Ladies Who Go To The Salon: Please Enter...

[HAIRapy]

Thanks for entering. Okay, I have a stylist and I love her, but the last time I went to the salon and was there forever I vowed that I was going to be a total hair DIYer from now on. Well, I made another appt to get my touch up done- it was today at 12PM. Anyway, I got there and waited 1 1/2 hours and I got up and left. I can't take it!! Am I being unreasonable?? Why do I have to STILL be in the waiting area waiting to get prepped and permed?? I can't take it so I left there at 1:30PM making a B-line to the BSS. I got some gloves and an Optimum relaxer- I use Affirm, but I don't like the way BSSs sell them now, I like the boxed way better. I haven't done my touch-up yet, but I will in about a half hour.


Please, how long is too long to wait to get into the stylist's chair to get your hair done?

BTW: This is a new shop that my stylist is in, so there are all new people. Anyway, the shampoo girl... Jeezus- she was just raking through and pulling people's hair that she was washing with a comb trying to comb the conditioner through their hair. Combing from root to ends and not the other way around. So I KNEW, she wasn't combing my hair- I was going to tell her that she was not allowed to comb my hair AT ALL. The waiting and the shampoo girl is the reason why I left. I am a DYIer from now on.

 

[~NanCeBoTwin~]

1 1/2 IMO is to long, 30 mins. is my max. Good Luck with you self relaxer!

 

[Transformer]

Can't do it. My appts were at 7:30 AM on a SUNDAY. She would show up at 8 am along with 3 other people with 8 am appointments. I wasn't going to sacrifice Sunday morning snuggle time with DH for crap like that.

You were not wrong. She should have at least approached you to explain the delay instead of thinking anything goes.

 

[Christelyn]

It is a blatant disregard and disrespect for someone's time. I believe many of "our" hairdressers have a sense of entitlement, like they are doing you and favor for doing your hair, even though you are paying THEM. Maybe I'm wrong, but I feel like if anyone else did this outside of our "own" we would have no problem complaining. What is it about black stylists that have us by the short hairs?

 

[PinkPebbles]

It is a blatant disregard and disrespect for someone's time. I believe many of "our" hairdressers have a sense of entitlement, like they are doing you and favor for doing your hair, even though you are paying THEM. Maybe I'm wrong, but I feel like if anyone else did this outside of our "own" we would have no problem complaining. What is it about black stylists that have us by the short hairs?

ITA with your post!

OP- You have done the right thing by leaving. 1 1/2 hr was way too long and I would have expressed my sentiments to the stylist within 15 min. of waiting.

At my first visit to my current stylist I waited 20 min and kindly went to her and said I scheduled an appointment at 12pm and it's now 12:20pm. If you can not get to me in 2 min then I have to find another stylist. She was shocked ...but I was in her in chair within the next minute.

She is my stylist to this day. I let her know up front that I will tell her when to trim my hair and how much. I won't be coming weekly or biweekly but only for touch-ups, special occasions or when I feel like getting pampered. I know how to take care of my hair at my home.

However, I admit it's hard to find a good stylist that practice healthy care practices AND good customer service. But you need to let them know your standards upfront and if they can't meet your needs then take your business some place else! I think if more women stand their ground maybe these stylists would feel less inclined to treat their clients poorly.

 

[exoticmommie]

you were soooo not being unreasonable. That was just plain rude, to have you waiting that long.

 

[BrooklynSouth]

You are not being unreasonable in expecting prompt care as a consumer. Are you sure you are ready to do it yourself? You have no other salon which can do it for you? Don't let your annoyance cause you to have a hair setback...cool down and wisely consider your options.

 

[LushLox]

I would have got up and walked out after 30 minutes, and even that is too long.

Does this sort of thing happen in caucasian salons or is it just certain black salons that consistently treat their customers badly?

 

[joytimes10]

You were not rude or wrong for leaving. I would have left at 30 min. My sylist never ever makes me/ or anyone else wait. He is meticulously on schedule but he doesn't rush through the process. Good luck w/ the DYI relaxer. I'm not that brave yet.

 

[Christelyn]

I would have got up and walked out after 30 minutes, and even that is too long.

Does this sort of thing happen in caucasian salons or is it just certain black salons that consistently treat their customers badly?

My point exactly!

 

[ceebee3]

My stylist is definetly guilty of this. I haven't worked up the courage to discuss with her yet. I only go every three months and I don't usually wait more than 1/2 an hour but I don't want to wait at all.

 

[LivingDol1]

when i get my hair done, they are ready for me when i get there. i do not wait. got things to do and places to go. chop chop, people!! lol.

 

[TheQueenBeeMaya]

My stylist only does one client at a time, so i'm in her chair within the first five minutes of arriving at the salon. I might also add that this is a white salon. When I went to another stylist, she once had me waiting for 1 1/2 hours before she even acknowledged me ! then had the nerve to charge me $75 for a press ! that was the last time i ever went to her.

 

[mysoon2behair]

You were not being unreasonable at all. That was way too long! I would have walked out too. My previous stylist would have me waiting over an hour on the regular and talk on the phone while she was doing my hair. I got fed up and went to my stylist that did my hair when I was a child. She does one client at a time and was always on schedule. That's how it should be.

 

[Avaya]

It is a blatant disregard and disrespect for someone's time. I believe many of "our" hairdressers have a sense of entitlement, like they are doing you and favor for doing your hair, even though you are paying THEM.

Totally agree!!!!! It almost seems like being unprofessional and "hood" is a requirement to become a stylist.

My experience; the first of its kind and the LAST!:
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showpost.php?p=4313977&postcount=177

 

[naturalmanenyc]

I have never waited more than 30 minutes and cannot even imagine waiting for 1 1/2 hours. I also had to tell a shampoo woman to back off a few months ago. She was ripping through my hair AFTER I explained to her how to comb it twice.

You were completely right to leave.

My old stylist (who moved away) was not always prompt but she did end up giving me the 7:30 a.m. appointment on Saturdays or she would do my hair on Mondays (when the shop was normally closed). I've been in her chair at 4 a.m. before a holiday weekend because she fit me in around my schedule since my hours were crazy while I was on a litigation team.

 

[HAIRapy]

You are not being unreasonable in expecting prompt care as a consumer. Are you sure you are ready to do it yourself? You have no other salon which can do it for you? Don't let your annoyance cause you to have a hair setback...cool down and wisely consider your options.

Yes, I believe I'm ready. The good thing is that my stylist has taught me how to get my hair to look just like I came from the salon. Also, I used to do my own relaxers, I stopped because I'm lazy. I don't think it will be too hard for me to do it. I will relax using the 4 sections way of doing it- that way I will be able to apply it quickly and my edges will be done last because my hairline is sensitive. I've been running around all day, so I didn't get a chance to do the relaxer. I'm doing it tomorrow morning.

 

[HAIRapy]

My stylist is definetly guilty of this. I haven't worked up the courage to discuss with her yet. I only go every three months and I don't usually wait more than 1/2 an hour but I don't want to wait at all.

I've expressed my hatred for waiting FOREVER. She's been my stylist for about 5 years. This new shop is the 4th shop I've followed her to. What happens is that every shop she goes to, she becomes the cash cow because she's the best in the shop and has all the clients- we all follow her to whatever shop she goes too. Well after awhile, they start overbooking her because her clients are always calling for an appt and they don't want to turn that money away.

I only go to her for touch-ups because I do everything else myself at home. Especially because of the waiting, I don't get for pampering. The crazy thing is, she is a hella good stylist and I'm going to miss her.

 

[HAIRapy]

I have never waited more than 30 minutes and cannot even imagine waiting for 1 1/2 hours. I also had to tell a shampoo woman to back off a few months ago. She was ripping through my hair AFTER I explained to her how to comb it twice.

You were completely right to leave.

My old stylist (who moved away) was not always prompt but she did end up giving me the 7:30 a.m. appointment on Saturdays or she would do my hair on Mondays (when the shop was normally closed). I've been in her chair at 4 a.m. before a holiday weekend because she fit me in around my schedule since my hours were crazy while I was on a litigation team.

Now that I'm jobless, I thought about going on weekdays when people are at work so I won't have to wait. But as soon as I started thinking that, I thought about that whack shampoo girl. I would have to fight her if she puts a comb to my head.

 

[MizzBrown]

Now that I'm jobless, I thought about going on weekdays when people are at work so I won't have to wait. But as soon as I started thinking that, I thought about that whack shampoo girl. I would have to fight her if she puts a comb to my head.

You need to go during the week. I agree.

I used to have a standing WEDNESDAY appt and wouldnt dare step foot in my stylist shop past Thursday unless i needed her to shape up my eyeybrows really quick or something.

I REFUSE to spend my saturday at a salon. I havent been to a salon on a Saturday in probably over 5 years for stupid mess like this.

You got 15-30 mins then i'm out. And I will go in the salon and if i see 3 other people sittin there then I ask them politely "excuse me, who are yall here to see?" If they all say my stylists name then i'm gettin the hell out.

I've done that before. Scheduled a late appt, got there and saw 4 other people in the waiting room. Had to make sure they were waiting on her or either her co-stylist.....Black hairstylists MAKE ME SICK!

 

[mango387]

My maximum wait time is 30 minutes now, BUT I want to throw this out there. Most of us get our hair done at black salons. There are black people out there who don't value time. Now, before everyone posts that he/she is 3 hours early to any event, I am not tallking about you. You have to admit that a large enough # of black folks have time management issues hence the phrase "CP TIME."

With that said, I hate waiting on anyone, AND I try not to keep anyone waiting on me. Yet, I believe that some stylists are not being inconsiderate intentionally. They have clients who ACTUALLY plan to be there all day, and they know it. They also have some clients who come in forty years late throwing them off schedule. I think that as a people, a lot of us need to do better about time. BTW, I have heard that other cultures have little regard for time too.

 

[hurricane]

You made the right choice. I used to sit in my beauticians shop for 8 hours. Like I was on a job. Before I re-dedicated my life back to Christ. I had a fight in that shop with another customer. We were both trying to get out of there and she said one to many words. I will never go through that again. I'll do a big chop and start over myself.

 

[IDareT'sHair]

When I was "weekly" I got Immediate Attention. Heck!! They'd toss out whoever was in the chair and get started on me.

Even if they just "started" on me.

Now I am a DIY and I pretty much don't have to worry about that anymore.

However, I have seen customers wait & wait to be serviced. But, when I was a client at a "white salon" the moment you hit the door you were immediately Greeted, Robed, offered something to Drink etc.....

His appointments never lasted more than 30 minutes for a Shampoo/Blow Dry/Flat Iron, which they referred to as a Shampoo/Finish.

And no longer than 1 hour for a Relaxer Service. He was "The Business but so were his Prices.........

 

[quasimodi]

See! This is exactly why I stopped going to salons years ago.
It's just "easier" to do everything to my hair myself.

 

[soulie]

I don't wait more than 15 minutes; and IF I have to wait that long, I have been acknowledged and apologized to at least twice, brought water, tea or soda, and generally "kissed up to". My stylist is AA, in an integrated salon (which is owned by an AA man). Schedules are acknowledged and adhered to and centrally scheduled on the computer. This prevents the individual stylists from piling on customers because the scheduling is computerized and done by the receptionist or the scheduler.

Additionally, remember I am the girl that always takes a baseball cap to the salon with me; I can walk anytime without worrying about my hair being done. I have the same or better equipment at home than my stylist has, so if I need to, I can DYI even if I didn't plan for it.

 

[MizzBrown]

^^^Computer?

Trying to think of when i saw a computer that had a spreadsheet set up in a BLACK salon.

It doesnt even matter if they write it down in their appointment book, they still let whoever walk-in and override your appointment.

They DO NOT CARE about time management..CP time is right. Why are they booking 4 relaxers at 10am? Why??

 

[I AM...]

OP..It is def a matter of CP time but most importantly a matter of "know better do better." Since my HHJ began I have been to my stylist thrice (yes, 3x's HA!) and she is quite annoyed with me. When I come in, usually smelling of rosemary from a recent oil session at my home, she quickly comes over to inspect my edges, ends & questions my regi. Since we are really good friends, we're talking high school buddies, I say loudly "Your client in the chair has someplace to be." She gives me the eyes of death and the client no matter who always thanks me out loud. It is a running joke but honey it is hilarious!!

But I digress. "Folks" do not have a respect for time.

 

[imaccami]

Well, I haven't been to a salon in years, but this is exactly why I stopped going. Waiting and waiting and waiting. Just for a wash/blowdry/flat iron I was there from 8 in the morning until 3 in the afternoon! I don't even want to think about how long I had to stay there to get a relaxer. One woman used to wash and blow dry her hair at home and come into the salon for the flat iron only and it still took about 3 hours for her to get out of the salon. Ridiculous! And this wasn't a "hood" salon either.

I just don't understand their mindset. My stylist was GREAT at doing hair. And, I had no clue how to do my hair. So, if she had just gotten me in and out in a reasonable amount of time I would still be going there today. But, because of her wasting my time I got fed up and became a complete DIYer. Now she's out a lifelong customer.

It seems to me that the stylists would want to keep as many clients as they could and make as much money as possible, but I guess when they're really good they don't care if they lose a client here or there because there are so many others who are dying to get into their chair.

 

[LushLox]

What does "CP" mean? We simply call it Black Man/Black People's time, because it seems so many of us can never turn up anywhere on time. I hate tardiness personally, I find it rude and disrespectful.

 

[mstar]

I was at the salon today from 4 pm until 10 pm, for a press & curl.

They started on me as soon as I arrived, but I waited for at least an hour after I got out from under the dryer. The girl whose appointment was right after mine waited for over 3.5 hours, and she didn't get into the stylist's chair until I left at 10 pm. She probably didn't leave until midnight....I felt so bad for her.