Stylist Declines To Trim Client's Extremely Long Hair Due To A Bad Knee, Sparking A Battle Over Non-Refundable Booking Fee

This client has decided to take the fight beyond the four walls of the salon.

Jesse

• Published in Interesting
• June 8, 2023

Picture this: a sunny day, a fully booked schedule, and a new client awaiting her transformation. Our narrator stylist, known for their expertise in hair artistry, finds themself entrusted with the curls of a young girl.

Little did they know that this seemingly ordinary appointment would soon put them in a very uncomfortable situation while also putting the credibility of the saloon to question.

Through a chance recommendation, our narrator (Original Poster) had been chosen to replace the usual stylist, who was away on a well-deserved holiday. A mother had booked her daughter for a trim and color, mentioning that her daughter had long hair.

Assured by the receptionist that handling waist-length hair was within OP's realm, the appointment was set. However, fate had a surprise in store.

As the daughter unveiled her majestic bun, which concealed the true length of her hair, OP was quite surprised at how much longer it was. The hair cascaded down, revealing itself as knee-length—a challenge that stretched beyond OP's comfort zone.

Unfortunately, OP decided to cancel the appointment, as such length of hair would force them to kneel with their bad knee before they could properly color and cut.

This decision would, however, set off a chain of events, sparking a clash of expectations and raising an intriguing moral question.

Let's delve deeper into the aftermath and unravel the complexities of this hairstyling conundrum.

The story in detail

A client booked OP to trim and color her daughter's hair

When the client and her daughter showed up, OP discovered that the hair was longer than waist length. This would require OP to kneel on their bad knee in order to properly work on the hair. Consequently, OP cancelled the appointment.

The client was upset and requested a refund. However, OP declined, stating that the booking fee was non-refundable

The client later got a refund from the owner, but that wasn't enough. She decided to take the fight to salon's Facebook page

"The issue certainly wasn’t the clients’ fault so in no circumstance should they be out $50."

"NTA for not cutting the hair, but TA for no refund"

"YTA not for refusal but for how you handled it."

"Denying the refund is bad business and I would have definitely taken to Facebook and complained."

Here's how the Reddit community reacted to the story:

"You wasted two women's time and then expected to pay them $50 for the privilege? Unbelievable!"

"You’re not the a**hole for refusing to do the cut...but you could have handled the refund request much better."

"The receptionist's mistake is still your mistake and not the customer's. Cheap behavior and you're getting blasted for it."

In the end, this story leaves us pondering the delicate balance between accommodating clients' needs and staying within our comfort zone. Regardless, a majority of the Reddit community is not happy with the way OP handled the refund request.

While the mother felt that her time and money had been wasted, OP's decision sheds light on the importance of clear communication and understanding.

Was OP justified in their decision not to refund the mother? (even tho she later got it from the owner). We'd love to get your thoughts on the matter in the comments section.

Jesse