Crissibeth Cooper
2/5
I have learned to be pretty cautious when using Groupon. And this salon is one of the reasons why. Many companies on Groupon list a very good price and then put sort of hidden fees on the back end to make the deal much less of a deal. I saw a Groupon for this salon for $28.35 for a haircut and conditioning treatment. While booking, I was informed by the person scheduling the appointment that a surcharge would apply for hair longer than "shoulder length." However, the exact amount of this surcharge was not clear and could only be determined after an in-person consultation. I was told it might start at $15 but could be higher depending on their assessment. At present my hair is just below shoulder length, and I was trying to ascertain how strict that measurement was.
The lack of clarity during booking was frustrating. I was only looking for a small trim, not a major style change, so the possibility of an undefined additional charge felt excessive and deterred me from proceeding. I asked some questions around that, letting them know that my hair was not much below shoulders and I only wanted a dusting trim off of the ends (not even layers or something) and I was only given an answer that it was their policy. They suggested that this might not be the salon for me based on my questions, so I felt like my business would not be welcomed there. Apparently there are also additional charges for hair density and texture and that also feels like it would disproportionately impact certain races and I'm not about that.
Frankly, I feel like this tactic is a bit short-sighted on their part. I moved somewhat recently and I'm looking for a regular salon in this area. My impression of how the Groupon should be used is that it gets people in the door and gives them a feel for what you're about. If it goes well then you have a long-term customer for years and years. However, it really feels like they are using the Groupon as sort of a false advertising tactic. I told them I appreciated that they disclosed the additional fees before before I actually came in (I can only assume they had some very disgruntled customers when they didn't mention anything up front) but overall, I got a really negative feeling from this interaction + just wanted to warn others about the ambiguous pricing that you have to be okay with if you go here I guess. I just really value transparency and knowing a price up front and it's not something I could ascertain from this place. I would rather just pay full price than go in not knowing.
