I think I was a difficult customer today

**tigereye** · June 24th, 2011, 11:39 AM

Good for you! It took many years of asking for small changes from my regular stylist to get the kind of salon experience I have now. My stylist now apparently refuses to detangle with anything other than a comb for any of her clients, and always starts at the ends.

I have yet to educate her on henna though. I guess that'll come when I turn up next year.

**Theobroma** · June 26th, 2011, 10:41 AM

Originally Posted by Nightshade

But some people do belong to the Nuke It From Orbit school of hair care

Bwahahaaa! I'm SO glad I wasn't taking a sip of coffee just when I read that!

**lippleyluv** · June 26th, 2011, 11:16 AM

Ha! Love your story! I have a WONDERFUL stylist that I go to. I am in Klamath Falls, Oregon. She always does EXACTLY what I ask for. I can even say "Take off anything you feel needs to come off." and she will only take off maybe 3/8 of an inch. I have no worries, she listens to what I want, period. I have even suggested she advertise as "Long Hair Friendly" but I'm pretty sure sure she thinks I'm crazy. I tried to explain how traumatizing it can be to ask for 1/2 an inch off and get four inches off, and she agreed but I don't think she feels that advertising for long hair would actually pay off.

I even add oil to my hair and blow dry (on cold) myself and she doesn't bat an eye.

**sugar&nutmeg** · June 26th, 2011, 11:32 AM

Good for you! What a great story. I hope it empowers others to speak up, and not just 'take it' (and then pay for it!). You may have been an unusual customer, but it doesn't sound, to me, like you were difficult.

I've never felt super-comfortable in a salon setting, so hyettf16 I empathize completely. I always feel like (feel free to sing

) "which of these things is not like the others" when I'm in the salon.

Around here (very small Midwest so-called 'city'), I'm often the weirdest person in the room already, so I just use that to my advantage. I walk in with wet hair already combed, get my trim, after which my hair is only damp, bun it up, pay and go. Fortunately, my stylist is very nice, and accepts (what she thinks are) my eccentricities.

**AshleyTheRed** · June 26th, 2011, 11:34 AM

I only let my grandmother cut my hair. I've had some bad experiences with hair cuts. ( I was once forced to get a bowl cut.

)

I figured if my grandma cuts my hair to short I won't go all

, because she's my grandma.

I have actually yelled at a hairdresser. When I was 12 I had waist length hair. I went in to get a trim. I told her three inches off. I even showed her where to cut it. She cut it to my shoulders. About nine inches.

It did not end well for her. I stood up yelled at her, got her boss involved and almost got her fired.

Now remember I was twelve, and I hadn't learned to control my temper yet. I still fell kinda bad about it, but she had been cutting hair for many years, and had no excuse.

**Nightshade** · June 27th, 2011, 07:09 AM

Originally Posted by Theobroma

Bwahahaaa! I'm SO glad I wasn't taking a sip of coffee just when I read that!

**Audrey Horne** · June 27th, 2011, 09:45 AM

I don't think you were difficult at all. Maybe just unconventional (for them)?

You actually made their work easier. A lot of hairdressers are bored with long(er) hair. One hairdresser I visited in Germany years ago has told me that he dislikes long hair and dusting/trimming all day long. Sure, I can see that it must be kind of boring... I didn't even have shoulder length at the time. It was my first sad (unsuccessful) attempt at growing hair. He asked if I got my hair cut in Britain

like it'd be a bad thing. Despite his strong preference for short cuts he gave me a perfect dusting/trim. He took time to do that and cut like 2mm

What I dislike about some stylists and doctors too is "Omg how bad!" thing. It makes me

and I just want to stand up and run. I come to get their help and I know I have some certain issues :eyesroll: But I got that quite often in my life. Why wouldn't they just listen and help as I ask? Am I the only one on this?
So I do hesitate to go to a hairdresser. Most likely there will be preaching and then they will be pissed or just shocked if I suggest this and that. And I really dislike leaving some place with a bitter taste and a bad mood.
Did anyone go to a barber with a request to get their hair cut? My theory: those who cut mostly men's hair have better understanding of measurments as they have to cut very short hair daily and take off an inch or so, hardly more. So they don't deal with lengths and maybe it's a good thing.

I am very sorry for a long reply. I'm just really nervous about it, I haven't gone to a salon for a long time.

**selderon** · June 27th, 2011, 09:49 AM

It sounds to me like you knew what you wanted and communicated it clearly and courteously. I call that a dream client!

**nellreno** · June 27th, 2011, 10:01 AM

I don't think you were difficult, it's more that you were helping them help you be happy with your experience.

Whenever I have a retail job there's plenty of customers that are looking for one specific thing. As long as they're nice about it and don't throw things at me and call me an idiot I've never been angry with a customer who needed something specific.