Hairstylists aren't beating the unprofessional allegations anytime soon

Yikesssss

Jul 16, 2024

Last year, I gave up on hairstylists. The nail in the coffin was the hairstylist I booked for my wedding. She was an absolute nightmare.

What I paid for vs. what I received didn’t align… and I paid A LOT. She ripped and tore through my hair for the braid down, didn’t include a wash for my install, and braided my sew-in so tight that I had bald spots for months. She also didn’t tell me until after I put the deposit down that the extensions weren’t included and I’d have to pay her separately for the bundles at a price that cost more than Kendra’s Boutique (iykyk).

ANYWAYS…

I gave up on scheduling beauticians outside of a monthly pedicure, and haven’t booked with a hairstylist since March 2023.

Considering that clients are still complaining about poor customer experiences with braiders and hairstylists, I didn’t seem to have missed much in the last year.

Alas, it’s summertime and I want a protective style, so I booked an appointment.

My excitement was shortlived and slowly turned to confusion. Some things didn’t add up, and upon booking, I received no confirmation email or follow-up with a “Thanks for booking” or details about the appointment.

One issue was that StyleSeat said it would charge my card the day of the appointment (no big deal), but the braider’s policies said clients needed to pay the full amount in cash the day of.

It was also noted that I needed to bring braiding hair but didn’t specify the length. Braiders often charge more for longer styles, so I wanted to make sure that I didn’t bring too long of a length that would result in extra charges.

All of these concerns seemed easy enough to hash out, so I DM’d the braider.

But I got no response. 24 hours after booking I received an email from StyleSeat saying that the hairstylist didn’t confirm my appointment and my charge would be refunded.

I’ve got a tried-and-true red flags rule with beauty professionals. If something feels off during your booking experience, it’s a red flag, and if you reach three red flags, don’t book.

What’s frustrating (but not shocking) is the lack of professionalism from this experience. Whether this stylist chose not to service me because I DM’d her with questions or simply forgot to confirm the appointment, failing to follow up with a new client is messy and unprofessional.

I never got a response to my DM nor did I get a follow-up about the canceled appointment. Nothing.

I’m always gonna be happy about saving my coins, but one thing about it is this: Braiders are not beating the unprofessional allegations any time soon.

Here’s some other scenarios of bad braider experiences: