69 thoughts on “No really, I love it.”

  1. Yes. I guess at the end of the day… it’s all about finding people in the service industry that have your same taste… there are so many talented people out there that there is bound to be someone who connects well with you. 🙂 I now know to take my time and find someone who I can really click with.

  2. ooh my gosh! I had a similar experience recently! I thought my hair stylist understood what I was looking for, even showed him a picture. I was growing my hair out so he had a clean slate to play with. He butchered it, and I said I liked it because I did not have the heart to tell him how horrible it was. : ( I got in my car and cried, I went home and cried and immediately looked for someone to fix it! My poor boyfriend thought I was crazy! Thankfully, I found someone to fix it the next day. It is not in my budget to pay for two haircuts in one month. I hope I can speak up next time, but I find it hard to be critical sometimes. Nor did I think he could “fix” it without making it worse, if that makes sense. Sigh.

  3. Oh yes, many times. The worst though? My wedding day! I had shown the guy a picture of what I wanted: my hair curly and in a kind of loose pony tail. I left looking like something from Star Trek – 3 HUGE LOOPS (not curls at ALL) on top of my head and a pony tail. All my hair essentially glued in place with hair spray and a million unnecessary bobby pins. I went home, washed it all out and curled it myself and left it down. It ended up looking lovely and I am very happy I waste any extra time having them try to “fix” what they had already done. To this day, I regret not taking a picture of the horrible hair-do just as evidence. : )

  4. Unfortunately I don’t disguise my emotions very well so you can usually tell by the look on my face or my body language if I don’t like something. I know it’s difficult to tell someone you don’t like their work. I try to break the news as nicely as possible and they usually are good natured about it. After all, you are the customer and they want you to come back. The eyebrows are a scary thing though. I probably wouldn’t offer second chances on that one.

  5. oh good! I was thinking as I read this ‘oh no you need to find a new hairdresser’! I’m like you, I lie! Only twice have I cheated on my hairdresser and both times I’ve had to make appointments on a weekday and be squeezed in by my regular hairdresser for a correction!
    so now retro daddy says to me ‘don’t come crying to me if it doesn’t work out:) ‘
    and yay to beating sydney prices!
    Corrie:)

  6. My hairdressers has a sign over the basin that reads ‘If you liked it, tell others. If you didn’t, tell us’. It’s always stuck with me. I can’t confess to being too upfront about not liking it immediately, but when I go back to the hairdresser I can say ‘You know, upon reflection, I didn’t really LOVE last time’s haircut’…Maybe one day I’ll have enough courage to say it at the time.

  7. That’s sucky. I have that problem too, of saying “I hate it!” on the spot. But, most hairstylists would rather have you come back and give them the chance to fix it then lose you as a client. Sometimes it’s easier to call back a few days later and say, “you know….” and if they’re a good stylist they’ll get you back in immediately. Pictures always help too, so there’s no confusion! I blog for a salon and we started a Pinterest page for hair and color which is helpful to the customers. I’m lucky that my stylist is my childhood friend (like from 1 year old), so I pretty much sit in her chair and say “do what you want”. Glad you found someone you like!

  8. I do the same thing — I think we just have an ingrained fear of upsetting people who we want to like us (lest we get ANOTHER shocking hair-do/eyebrow wax!) I’m too scared to find a new hairdresser because my current one always listens but she charges an arm and a leg. It’s scary! This post also comes at a really good time because I’ve been failing to speak up at work (I bit the bullet yesterday) and it’s because I’m scared of the ramifications and of upsetting anyone. I think we all might just be programmed this way! X

  9. I know just what you mean, I do not like to say I don’t like something someone has done for me/ to me… but you know what, my mother-in-law was a hairdresser and when I first met hubby she did my hair for formal, and then it just kinda continued after that, and she still does my hair even though she’s retired, but she always said that if I don’t like it I have to tell her (knowing that I’m the kind of person who would lie through my teeth about liking it) because how are they going to learn and do better if no one tells them?? It’s hard, I know! But in the long run, as long as they’re humble and willing to take criticism, it betters their work and helps you and other clients too… Unfortunately, it’s easy to say… not so easy to do. Glad your hair appointment yesterday went well though!
    {www.happymummyinspired.blogspot.com}

  10. I sway the other way, I am far too honest. I don’t have a problem saying that I don’t like the colour, the layers need to be choppier, don’t cut that length!! Although i did tell one brow tamer that she had made me look like Borat…..To be fair, I am effusive with praise if I like something.
    xx

  11. I have had the experience of having a bad haircut…bangs to be exact. I went to my regular hairstylist with three different pictures, each showing long bang styles I liked. When she was finished, I was left with bangs uneven and short and also a chunk of hair on the side of my head that was also cut. It took me nearly 2 years to grow out. I left that day, didn’t say anything, went home and cried. Needless to say, I never went back. To this day, I have regretted not saying something or calling the salon.

  12. My line to use for moments like this is “I’m not sure. Let me sit with it for a while.” That gives them the heads up that I’m not loving it and I have a few minutes to think about what I really don’t like and phrase it in a way that doesn’t scream “You’re an idiot! What would make you think I’d like this abomination? Fix it NOW” at them. I’ve only had to do that once and it was fine… the thing I didn’t like was easily corrected and the hairdresser was happy that not only was I honest but that I wasn’t screaming or crying and therefore not making her feel like the worst person in the world.

  13. Nope I just say it now! I used to just sit there and smile, and wither inside, but not any more! A few years back my usual hairdresser of 3 years butchered my style, to the ridiculous! I lived with it for two days, and I was screaming inside. I went back to the salon, to the owner who really did a good job with what she had to work with…sigh! I still go to that salon, the owner still does my hair and I have it at a length and style I am pretty much happy with. I change the colour and might do so again but I like it like this for the most part. If they stuff it up, colour, or shape, they get told! And while they’re working on it (if I end up with the apprentices straightening it…or something looks like it’s not going right, I speak up!) I’m paying good money and they need to get it right, the first time. I don’t have time to come back and back and back! I complain on the spot!

  14. The only place I go to get my eyebrows done is at benefit in Myers.. They know what there doing and everytime I have loved them 🙂

    • I love them. I made my first appointment with them up here. Called on a Wednesday, went in on the Friday. Sat at Benefit for 1/2 an hour and no one was there. It was like a ghost town. A lady came up and asked what I was doing, and I said I was waiting for my appointment – and she kindly told me that the Brow Bars on the Gold Coast closed down THAT morning.

      Devo.

  15. As an adult, I have never told a hairdresser I didn’t like what they did. The only truly horrible experience I had was as a teen in the 80s. My mothertook me to a place that permed my hair so tightly, I looked like a poodle! I spent the rest of our outing with my jacket over my head, crying.

    I have walked out before my hair was cut. I like people to be creative. I only give a few constraints: it needs to be work friendly, look good on me, and easy to style. I do my own color, thankyouverymuch. Hairdressers usually adore me, because I give them a chance to be creative. Not her. This hairdresser proceeded to grill me on every single move she made. I kept repeating my simple constraints.So, after the third time she asked me to virtually orchestrate every cut, I told her I was afraid she was not a good fit for me and I left, with my hair still wet, not a single cut made. I proceeded to go upstairs at the mall and found the hairdresser I would follow to a couple of salons, before he vanished.

  16. And here I thought I was alone, what a relief to here I’m not! I’ve blamed my Swedish genes for it when my husband gives me the ‘you’ve paid a lot of money for a service…” I’m not sure I will change simply accept thats how I am, after all you have the choice not to go back to that hairdresser 🙂

  17. Ok ladies as a hairdresser I much prefer to hear what someone is or isn’t liking about their hair at the time, because it’s my work and I don’t want them leaving unhappy.
    You won’t break the hairdressers heart, (unless your nasty about it!) it’s your self image not theirs and if you don’t have the time then you can usually come back in a few days and have it “fixed”.
    That being said I love pictures and I hate when people come in saying “I don’t know what I want” then you recommend something, you do it, blow dry it and then they say no that’s not what I wanted, no hairdresser is a mind reader!
    Speak up because it’s not like you’d buy a dress you wouldn’t really love and your hair isn’t something you can shove in the back of the cupboard and ignore.

    • I was once told by a hairdresser they don’t like people bringing in pictures because it’s not often they can replicate the style because everyone’s hair is different.. I however still take in pictures 🙂 it’s so hard to explain what you want and I always fear they’ll interoperate my interpretation wrong!

  18. I did tell a hairdresser that I wasn’t happy with the cut — she thought she was being so creative and her creativity was the exact opposite of my desires. mid-way through, i told her she was off-track, and she asked that I let her finish, and maybe I’d like it when it was done. so I did, and I hated it. she knew, and just shrugged her shoulders saying to her co-worker ‘there’s a customer who’ll never come back’. She was right.

  19. I’ve had a few bad experiences with hairdressers and the one time I did speak up I was told it was my fault because I didn’t go to them regularly so they didn’t know the existing colour that was being used in my hair. I was just having my roots done. Surely dying the roots is just about colour matching? The fact that my roots turned a ridiculous shade of YELLOW and not blonde was too much. I still paid, never went back and told everyone I could about what happened.

  20. Oh, yes. I have curly hair, and I like my wild curls, but whenever my hairdresser cuts my hair, she blows it out all straight and huge. I hate it. I tell her it looks good and then I go straight home, wet it down, and scrunch the curls. Why don’t I just ask her not to blow it out? I don’t know!

  21. I used to do the ‘lie’ thing. Then I had a really bad run of shockers and got over the need to pretend really quickly. The last hairdresser I went to, I was so appalled, I got up and walked out. They rang me on my phone when I was in the car park and I hung up on them.

    I think the key is searching and searching and SEARCHING for someone who can actually cut hair/colour hair. In my experience, this type of person is few and far between. I think I may have found someone, though . . . she did a great job on my two guinea pigs (my kids!!) so I may be next . . watch this space . . .

    So glad your hair worked out. Deep sigh of relief!

    x

  22. I did it recently…. lied about a hair cut….my own hair cut!
    I had all my hair chopped off. It was looooong. Almost down to my butt. And with a spare-of-the-moment decision I had it all cut off. Ear length! Once it was all cut off, I think I had my first anxiety attack….sitting their staring at all this hair GONE! I lied and told the hairdresser it was good. I got home and nearly fell in a slump. BUT….my instagram community picked me out of the slump with their positive feedback. I’ve now learnt how to play with it & style it properly. Now I love it!!!
    x
    http://blog.scissorspaperrockdesigns.com.au/

  23. “That’s not what I meant” or “It’s not ME” suffice. Generally, they’ll bend over backwards apologizing and doing everything to make it right, often at no charge. Be honest; speak up.

    And to your therapist, too! “This isn’t fitting for me” and “I can’t see myself doing that” help your therapist to mold themselves around you and make for a better fit. Promise.

  24. I have had many awful hairdressing experiences in my time and only once have I ever complained. But i didnt do it to the hairdresser or even in the hairdressers. I got in my car and I balled my eyes out and then when I got home and I was safe behind my phone, I called and spoke with the owner and went back the next day.

    The cut was so bad that I had 4 other hairdressers critiquing it and the only solution we all could come to was to cut it all off! I had had mid-back length which then became a touch longer than my ears. I cried the whole way through it!

  25. I never understood the relationship some people had with their hairdressers until I found “the one.” I lost her for a little while after she changed salons and I went back to average haircuts with hairdressers who couldn’t even layer my hair when asked. Thanks to Google and a few phone calls, I was able to track her down, and I am happy again.

  26. I’m rarely happy with my haircuts. I’ve had two I’ve been happy with in the last five years. I complained once because the girl ate lunch halfway through my haircut and charged me more than agreed for my colour and the cut wasn’t right. I wrote to the company and they did nothing. I’ve complained about other things before too and gotten nowhere, it’s like companies don’t care about loyal customers anymore.

  27. I had a hair trial three days before my wedding and the hairdresser wanted to wax my eyebrows as well. I said no, I’m actually pretty happy with them and I’d rather not risk changing the shape. She promised to just tidy the strays and not change the shape.
    I relented. Stupid. Stupid stupid stupid. She did them pencil thin. I hate them. They’re all I see when I look at my wedding pics now. Aaaargh.

  28. This is exactly why I never go to the same hairdresser twice even if they´ve done a good job. I feel no loyalty to them especially when they charge an arm and a leg!

  29. I’ve never had a bad haircut or style with my hairdresser, she is a legend! And that is why I follow her around whenever she moves salons. She is GOLD.

  30. A hairdresser is a difficult person to find…I used the same hairdresser my entire life until I married so I never realized how important that “relationship” was. After I married I bumbled around from person to person wondering why in the world these people couldn’t figure out how to do my hair…I mean, seriously? I have learned to say what I want, to listen to the hairdresser if I’m asking for something that does not fit my face, my hair etc. I don’t let them bully me in any way, AND I’ve learned to say “I don’t like it.” Most of the time, if your person is a good one, he/she really wants to know. If your person is not a good one, why are you there to begin with? I like pictures bc I’m a visual person…my hairdresser likes them too. I think it’s about finding the person who cares enough to get to know you too…and then he/she can work WITH you to help you find what works well for you and keeps up with style (if that’s important to you). I have dark brown hair and can’t even imagine what it’s like to try and get a good blonde color…one of my daughters is blonde though and I’ve seen her through many a shade of blonde…some I’ve liked and some not so much. She’s learning too though.

    • I’ve definitely learnt too – and I think that’s why I have had better times of late finding hairdressers. I know what suits and what colours I like {there are so many shades of blonde!} and from that stripey experience I always say: “Please make the foils really fine” and it’s been good so far. Fingers crossed.

  31. OH heaps of times! never ever been good at saying “Nope, dont like it” and still cant work out how to say it without upsetting the other persons feelings! I rarely go to the hair dressers because I am too scared with what it will look like – and I usually do my eyebrows. I remember once getting my eyebrows done – the lady used really HOT wax and left me bleeding and skin missing. Scared me away from finding a good person who does a great job with them!
    And we are in the process of trying to find a good dentist.

    • I tried a new dentist this week and he was quite nice. My old dentist was over the top fantastic, but I know he was thinking of retiring soon – so we had to break-up at some point.

      Sigh. Good luck with the dentist hunt. And that wax sounds all kinds of ouchy!

  32. omgoodness, this really does happen to women all time. Its so hard to find the right hair dresser, waxer, and manicurist. Its so scary, especially when moving to a new town and not knowing anyone to give you proper advice on where to go. I, too have cried when I had a haircut I wasn’t expecting. I’ve always had long hair and wanted a shorter haircut, well he pretty much cut if off without giving me a boy haircut. I just sat there and let him and practically ran out to my car crying. Once I got home and really looked at it, I didn’t mind it so much and I got use to it – sometimes liking it, sometimes not but I never went that short again and I never went back to that salon. Same thing with eyebrows, for years I went to a lady that pretty much shaved them down (my naturally thick eyebrows) and they looked like pasted on sperms. Now I can laugh about it, but I didn’t know where to go and she seemed to have so many clients. Now, I wait for recommendations and tell them exactly what I want but its not like once they chop it off or wax they can bring them back if we don’t like it. We’re so at their mercy, lol.

  33. I am exactly the same way – I don’t know why I can’t be honest in those situations. Sometimes I sporadically lie about silly things at the doctor too – so weird.

  34. It was the summer I was 16. I drove myself into one of those “don’t make appointments – just drop in” hair cutting places, and I told her “it’s the beginning of summer, I want it short”. Seriously, does anyone think a TEEN FEMALE means “short” equals a CREW CUT??? Yep – that’s exactly what I got! My hair was seriously 1/4″ long! Now, how can I say “I hate it”, when there isn’t much more that can be done? Bald? I cried for weeks. I refused to go out with my boyfriend in public without wearing a ball cap (and I look horrid in any kind of hat) – and my best friend laughed for weeks! The only good thing was I did stay cool, and I didn’t have to do any styling for the summer… but it was barely hanging down by the time I went back to school in the fall. I even was horrid enough to wish I had a friend with cancer so I could hang around with her… (remember – I was a teen!). Now, I stop them if I even see too much hair hanging out from the hand holding my hair!

  35. I moved from Montreal Quebec Canada to the burbs and I had to find a new hairdresser and on top of it they had to speak English (not an easy task in the burbs) I tried one and she was not fully understanding my basic French mixed with English and as I have long curly hair and I just needed layers, she cut it all to one length!!! Oh yes I loved it !!!

    Then I finally found the perfect hairdresser, she was young hip and spoke some English and we understood each other and I left a very happy woman, she was perfect. Every time I went I was known as “the English girl” and then we decided to move to Toronto Ontario and I am once again on the search for a new hairdresser. Its not an easy task finding the perfect hairdresser, but at least I know that if its not what I like I’ll try to speak up.

  36. I’ve had a couple hair disasters in my life. Back when I was blonde, I went to a new place to have my roots done. They ended up a couple shades darker still than the rest of my hair, so I made them do it again. They still didn’t manage to get the color 100% match the rest of my hair. Another time was right after our wedding, I wanted very short hair cause I’d been keeping it long for the wedding. I asked for short and something easily doable, and she made it look quite ok when she did my hair after the cut. I started crying on my way home when I realized it wasn’t an “easy enough” haircut for me and I could never make it look good myself. After that my hairdresser disappeared completely and her business shut down, so I was forced to find a new place to go – I’m not sure I would’ve continued with her anyway after that. It took me over a year to find another place that was good, but now I’m really happy with my current hairdresser!

    Going to the doctor’s can be a nightmare! I have a long black list of doctors I try to avoid, but sometimes it’s difficult cause I gotta use the company’s trusted doctors to qualify for a sick leave and the appointments are often hard to get..

  37. I have only ever been to a hairdresser once (My mum always cut my hair growing up and my sister has done it a few times as an adult) and im 25 years old LOL! And it was to get my hair done for my year 10 formal.
    I really want to go get it done by a good hairdresser but because i haven’t really been to one for a full style i dont know where to go and i dont want it to be a disaster later. I know a lady that cuts hair from her home but i didn’t want to go to her because i would probably never want to speak to her again if she didn’t listen to what i wanted. So now im stuck as to where to go.

  38. I called my regular hairdresser, and she didn’t do blade cuts, so I asked for someone who could. I told her the details and, like you, thought she read my mind. When she was done, all I could see in the mirror was a hairdo I remembered my mother wearing 30 years before. I just knew I looked 20 years older, and the blade work was not up-to-date. ugh! But yes, I happily told her I loved it,, and the rest of the hair dressers lied to me, saying it was so cute. Seriously? I now take a photo in of what I need done, and my hairdresser just does it!

  39. When I was 18, I walked by a new salon in Sydney CBD that was a chain store (can’t remember the name). It looked good and they had a good deal on so I went in to ask for a cut. Half an hour later, the hairdresser and her colleague had convinced me I needed foils in my hair, so I asked for a dark caramel colour as my hair is dark brown. I told them very clearly that I didn’t want any blonde in my hair because it looks ridiculous.

    4 hours later, the lady finished up and showed me my hair with a mirror. Brown hair with big yellow blonde foils through it. I was SO upset, it looked horrible but I couldn’t speak up about it. Not only that, I was 9:30pm at night and I still had to catch my hour train home. So I paid (more than the deal price for some reason) and walked out of the salon. I coloured my hair back to brown one week later.

    Fortunately, since then I have always had great cuts and colours. I tend to colour my own hair now as asking for a dark brown usually results in black. At least with a box colour I can choose how dark it goes.

  40. I’ve learnt to tell them how my fringe needs to be cut because if I don’t then they don’t cut it right and I hate it. I always say “I know you’re the professional but I just want to make sure because once someone ruined it etc etc” blaming it on someone anonymous doesn’t make me feel bad.

  41. Oooh I so do this too and I have no idea why. In most aspects of life I’m quite assertive but I think you’re right, it comes down to not wanting to hurt feelings. Crazy really when we’re paying for a service!

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