anonym wrote on 06-27-2012

Odd Owner

I was recommended to come by a friend who's a long-time customer. I asked for highlights and the owner Marilyn talked me into a full "base color" first and then making a second appointment for highlights. (It was my first time getting highlights, so I didn't know at the time that a base color wasn't needed for highlights.) During the session, she mentioned that all her stylists had recently left her business but there was no explanation why. After the color, she straightened my hair, which I loved. When I did the first wash, I noticed the color was basically the same as before, but with red tones focused on the top of my head. My friend who recommended it saw and agreed. She said, "Marilyn knows, she'll see and own up to her mistake, don't worry." I mentioned it when returning for highlights, which Marilyn disagreed with. She said it was a drastic color change and that it was full throughout the hair and that I just couldn't remember my natural hair color. She kept saying, "Oh, how quickly people forget . . . where's my phone? I took a picture of you before and after, let me show you so you can remember what your hair looked like." She never acknowledged the color was close to my natural color to the point where no one could tell the difference (unless I put my head down where others could see the red tones). However, she did end up giving me a discounted rate for the highlight touch-up. There was good conversation, so I didn't think much of it. I made another appointment for a touch-up and thought I'd give another chance before giving up. Afterwards, I noticed the same issue that the highlights were more concentrated on the top of my head. I was planning on saying something when I went in again but one week before my scheduled appointment I got a voicemail canceling the appointment because Marilyn said she felt negative when working on my hair (??) and that she didn't like what I "did" to her. I called her back and said I was surprised, a little hurt, and quite a bit offended. I asked what I "did" to her and she said that she didn't like me telling her I wasn't happy with my hair job when another customer was waiting. She said she would have preferred me to take her into the back room. I said, "But . . you're the owner, it's your business. I don't know the layout. It would have been up to you to take me into another room to discuss the hair color." She maintained that it was just too negative of a life experience for her and she didn't feel comfortable. I just said, "Yes, I agree, I don't feel comfortable anymore either." Just a weird woman. She said she prefers working with the elderly population and with her friends, and after this experience I'm guessing that's because they will not give her an honest critique of her work. Keep searching, ladies.