Dear hairstylist,
You have a gift that I truly wish that I had. The ability to do hair is something that not all people are blessed with, like myself. Without you, all of us girls who can’t do our own hair would be a complete disaster.
I found you through Instagram, where a lot of your competition is building their clientele. It was hard to finally find you. I came across numerous local hairstylists who were either extremely expensive or just weren’t what I was looking for. I chose to book with you because you had a good following, your visual look book looked amazing and your prices were reasonable.
Your Instagram page greeted me with a list of Do’s and Don’ts for your business. The list told me to come with my hair already washed/ conditioned and blow dried, free of chemicals. You specified that if I’m natural I had to pay more “since it’s hard to manage.” My $25 non-refundable deposit was due directly after booking to secure my appointment. Your Instagram page instructed me to text you during your business hours to set an appointment. You made it clear that I had to, 1. Greet you 2. Say my name 3. Indicate desired style 4. Availability.
You reminded me that there is a late fee after every 10 minutes that I am late. You also added that I cannot bring anyone who is not being serviced to my appointment.
As I was en route to my appointment you sent me a text that asked if I could come later than my scheduled time because something came up on your end.
Frustrated but eager to get my hair done, I waited another 30 minutes for you. As I entered your salon you had on sweatpants and a bonnet which didn’t give the appearance of someone who’s working.
All was going well until your friends came in the salon. They encouraged you to come out to the car for a smoke break. You left me in the salon with half of my hair braided because you needed a break. You came back 10 minutes later to finish my hair.
While sewing the weave into my braids you started cutting the wefts of my bundles. I didn’t speak up because I understand that each stylist has a unique installation method. This technique hinders me from booking with other hairstylists who may grab my attention in the future. Like yourself, you don’t do installations with bundles that have been cut up. So, I became nervous about the restrictions those cut wefts may cause.
Just as I thought you were finishing up, you stopped because you received a call from your friend which added another 5 minutes to the completion of my hair. When you were finally finished, I took a quick glance in the mirror, thanked you and paid you.
When I got home to get a better look at my hair I noticed two pieces of hanging thread from my head. I noticed that my braids under the weave weren’t as tight as they should be.
I felt like I had been catfished. I expected an amazing experience coming from someone with seemingly great experience.
With all of this being said, I will not be returning for any future services. This city is filled with talented stylists; it’s just hard to find one. I wish you luck with your future clients. I hope you learn from your mistakes and you take this as a growing opportunity.
Sincerely,
A girl who is over it