Lawyer and hairdresser talk about typical conflicts in beauty salons

In 2022 and 2023, many Muscovites began to save on the services of beauty salons, preferring to manage a lot at home. However, it seems that no one can completely refuse visits to the hairdresser. And here you need to be on the alert: in beauty salons, episodes are not uncommon when they try to “untwist” customers with extra money – or the result of work instead of joy causes annoyance. How to protect their rights in the salon, “MK” discussed with experts.

Although many salons today strive to create a cozy atmosphere of a “girlfriends club”, you should not relax: first of all, this is a place where consumers are provided with services – and, accordingly, they charge money for them. This means that the law “On the Protection of Consumer Rights” is here at the right time.

Many clients complain: they say, they came to the salon, they wanted to relax and be silent, but the master chirps and chirps, chirps and chirps! If the master wants to discuss with you the divorce of his second cousin or the color of the nails of a previous client, irritation is absolutely natural. If the master “chirps” about your haircut, you should listen. This is the first rule of a good beauty salon: any procedure should begin with a conversation. The master must tell in detail what exactly, in what sequence and for what purpose he will do, as well as discuss in advance the cost of all procedures, their duration and possible risks. For example, if you want to dye your hair blue-black, and the master warns that it will be extremely difficult to lighten it back later, you should listen to him. There is a great risk that if you hit the arm of the chair with your fist and say “Do it!”, The result will be disastrous.

Any action that entails an additional fee must be negotiated. Often unscrupulous masters “lull” the vigilance of the client.

“Shall we put a mask on our hair? Very good, moisturizing ”: such a question may sound in the middle of shampooing. Most clients will only mumble “Let’s go” listlessly, and only then will they find a solid increase in the bill at the checkout. If the master did not warn about the cost of an additional service, the client has every right not to pay for it – although it will most likely not be easy to prove this right. The correct question would be: “Would you like to apply a moisturizing mask? It will cost 1500 rubles.” Well, if you were not asked or warned about this mask (additional massage, special cleanser, styling with fixatives, etc.), you are not obliged to pay anything – you did not ask for this service. By the way, most good modern salons must fill out an invoice before starting work and ask the client to sign under it and thereby confirm their agreement with the cost.

Hairdresser Alena Farizova spoke about other pitfalls of a beauty salon in an interview with an MK correspondent:

– The most common complaint sounds like this: “Oh, I didn’t want it like that!”. This usually happens, unfortunately, when the client herself cannot explain what she needs, and explains with words like “so that the ears are closed, but slightly open, so that the chocolate color, but not dark, so that the copper, but not red.” Often an experienced hairdresser can understand this abracadabra, but there are also communication failures. To avoid this, I always ask clients to select photos of hairstyles that they like in advance and show pictures. And not one, but 2-3, because not on every head you can exactly repeat the hairstyle. Or we are looking for pictures together. So the risk is significantly reduced, – explains the master.

Another lion’s share of controversial situations, according to the hairdresser, is associated with the choice of color. The trick is that hair dye will never look exactly the same on a living human head as it does on synthetic sample strands. Small fluctuations in shade are absolutely natural. Well, if we are talking about complex coloring, for example, about the desire to instantly turn from a brunette to a blonde, then the dangers – both for the hair and for the wallet – become even greater.

– If the hair was dyed dark, and the client comes with the words “Tired, I want light blond!”, I have to tell her the bad news. Firstly, such a sharp transition cannot be done instantly, you need to lighten your hair in several stages. Such continuous work takes 9-10 hours, and the hair after it needs powerful nutrition and treatment. Therefore, I always recommend to “lighten up” gradually, continues Alena Farizova. – In addition, it is very expensive, because 3-4 servings of funds are required. I warn about all this in advance, but still there are unpleasant episodes.

Of course, all disputable situations cannot be attributed to a lack of mutual understanding. If, for example, the client repeated twice that she wanted a ragged asymmetric bob, and the hairdresser cut a classic bob, this is a reason to demand compensation for moral damage and, of course, correct the mistake (if possible). If a fiasco really happened, it is unacceptable for the master to dismiss words like “Hair is not teeth, it will grow back” or “Well, be like this for now, variety!”. Most often, these words are translated as “I made a mistake, but I’m not ready to admit and correct it.” If you are really categorically not satisfied with the result of a visit to the salon, invite the administrator and find out what are the ways to correct the situation. Lawyer Lyubov Shuryga gave several clues to MK readers:

– If you are sure that the master made a mistake while working on your hairstyle, you need to memorize Article No. 29 of the Law “On the Protection of Consumer Rights”: non-compliance of the service with the terms of the contract. Mistakes in the salon come from here: if they didn’t do what they should have done to you, this is a reason to seek justice. Most often, the salon is ready to settle disputes on the spot, because they also do not need conflicts. If you are afraid that the case will go to court, be sure to take a receipt: it should indicate the date and time of visiting the salon, the name of the master, a list of procedures and their cost.