Forum Topic

Awful hairdresser experience - Beauty Base Acton

I had one of the THE most humiliating experiences of my life in this salon and thought that it's important to let locals know of the awful customer service I experienced. I had a voucher for a cut and blowdry and 50% off all haircolours. Firstly, on the phone the Manager said the colour would cost me £32, then when I got there she said it would cost £39.50, thus breaking the verbal agreement we originally had.Next, the hairdresser (seems they only have one) who was dying my hair was very stingy with the dye and since she'd used up most of the dye for around my roots, she tried to comb the dye from my roots to the lengths of my hair. My hair is long so this meant I had virtually NO dye in the rest of my hair and my hair was pretty much dry! I don't usually complain in hairdressers even when I'm slightly unhappy about a cut etc but this time I felt I had to say something because I've had my hair done at various hairdressers before and know this "technique" wasn't normal and it was most definitely a cost-cutting one.  When I complained, the girl said that if I wanted more dye I'd have to pay extra.  I didn't realise that a 50% off special offer meant I'd only get 50% service and 50% of my hair coloured! After much complaining, she eventually used slightly more dye. Afterwards, she made constant remarks about how she'd used too much dye which made me feel incredibly uncomfortable. At this point I really just wanted to leave but couldn't because I had dye in my hair. I was so disgusted with the service that I refused to pay, especially after checking my hair in the mirror and confirming that the colour was uneven. what happened next is the reason I'm writing this review.  When I refused to pay, the Manager LOCKED me in the salon. She took her keys, locked the door, and refused to let me leave until I'd paid for a botched up hair job that I was clearly unsatisfied with. I was so shaken up at this point that I paid and when she freed me and let me leave, I cried and called Trading Standards straight away.  I also registered a complaint with the Metropolitan police, who actually advised me that I should have called when I got locked into the salon as that's a criminal act.This place is absolutely awful. I'm disgusted with the way they made me feel as a customer. I felt humiliated at being locked in and wouldn't recommend this place to my worst enemy. From my experience, they don't care about making the customer satisfied, just as long as you pay up even if you're unhappy. They didn't even offer a solution to the botched up hair job, such as going back another day to fix it. That would've been the common sense thing to do, especially if you want to keep your customers happy and coming back. Instead, they didn't even admit that my hair was patchy but said it looks perfectly fine! I took photos when I got home and everyone who's seen me has said that my hair is uneven.  I could've done a better job at home and would've saved myself a total of £60! Awful awful awful place.

Sue Imani ● 5541d107 Comments

Sorry to have got your name wrong Sue. I would like to point out that those that read this thread. I am one of the partners and we are in the service industry. The staff are always advised to treat our clients liek they were guests of there homes. I personally ensure that we have regular meetings to try to ensure our customer service is of the highest standard, and not only am I deeply saddened from this issue. I am embarressed as my salons reputation has been jepodised. I can say is I am empathetic and Sue's situation, and i wil look into this and address and issues immediately. I have discussed and hopefully resolved the issue with Sue.I would also like to take this opportunity to thank those clients who have had a good experience at our salon and commented on their experience, and supported the business through these difficult times. we alqways try to ensure value for money, and a good serviceMy salon is not in the buiness to provide bad service. The staff are told to treat clients like they are guests of their homes.i encouarge staff to support the community as I am a firm believer of helping and supporting the locals.You may recall that I came to the help of a teenage girl who was getting beat up by a gang of south acton boys, and was hailed a local hero when I put myself in the middle of the gang when she was getting beat up.  my salon alos raises money for Great Ormand Stree childrens hospital every year (last year raising £1500). Moreover, the point i'd like to make is that we encourage help and support.I would also like to point out that although Sue may have had a bad experience the vast majority of our clients are happy. I hope that people try the service and be a judge for themselves.Kindest regards,Shah

Shah Ali ● 5540d

Lol Sara, I read your post and thought, it'll take more than a satisfactory conclusion to retract the claws. What an extraordinary thread. It always amuses me when a brand new poster comes on here and recommends a business/service and they get jumped on with the customary, welcome to the forum and accused of having a link to the business in question. Yet here we have the opposite, a first time poster who comes on with a pretty extreme account and its swallowed no questions asked and the witch hunt starts. My first thoughts as i read the initial post were that it brought up questions. Can you really get an accurate quote for colouring over the phone? Presumably it depends on the length etc of the hair, I don't think its unreasonable for the price to change slightly once they actually see you, but even if that is not the case, Sue could have walked at that point. Then the saga of how much dye was used. Surely how much is used and how its done is down to the brand/concentration/type of dye? Why not let the hairdresser do her job and then complain at the end if its not right instead of questioning her in the middle. Maybe adding that extra dye is what caused the unevenness and she knew what she was doing all along? Then she was locked in the salon which was full of customers. Don't get me wrong I'm not defending her being locked in, but there was a shop full of customers, she wasn't alone, she wasnt in immediate danger, she could have called the police there and then or one of the other customers could. But they didn't. The point that I'm trying to make is that we weren't there and that's why I find it extraordinary to see such a vitriolic reaction against this individual and his business and a customer who had the audacity to say she likes the place. I appreciate that Angela had a bad experience there, but by her own admission that was over 2 years ago, thats a long time in the life of a business, the staff are most likely completely different. This business has equally been around for a long time, can they really be getting it so wrong and still be in business? Times are tough, businesses are falling in their hundreds, and yet this one survives. Possibly because for every 2 unsatisfied customers they have lots of satisfied ones. Hairdressing is so subjective and it takes a few visits to get comfortable with a hairdresser and for them to get to know your hair and what you like and dont like, I would think its so personal and subjective that complaints must be quite common, in general not just at Beauty Base, that doesnt mean its a bad business. I have never been to Beauty Base myself, its a bit too far down the high street when I have plenty of choice nearer home but I have friends who have and have had no complaints. So I remain ambivalent, having had no first hand experience. Sue has had her refund and apology so thats that, if she's satisfied then why are some people who havent even been there themselves still holding a grudge? Let it go.

Milena Vincic ● 5533d

Milena, as you say, you have no personal experience of Beauty Base.  I did and even though it was just over 2 years ago the staff in question didn't change....it was the husband and wife team, the owners, who I had dealings with and held a complaint against.  In my experience, this team are all sweetness and light, until of course the customer isn't happy.Hair length and price may vary but surely that's ironed out and a price is agreed BEFORE one's hair is touched.  This complaint isn't just about the bad service and misleading prices, it's about being locked in a salon, which, to my knowledge is illegal.  There have been too many complaints of this type against this establishment to ignore and, as you can see if you've read Mr Ali's postings, the reaction of a "professional" company is anything but professional.  This alone speaks volumes and only serves to back the claims of unprofessional conduct we've made.As for your remark "The point I was trying to make is that we can discuss the pros and cons of a business without resorting to personal insult etc when people dont agree with us", it is Mr Ali who's been making the "personal insults" of racism (unfounded and a last ditch attempt to divert the blame and focus) and I cannot for the life of me see any personal insult in any of my postings.....only facts and opinions, so I'll have a look at other postings and re-read, incase I missed them.I can only say to those who haven't yet been to BB or have yet to have a run-in with them......you have been warned and I'm sure this is what Sue intended.  Rightly so.

Angela White ● 5533d