A Lesson Learned the Hard Way
I am sure that we have all heard the following phrase - You get what you pay for. I learned this lesson on Tuesday and it’s one that I won’t soon forget. I have wanted to get my haircut but have been unable to find a new hair stylist since I have only been living in SF for a couple of months. I have had some recommendations from friends and searched Yelp but for one reason or another, I just hadn’t gotten around to it. As I was straightening my hair on Tuesday morning, I looked in the mirror and realized that I needed a trim badly. Instead of making an appointment with one of the recommended stylist, I decided to be frugal and go to a cosmetics store that offers salon services. I figured all I wanted was a trim and they would be able to take care of that. Sounds simple, right?
I explained to the woman who was going to cut my hair that I wanted a trim and that she could cut enough to make my hair look healthy. I emphasized that I wanted to keep as much of the length as I have been growing out my hair. I told her that at the most I would want is 3 to 4 inches cut off. Pre-hair cut, my hair was probably halfway down my back. I should’ve known that I was in trouble when I told her I wanted side swept bangs and she gave me a puzzled look. As she washed my hair, she splashed my face three times with water. And not just a bit of water, but quite a splash. She didn’t even notice until I lifted my hand to wipe my face. I can understand happening once or maybe twice, but three times? And to not even notice should have been another sign to just get up and walk away. As she started cutting, I started playing around with my phone and truthfully I was not paying attention to what she was doing.
After she dried and styled my hair, I looked in the mirror and saw that I now had shoulder length hair with layers. I was in shock when I saw myself and that I had probably lost about 8 to 10 inches of length. I walked out of the salon and couldn’t understand what had happened. As I drove home, I started to get more upset about the situation. I know that it is only hair and it will grow back but the point of this is that it was not what I wanted. I was more upset with myself than at the woman who cut my hair. Did I not explain myself correctly? Why did I decide to go to some random place when friends had recommended other stylist? Was it a matter of saving money, convenience or both?
Now that a couple of days have passed, I am still unhappy with my hair cut and now I may try to go to one of the recommended hair stylists to see if they can do anything about it. There were several lessons that I learned that day which I want to share with you:
- Always do your research before trying out a new place whether it be a stylist, healthcare provider, etc. There is a reason why places like Yelp exist.
- If you feel uneasy at the situation, don’t be afraid to speak up. If I had walked out after she washed my hair, it would have been a crunchy situation but I wouldn't be in the predicament I am now. If you don't speak up, you may potentially regret the outcome. This situation is something frivolous but what if it had been something important? Always speak up.
- There are some things that are worth you spending your money on.
Anything like this ever happen to any of you? Have you ever been in a situation where you wished you had spoken up but didn’t?
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Reader Comments (9)
I can definitely sympathize with the bad haircut - I'm currently paying for my mistake of going to the beauty school. Of course, the cut wasn't at all what I wanted, and now I'm off to my regular stylist tomorrow to get it fixed - the end result of that is I'm paying more than I would have in the first place! Speaking up is definitely important.
In the past I've been able to go back to places I've had bad cuts and someone more experienced will fix it for free. Although if the whole place seems sketchy I say cut and run.
Also, I strongly believe you get what you pay for when it comes to shoes, undergarments, conditioner, and steak :)
Steph - the same thing is going to happen to me. i will probably be paying more than I would have if I had just not decided to get a cut on a whim. Hope they are able to fix it for you.
Chrissy - I don't think I want to go back. Why give them the repeat business if I wasn't satisfied at first. And I agree with your list of things worth paying for. =)
Getting a bad haircut is a terrible experience. That happened to me ONCE and I definitely learned my lesson too. Hair texture, how you style it, service, someone who listens to what you want and offers good suggestions for making the most of your face and hair type... all of that is so important. Vitamins, good care, and patience ... it does grow back, fortunately!
Leslie - you are totally right. Patience is something I gotta work on ;-)
I won't go to a stylist anymore without getting a personal recommendation first. I found my current stylist by asking a girl working at the mall who cut her hair - she had the same color and cut I wanted. Needless to say, this girl is amazing (and cheap!). I'd try going to someone your friends had recommended.
Sometimes I'm wary of fake reviews on sites like Yelp and Citysearch - has anyone else seen that? Got a good way to figure out what's real? I don't know anything other than checking to see if the reviewer has reviewed anything else...
Yep, there have been fake reviews on Yelp. I heard Yelp has an algorithm to help prevent things like this happening, but you'll always have folks that try to cheat the system.
Marisol, I am so sorry about your hair, but knowing you - you'll know how to diva it up!
I think word of mouth is probably the best kid of recommendation to get. But when i do use yelp, i try to make sure that there are plenty of reviews and that the time difference is varied unless it's a new locale.
Blagica - maybe it's time I experiment with hair extensions. hahaha
I once asked for a trim and subtle highlights and came out of the salon with inches off the hair I had been patiently growing out and platinum blonde highlights all over which looked lovely with my black/brown hair. I was in shock and it didn't hit me until I got half way home at which point I cried all the way to the drugstore, bought black/brown hair color, and dyed it back. I've been paranoid about people touching my hair since then! But I agree, word of mouth for sure and if you have a hair tragedy don't be afraid to say something and make them fix it if at all possible.