front seat, either. That should be me. And I should get the full range of services. If anyone is getting shafted it should be the late person. It makes me angry that the stylist is trying to basically double-dip and expect me to be happy about taking a back seat. She needs to man up and run her business the way that she would want to be treated.

So why did you ever go back even once, after you felt you were treated in a way you cannot tolerate?

You don't need her to do anything at all, whether manning up or changing her business or anything in particular. You just need to take your business elsewhere -- done. Finis. Over. Out of your life.

Has this been a pattern? Why are you staying, and why does she matter to you at all after any of this happened, much less all of it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you single out certain clients, you get retribution. Bad reviews, lies told about you -- people find a way to get even when they think you are uppity or acting above your station. It's a lose-lose.

Set it as standard practice and people may leave, but it isn't personal in the same way.

It's one thing to say it's a shame that stylists are doing this, and you'll have to change. Or unfortunate that they are trying to address the problem this way. But many of you are making it personal here, too -- not just that you acknowledge it's probably a bad business decision.

Instead, there's an edge of "how dare she!" Even "she should know her place, or we'll have to show it to her." Am I wrong in reading it that way?

Because if you follow the thread, the contract is very poorly worded, and there is actually a big problem with one of the clauses, such that you really shouldn't be signing that. Clearly it's something the hairdresser doesn't understand and just pulled from somewhere, so the educated people here, who can actually read and understand contracts, aren't happy at being told to sign a ridiculous one.

If the contract is reasonable, I'm sure no one would have trouble signing it.

Fair enough, but I'll ask again:

It's one thing to say it's a shame that stylists are doing this, and you'll have to change. Or unfortunate that they are trying to address the problem this way. But many of you are making it personal here, too -- not just that you acknowledge it's probably a bad business decision. Instead, there's an edge of "how dare she!" Even "she should know her place, or we'll have to show it to her." Am I wrong in reading it that way?

If someone less educated is making an error when backed into a corner, why is that anger the response? Shouldn't it be pity, or sorrow, or regret, or something?

My anger comes from the fact that I am overpaying for a service and I don't feel I'm being treated well by my salon or stylist. So the idea of a contract is a slap in the face. It is annoying to get there on time and find out that she is running late because she accepted a client who came in late. As far as I'm concerned, the second I walked in the clock starts ticking. She needs to stop working on the late person and work on me. The late person should not be in the front seat, either. That should be me. And I should get the full range of services. If anyone is getting shafted it should be the late person. It makes me angry that the stylist is trying to basically double-dip and expect me to be happy about taking a back seat. She needs to man up and run her business the way that she would want to be treated.

Overpaying? With that mindset it’s fairly impossible. Perhaps you need to hire a private stylist that comes to you?

[Anonymous]

Or PP could man up and find a stylist that will provide her the services she wants in the way she expects.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Or PP could man up and find a stylist that will provide her the services she wants in the way she expects.

You're right. This thread has forced me to see the light. Time for a change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no way I would sign a contract or agree to pay full price for a missed appointment at a hair salon. That’s insane. I would find a new stylist, OP.

So you feel you can not show up/cancel at the last minute, and the stylist loses income because they held that time for you? Seriously? If you hadn’t booked that time, someone else could have booked.

And to the person who said stylists aren’t the “ brightest”: WTH. Outrageous and ignorant stereotype.

Ah, you're talking about me. Sorry, I stand by what I said, particularly for the ones distributing aggressively-worded contracts - that's the fastest way to lose clients.
I am convinced there are highly intelligent, gifted hair artists in the world. However since the profession has a low barrier to entry and is not known to pay much, you'll agree with me that most hairdressers you'll meet won't be those artists.

You catch more flies with honey, PP. Diplomacy is better than war. I think that's the gist of it.

Aww, that’s cute, but that’s not what you said. Sick backpedal though.

I wrote: "hairdressers aren't the brightest bulb". I'm sorry you're triggered, but everything I posted stands together without contradiction. Perhaps you're confusing me with someone else. The more you post, PP, the more you come off as a little too obsessed with this. Relax, and just accept that people in this area expect good customer service and not to be taken for fools.

I'm not " triggered." I'm not a hairdresser and you're a pseudosuperior snot. Oh, and there's more than one of us responding that you're absurd, but good try.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Or PP could man up and find a stylist that will provide her the services she wants in the way she expects.

You're right. This thread has forced me to see the light. Time for a change.

Good luck with that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Or PP could man up and find a stylist that will provide her the services she wants in the way she expects.

You're right. This thread has forced me to see the light. Time for a change.

So, what took you so long, if it was so bad? Honest question.

[Anonymous]

I am facing similar issues

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am facing similar issues

Did you revive a 3 year old thread to say that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hairstylists are wilding out lately, I swear.

Mine just upped her prices for a one hour curly cut from $85 to $100. That was hard to swallow, but she does a good job and I hate finding new stylists.

THEN she announced if you go more than 16 weeks between “maintenance haircut” appointments, you have to book a $150 “new client cut.” I think that is a disgusting way to wring money from your clients who can’t afford a $100 haircut every 8 weeks, told her so, and canceled my next appointment.

If she said 16 weeks, why did you jump to 8 weeks in your rant? Is it reasonable to say that for many people, 16 weeks is enough to make the difference between a trim and a full cut that takes more time? I imagine that many people who stopped getting their hair cut while observing COVID precautions returned to the salon with more time consuming needs.

PP, it’s obviously fine for you to cancel your appointment and go to another salon. My sympathies though, lean towards the salon. Many closed, or lost a lot of money over the course of the last two years. Some are spending money to reorganize their shops with updated safety precautions. Many are limiting the number of clients in their spaces at any one time, when before, they could overlap some services for maximum efficiency, and, as a client, I appreciate the concern for my safety and for their own, and I recognize the financial impact of these types of decisions.

Hogwash. I'm someone who goes a long time between cuts. My hair doesn't take any more time to cut. I just went to a very experienced stylist and my hair hadn't been cut in over a year. She gave me a fast cut that looks fine other than, like every other stylist I've used, she completely ignored how much I wanted her to take off so my hair is too short. It's one of the reasons I rarely get my hair cut.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not a contract per se, but a check box form once I press "submit" to finalize the appt.

By checking, I am acknowledging and agreeing to stuff about no-show, cancellations, and will be charged, etc.

I have been a client for over 10 years. I had no issues with adhering.

I am guessing that with the pandemic, clients of similar service providers cancel at the drop of a hat, and leave an otherwise booked person with a no-pay gap.

Why do you have an issue OP? Are you a cancel-person? (my spouse is. he long ago switched to walk-in barber shop).

Girl that's a contract.

[Anonymous]

This all sounds reasonable. When people cancel and no show, they lose money and it wastes their time.

When someone books time out of your day, you can’t take other clients. They have likely turned down other clients for that spot after you booked it. They have rent to pay, be considerate.

[Anonymous]

I understand it but also do not want to be annoyed by extra work for a service I already pay for especially since I always do show up on time and have only ever cancelled one thing last minute for illness. Other people's flakiness should not become my personal burden.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You seem to bizarrely think that a hair stylist is making a ton of money with lots of buffer for no shows etc. Let’s say she does get $150 for an hour long haircut. $50 probably goes to rent her chair and other overhead, $30 to taxes as an independent contractor, leaving her with $70 as a high estimate for every 1.5 hours of work. In an 8 hour workday she can probably see 6 clients leaving time between for cleaning her station, 14min late arrivals etc. So if there’s a last minute cancellation - yes it’s a big deal.

And my colorist also only sees people being color. She’s very talented at it, so she charges more and can easily fill her schedule. Why in the world would she make any room in her schedule for less profitable haircuts without color. It’s wild to me you all would criticize a sept employed person with no leverage for trying to maximize and protect the income they can make with their talents.

An hour long haircut? It takes my high end salon hairdresser about 15 minutes to cut my hair and then another 10 to blow dry it. That's way too long. He books like 3 clients an hour...

Is your hair short? I have thick wavy longish hair and no one I've been to can cut it that fast. Most hair dressers try to cut my hair in 15 minutes and you can tell. I haven't found a hair dresser who can give a good precision cut in over 20 years. I 've gone to expensive salons and less but no one seems to know how to cut hair anymore. I started making 2 separate appointments so I'd get a better cut. One appt for the cut, another appt for the color but it didn't work. The stylist still tried to cut my hair as fast as possible.

One of my kids has the same thick wavy hair and he's walked out of an appointment because they insisted on giving him a fade. For those that don't know, it's a buzz cut all around the head with just the top left longer. It allows people who have no idea what they are doing to become a "stylist".

I have a lot of thick hair. It is long. The only person who took that long to cut my hair didn't know what they were doing. Novices tend to start cutting, get lost and continue to cut away trying to get things even. I know they don't know what they are doing when a cut takes a long time.