the letter i'm sending to the hairdresser
Dear Sirs,
I am writing to express my displeasure at the service I recently received yesterday while having my hair cut.
Let me begin with the positive. Your salon is open late, allowing working people to get a haircut. I was offered drinks twice while there, something I appreciated and I was not kept waiting despite arriving early.
You bear the same name as the school down the road, implying you can hire the best talent available from said school, and therefore I can have a reasonable amount of faith in your services.
The problem I experienced was in the skill of listening to the customer.
My situation: I had slightly past waist length hair, in need of a trim.
I asked for three to four inches to be taken off, to make it bra-strap length. I specifically stated this, when Bridget suggested something far shorter. I elaborated saying that chin length makes me look like a Michelin-woman, something I know from experience of 10+ years ago.
We agreed on several inches under my chin, almost bra-strap length.
I let her cut and was reassured during cutting that I would keep my length when I asked what she was doing. Not only that, but we had just agreed to what length it would be and I had, I thought, impressed the importance of long hair on her. Imagine my surprise when I found my hair is only just below chin length just before washing it! Your stylist asked twice during the procedure if I was alright, and I affirmed I was as at that point the only thing to do was to carry on and let her finish, as there was no sense in ending up with a ragged haircut, or a partially finished one.
Having said that, now that it is finished, the only thing I sincerely wish is that I never set foot in your salon.
My hair took me six years to grow. It was getting to the point that it needed a trim, but a trim is not three foot! At this point my hair has gone from very long, or superlong to short, or maybe medium length. This was not only contrary to my wishes when I stepped into the salon, but also contrary to the agreement I made with the stylist before cutting.
Your stylist asked me if I would wait another six years before having another haircut and I answered no. I won’t. I will wait a lot longer than that and I will NEVER let one of your stylists get their hands on my hair again. If I wanted it this short I would have asked for it and donated the hair to a cancer charity for wigs.
The fact is that your stylist did not listen to my wishes (and regardless of if they are the most flattering look on myself, they were my wishes and as the customer, my wishes should be paramount), nor did she heed the agreement she herself made.
In comparison, if I buy a new car, I do not expect to pick it up and be told it has a smaller engine as its more environmentally friendly/fashionable/flattering/whatever, nor if I hire a painter do I expect him to do anything else than what I specify for whatever reason. How comes then that a hairdresser seems to have the authority to trample on a customers wishes?
My hair and the six years of effort I put into growing it was precious to me and thanks to your hairdresser I feel violated at the very least.
My action plan is as follows.
- Copying this letter into my blog
- Copying your response into my blog.
- Idem ditto for my longhaired communities, both Irish and international
- Escalating this matter to the appropriate regulatory authorities if I do not receive a satisfactory explanation from yourselves.
What I expect from you, as a bare minimum
- An explanation why your hairdessers do not seem to know the difference between an inch and a foot in length
- An explanation how overriding the customers specified wishes constitute customer service
- An explanation how ignoring an agreement made less than 60 minutes prior is acceptable
- A copy of your formal complaints procedure and contact details for any governing body
What is your action plan?
Debbie Quinlan