An open letter to afro/black hair salons 4

Honesty, is it so hard? 

Dear salons,

When a customer walks in and asks if you can do Rihanna's latest hairstyle, and you have no idea what Rihanna looks like, this is a good time to be honest. 

When a customer walks in and says she wants to do the hairstyle she has ripped out of a magazine, and you have no idea what the grainy picture represents, please be honest. 

When a customer with natural hair comes in and you have only ever worked with natural hair to relax it, please just be honest. 

You get the idea. It is so simple to say, 'I have never tried that before' as then the customer can choose to take an informed risk.

Saying that you can do the hair, and then halfway through making excuses such as, 'but Rihanna is a celebrity and she has 5 stylists' is not going to wash. 

Other known excuses include, 

-it's the wrong hair type for this weave. (You should have seen that at the start)

-her hair is natural, that is not a weave. (same as above)

-her head is smaller than yours/she is prettier than you etc (insert expletives here or not)

This is particularly annoying as this is usually halfway through the day and the customer has wasted their day. (as mentioned in a previous post)
So dear salons, once again. This does not make you look clever, it simply makes you annoying.

Sincerely,
 Customers

Any other excuses or annoying experiences related to this? Let us know. 

NoScrunchie

for a better salon experience

Natural hair, Relaxed hair, Is it even a debate?

I view this whole debate though as another divisive thing that women have to have. From high school, girls split into groups and are always loyal to them for whatever cause.

The various debates as I have seen them through my life:

• The marriage debate. Those who want to and those who don’t.
• The child debate: Those who want children and those who don’t.
• The breastfeeding debate: Breastfeeding mums vs those who can’t or prefer not to.
• Closely followed by the stay at home mums vs working mums. 
• And now the relaxed vs Natural hair debate.

All of these  are valid groups of people with valid views and I think everybody has a choice in the matter which is great.

If you are a member of any social networking group, you have seen how these debates can and do get heated. And that is not because 'everybody' believes with the greatest of conviction, but because somewhere along the way a lot of us  have learned to get on the defensive, and jump to protect our views. 

The Internet also helps by providing a screen behind which people can get away with saying just about anything. 

And this always goes for both camps. From the person comparing people who use relaxers to smokers, to the one who calls people who have natural hair Nazis. Both of them are not having a useful debate. Both are doing the equivalent of hair pulling in school.

But, I am glad that this is being talked about. I am glad that hair product manufacturers are taking this seriously and beginning to provide ample information on their packaging.

I think that that is a start. I am also glad that it has gotten people out there writing and blogging and providing information on our hair care.If we have enough knowledge, (more facts, less name calling and hair pulling), we will eventually make the right decisions for us. 

In my opinion some good has come out of this and more good will come out of it.

But meanwhile, my opinion may be different from yours and as long as I am not oppressing anybody's human rights,can’t we all just be friends? 

Leillah 

 

New Hair, New Hair

Taking a break from the salon complaints, I thought I would write about a good hair experience.
I have new hair! (In case the title had not given it away)
I have not tried the wavy look before and when I did the kinky twist a few months ago, I decided I quite liked big curly hair.
This was done by my lovely hairstylist Lola who came to my home last night to do it. She had to buy the weave on my behalf as she was worried I would buy something too curly. It should be wavy and not curly for it to work. She knows that I am clueless about hair so she is always good at advising. This here is a jazzy wavy weave.
What I asked for was a curly bouncy weave with 'pick and drop' braids at the front. Something big but pretty.
I think I got exactly that!
The only thing I would fault her on is timekeeping as she is always running a couple of hours late. But otherwise, result!

BOOM!

Side view(the one pictures favor)

Big and wavy at the back!

And you can tie it back!

An Open letter to afro/black/ethnic hair salons 3

Continued:

3: The lack of set prices. 

I love it when I walk look at the price board in the salon window and all the prices are 'from £20'. LOL. Jokes indeed! This means that the 'from' is the set price if you come in bald and simply need a wash. When you get into the salon and ask, they claim that depends on your type of hair.
What I really see though is the salon 'boss lady' looking at my bag and shoes and setting her prices based on that. I am unsure what that has to do with the price of fish or hair in this instance.
I understand that afro hair may be hard to judge and therefore setting prices before seeing/touching (or even ruffling) said hair may be difficult, but wouldn't it be nice if these prices had upper limits?
And on the same note, when they quote a price, why do they then change it midway and offer excuses like, 'your hair is too long.' Knowing how long it takes for my hair to grow, I am always shocked when they say this as it suggests that my hair grew while I was in the salon. While I may wish, I think we all know it didn't.
So, dear salons;
-Please set some kind of price range.
-Don't tell me prices are subject to change without prior notice and at manager's discretion.This in no way endears the salon or it's management to your customers.

Sincerely again,

Customers.

There are 2 more of these coming, and I am hoping to put together all the comments and responses that we have received, both here and on twitter #whatihateaboutsalons.
Thanks for all the support.

NoScrunchie, for a better salon experience

An Open letter to black/afro/ethnic salons 2

continued from part 1:

2: Hairstyling should not take all day!

Many of us have been in this situation. 

You go to a salon at the weekend. You find there are a number of people there.

You think, that’s fine, I will go somewhere else.

The lady catches your eye before you leave and says, ‘come in darling, I can fit you in.’

She points at the sink, and although you know what’s coming you excitedly sit down.

Then, after your hair is washed or un-plaited or un-weaved/de -weaved?( basically anything that ensures that you cannot step out in the street looking like that), they go back to the person whose hair they were doing to begin with. Your heart sinks...

They continue this cycle for hours and you leave as they close. In fact all the customers end up leaving as they close.

Now dear salons, wouldn’t it be easier all round to serve people either by appointment (chance would be a fine thing) or by first come basis?

You are not being clever by doing this, you are just annoying your customers.

Sincerely,

Customers.

Thanks for all your responses to part 1 on fb, twitter and the blog itself. Please keep letting us know the things that you want changed.
No Scrunchie, for a better salon experience.