Alexis Senge JohnsonI’m on strike against my hair salon! I just can’t take it any more. I’m tired of paying WAY too much money to come home unhappy that I wasn’t given what I asked and paid for. Are there other gals out there who feel the same way? I’ve never denied that I’m not naturally a red head. As a matter of fact I’m quite honest about it. However, I did choose to have red hair and have been keeping up with it for more than a decade. Therefore, I think it is more than appropriate for me to declare that I know exactly what shade of red I want my hair to be dyed to and once someone does so I wish for it to be recreated each time I come back.
Like most people nowadays, I’m on a tight budget and therefore have to stretch my hair care maintenance out a bit so I do my best to keep it in good standing in between colorings. With that being said I think other gals will agree with me that when you drop money on having your hair done you wish for it to be done right. In an effort to cut back on my hair expenses I stopped going to an overly pricey salon that was recommended to me. First it was the price that turned me off, but after one appointment that kept me in the salon for almost six hours for just a simple cut and color I vowed that I would never return again. Just five years later I find myself making a similar vow to the new place I’ve been going.
Here’s the thing, when you have blonde hair and you die it red it is bound to fade no matter how hard you try your best to take care of it. You can use all kinds of products to slow down the fading time, but it will still fade. When I walk into the salon my hair is significantly lighter than it is in the photo to the left (or even in my photo in the upper right hand corner of this page) and I always tell the stylist I know that the formula listed in my file might seem dark, but I really like it that way. I would say 8 out of 10 times now the stylist has insisted that she knows better than me and decided that maybe I wouldn’t notice if she lightened the color and intensity. What a shocker…I did notice and would say it was almost immediately when she took the towel off of my head and began brushing my hair after washing it. Go figure. I can’t imagine how I could so easily identify when a color is not what I asked for after having it for almost as many years as it took me to progress through elementary school.
Today was my last straw. Once again the stylist insisted that she knew better than me tampered with my requested color mixture. Now I have ends that are significantly darker and close to the desired color, but roots that resemble the gal on the Wendy’s commercials. I just don’t get it. How hard is it to trust that I know what I’m talking about. I understand that my stylist is supposed to be the hair care professional in this scenario, but I also know that the customer is supposed to be right. If I asked them to dye my head neon pink because that’s what I wanted then shouldn’t they just do it since it is what I ask for and am willing to pay for it? They wouldn’t turn my back to the mirror and dye it jet black because they thought it was a better choice would they? I just don’t understand why they can’t follow my directions. While I waste time and money having to go back another day to have it corrected all I can think is that maybe I should consider returning to my natural color some day just so that I don’t have to go through this six or so times a year. Until that day, I’m open to suggestions that anyone might have about a salon in the Central Florida area that does quality work for a decent price.
Have you confronted her about it? If not, I would try that first and ask her to fix the color so that at least the ends and roots match. Most salons will fix a cut or color if you aren’t happy, even after a few days, right? If she somehow can’t see the problem, I’d talk to the manager. Unless you really don’t like the place and are willing to shop around, I’d just be frank and at you haven’t been happy and don’t feel like you’re getting what you want or ask for. I hate having to correct people but I also hate having to keep trying subpar options, and I hate paying for anything that isn’t up to par – and I certainly won’t do it twice! I hope you don’t ditch the red, though. It’s foxy!!
I actually did confront her about it and sadly it was the assistant manager who gave me the bad dye job this time. The first time someone else did it incorrectly I didn’t have it in me to speak up, but it has happened so frequently that I have now learned that I have to speak up. They have always offered to fix it for no cost, but after having it happen multiple times I’m losing my patience. It shouldn’t take 2 appointments to get it right almost every time. Each time I go in there it is 2-3 hours, so having to go twice is a bit taxing on my schedule. I just want them to hear what I say when I go in the first time so we can avoid this.
Hi Alexis,
Catching up with facebook friends which I don’t do very often.
But, actually, my daughter is a natural blonde who also decided to go red (but not the common red, an uncommon red that enhanced her complexion). She found a great hairstylist who has since got married and left town. Out of desperation and also low on finances (single mom with no child support), my daughter bought a John Frieda product and colored it herself — everyone says the color looks the same as what the hairstylist did. Ever tried a DIY on your hair coloring?
Linda, I have attempted doing in myself in the past and it has never gone well. It was why I returned to letting the professionals do it for me, but I’m starting to wonder if I should give myself a second shot at coloring my own hair.