Great Clips - Never again

ComplaintsHealth & BeautyGreat Clip Haircut

Complaint

0
Lacy Daniel
Country: United States
I have been going to Great Clips in Twin Oaks, Mo for many many years. I kept the same gal for about 8 yrs. and through out the last 2-3 years, she wasn't quite cutting my hair the way I liked, so I backed off from haircuts all together and gained quite a bit of length.

I recently in the beginning of May , decided after the last two times with my hairdresser, to choose someone else who I had used once in the past. This gal gave me the most disgusting haircut and I had even brought in a picture for her to work from. Now mind you, I have hair down to the middle of my back, plenty to work with and she now has the front cut so short and weird i cannot do anything with it and I cannot possibly have it blended without loosing a lot of length in my other layers to try and blend it into looking something like a real hairstyle. I went back up to see if another gal could just look at it and see what she thought and if there was anything that could be done.

I was treated so horribly and even accused of having gone back in for multiple re-cuts when there was no record of this in the computer. The manager even went so far as to say " Well, I know I've seen you back in here. I do not know why it is not here in the computer!"

Accusing me of lying and she had no proof of anything she said! This took place in front of other customers and stylists and I was treated like I was some stupid kid! i had even asked if she wanted to look at it and she said " well it looks fine to me " without even touching it!

By the time I did end up talking with another hairdresser, I was boiling inside. This gal had an equally ignorant attitude and I told them both I didn't want anyone there cutting my hair. She couldn't answer me why it was that my hair was so uneven and choppy.

I told her it's because no one is checking their work or really listening to the client. I came home and wrote to the headquarters of Great Clips, but because the are franchised, I knew it would do no good, but wanted my say. I have since asked my friends and family as well not to patronize any Great Clips salons. They have no public relations skills and the gals do not listen or check your hair after a cut. It's an assembly line. And they do not care if you have any problems at all. They act like it's you who is being the pain and they do not care if you come back or not . I will never step foot into a Great Clips ever again.

Comments

  • 0
    m in sd
    Just returned from Great Clips at the Plaza at Sunbow in Chula Vista, CA What a horrible experience! I took my mother to get a haircut.  The girl said there was a 50 minute wait. I asked if we could go to the Rite Aid next door and be back in 50 minutes. She said yes. Upon our return in 40 minutes the doors were locked with 3 other customers inside.  When the girl opened the door, I reminded her that she had told us to return in 50 minutes.  She said oh yes,and let us in.  However, the lady cutting hair said (with an attitude) "It's too late- I already have these people waiting - you'll just have to come back tomorrow.  I told here we had been here before these people and were told to come back, which we did.  She said "well, you should've never left to begin with".  I told her we had checked with the other girl and she said' "I'm not gonna argue with you - I will not cut your hair".  I told her I would be calling the company, and she said "go ahead and call it doesn't matter".  We wasted an hour waiting for a haircut that never happened. We should have just gone to another place. Very rude. We will never set foot in a Great Clips again and I will be sure to warn everyone know.
  • 0
    M Morgan
    | 3 replies
    I understand the concept that you're getting a quick, inexpensive haircut, equivalent to getting a hamburger at McDonald's. However, a hamburger at McDonald's is digested within 24 hours, and you don't have to look at it ever again if you don't like it.

    Not so with a haircut.  I tip a percentage of the bill, around 15% every time.  If the haircut itself costs $9, and the hairstylist does $9 worth of work (i.e., 15 minutes for a quick trim), I tip accordingly: $1.35.  If they did a great job I'll go so far as $3, but remember we're talking 15 minutes here.

    I believe in service offered being service rendered.  The last Great Clips I went to offered pictures of hairstyles to choose from.  I took my 5-year-old in for a summer cut, showed the hairstylist the cut the cut I liked.  It was a simple longer on top faded to the neck cut a barber could do in 5 minutes.  He was given a shaved to the scalp flat top, military style.  To boot, it's almost bald in spots and a quarter inch long in others. It can't be fixed, just will have to grow it out.  Again, it's a $9 haircut, but if the salon is unable to provide the styles shown in the pictures, then THEY SHOULDN'T OFFER PICTURES TO LOOK AT.  Period.  Service Offered: Service Rendered.

    The lesson is learned:  You get what you pay for.  And I will never pay Great Clips to so much as breathe on my children's hair again.  I'd sooner go to a beauty school, where at least there's a teacher checking work, offering advice as needed.

    Besides, for a mere $3 more, I can go to a real, seasoned stylist who can take her time.  Probably I'll get an earful of the horrors she endured during her sentence -- I mean, employment -- at Great Clips.
    • 0
      give your kid a break!! replies to M Morgan
      We all dread the mom who looks at pictures for a kids haircut!! Omg you probably take a picture of Jennifer Anniston when you get your haircut!!  We 're  not magic, let you child get a normal haircut and sit in waiting room don't hover,   can. You order his pancakes at  Ohio Iust right for him. Someday he will have to make a decision on his own without being embarrassed at his overprotective mom
    • 0
      michelle shultheiss replies to M Morgan
      That's what people get for going to those places,they suck its like factory workers in Asia!!!!
    • 0
      Whatever replies to M Morgan
      You tip $1.35? Lol you deserve a crappy cut.
  • 0
    Lady Jane
    | 1 reply
    All of you cute little Great Clips employees, who are firing back at a drawn out, yet genuine customer complaint in such an aggresive manner are sad little robots who hold absolutley no gain in the beauty industry.  The idea alone that you would defend such a sheep herding corporate manhole such as Great Clips is enough proof that you are being held back from furthering your education and career.  
    a haircut for $4.99?  You are a machine, and you love it don't you.
    • 0
      man jane replies to Lady Jane
      I can picture your manly looking haircut and only assume you don't spend time or put any priority on your appearance, Butch maybe??
  • 0
    plies
    great clips does suck, I asked for a little trim and described that I didn't want a lot off simply to just trim it up and shape it a bit. Very simple cut that turned out a bowl cut, I ended up just shaving my head so yeah you should pay a real stylist who knows what they're doing !
  • 0
    great clips
    you as a hair stylist should know it is not the time if you get in trouble for taking too long then one you suck at cutting hair because even when i go to a professional place to get my hair cut it does not take that long so btw you get the dollar tip because you suck with people and most likely you are one of those under trained beauticians who went to maybe a week of school and now thinks she/he is the [***] mind me if you were you wouldnt be working at great clips oh and btw youre lucky if you are working at great clips because you do get more customers and more tips and trust me i know im a stylist as well so you are the ones who make us look bad
  • 0
    Michele
    | 1 reply
    I took my 5 year old son to the great clips in fraser michigan. Most people cant tell unless i do but my son is effected by autism. He was talking with the hairstylist and she was ignoring him because her friend was in there also talking to her. So my son moved up trying to sit up on the seat a little better and she started to yell at him telling him if she cut herself she would slap him in the face. Unforturnaltey the manager was cutting his hair and when i tried to talk to her she also got an attitude with me. Ill never go there again. No body treats my children like that i dont care if he has a disability or not . I wish she would of tried to slap him so i could kick the [***] out of her.
    • 0
      shannon hopson replies to Michele
      I would have called the police. that is a threat of physical harm.
  • 0
    Stacy unhappy Great Clips prisoner
    that's wrong. Great Clips policies are terrible. Some cuts take more than 17 minutes for several reasons.  The constant warningd, write ups, threats from Great Clips with no solid investigation is really a morale bust.  It's simple, positive reinforcement motivates people and gets positive results. Herrassment, nitpicking and warnings makes unhappy employees who just hate their jobs. This results in a a lot of turnover and people notice frequent turnover. The bottom line and proof is that Great Clips cannot treat employees well or the turnover would not be so often.
  • 0
    Stacy unhappy Great Clips prisoner
    then you're an idiot for going back.. By the way, you get what you pay for. What do you expect?  a $50 cut in 10 minutes?  Great Clips stylists are trained to cut in 13-17 minutes. If you don't like the rush treatment, make an appointment and take an hour somewhere else for more money.
  • 0
    stylingirl2008
    I recently quit a job at Great Clips. Most of your comments are correct about stylist being treated like robots. But if you are recently out of school and tring to build your  clientelle, great clips is one of your only options, exspecially in the small town like where i live.  First of all, I was always nice and polite to my clients, i always made sure that I understood what kind of haircut or service they wanted, and I was slowly bulding my clientelle, when I left I was up to about 20 regular clients plus all of the walk-ins. The corporation itself has some really screwwed up policies: 13-17 min. HC times,  must recommend a product to every single client, production must be atleast 27.00/hr, the list goes on. It's pretty much impossible to do every single thing exactly the way they want you to do it.  Working crazy hours, every Sat. and every other Sun.  having to close at least 2-3 nights a week(they closed at nine) and never getting my requested days off,   REALLY SUCKS!  I worked there for about 7 months and was treated like sh*t from the manager. She likes to make her employees feel like the are stupid and not worthy of working there, but I am determinened that my shop that we are currently building will be successful.  I'm not going to be treated like dirt for 7.50 an hour. And oh by the way, I was very often tipped between 9-15 dollars. So I don't know why you other stylists can't make more than a $1.00 tip.   You must really be the ones who clients are complaining about.
  • 0
    Great Clips Employee
    | 2 replies
    Wow, I was just surfing the web and I happened to look up Great Clips.  I read all of these complaints.  This is crazy.  Yes, there have been things that I have not agreed with about Great Clips but did anyone know that it might just be the hairdresser.  Great Clips provides all of there employees with ongoing education and I don't mean just the two week training class GIRLS.  I just went to a Big Sexy Hair workshop and she taught us some shortcuts.  Just because you work for Great Clips does not mean you can never go to a beauty show or take classes outside of work.  It is up to you whether or not you take extra classes, beauty school, was just the basics.  Also just because we have to make product percent and we have to do 13-17 min haircuts does not mean take it out on the customers if you can't do it, go to fantastic Sams or Smart Style in Wal-Mart.  You chose your career at Great Clips.  Lets be happy we have a job.  I started on and off with Great Clips and now I am here to stay.  I get requests and a lot of people that call to compliment me.  Not just me, everyone around me.  It makes a difference when the WHOLE staff cares about where they work and the kind of work they are doing.
    • 0
      stylist replies to Great Clips Employee
      I started my career at GC, it was horrible.  The only benefit I got from the place was learning to do a fade.  The tips were good but the constant antagonism and belittlement by management wasn't worth it.  You are timed on your hair cuts and the client is getting the short end of the stick everytime. It's quanity or quality 100%.  

      I work at Smartstyle now and it's not demeaning at all.  If I have to take half an hour to give a client a quality cut, I can.  The price point isn't much higher than Great Clips but my clients get a personalized service much like a salon with a higher price point.

      So please don't put down other stylists working for discount chains, we are working with very different rules than GC.  We are not all like Great Clips.  We can and do give personilized service at a discount.  Great Clips, at least in the Florida market, doesn't.
    • 0
      Erika replies to Great Clips Employee
      Thank you for posting that. Like you, I was researching Great Clips for a business class. I have been in the business now for 11 years, having worked and managed for private salons as well as different franchises. In fact I have worked for Great Clips in Virginia, Colorado, and currently in Florida. I firmly believe bad experiences that occur are solely the stylists fault not the salons. Now the manager should ensure all stylists are pleasing the customer. Individuals can just as easily go to a private salon and get poor haircuts or customer service.  Stylists should always remain up-to-date on current trends because techniques and products are constantly evolving. It also would not hurt for some stylists to take some customer service classes. For those individuals who have had unforgivable experiences, I'm am truly sorry! I got into this business to make people feel good and I love what I do. I even drive 45 minutes to get to my shop when I have a Great Clips, Super Cuts, and Hair Cuttery all within 5 minutes from my house. I enjoy the other stylists I work with and am still learning new techniques from them. I have customers of all ages and I adore them to, so as long as I have a job I will continue to make the 45 minute journey.
  • 0
    Wacky Clients (GET A CLUE!!!!!)
    | 1 reply
    FYI, I'm a hairstylist who happens to work at Great Clips, In case y'all don't understand a franchise is a business you buy into, therefore owners run the salon the way they see fit. I give awesome hair cuts and love the franchise owner I work for. He is kind and respectful as well as my manager. As far as hair cuts go. I've had hack jobs at the upper scale salon. so I color my hair black and my stylist is going to make it a nice chocolate brown. Dah! Hair color does not lighten hair color and there for with out bleaching it, it will not lighten. On top of that he hacked the heck out of my hair and my end result was a fricken shag. took me over a year to grow it out. The moral of the story is it don't matter where you go, there are crappy stylist every where!
    • 0
      michelle shultheiss replies to Wacky Clients (GET A CLUE!!!!!)
      Uh no my dear great clips philosophy is  mass quantity ,which can be done but  they just suck period as busy as they are don't kid yourself they only have a small piece of the hair market!!! If your a good stylist move on its much better in the real hair world.
  • 0
    PRstylist3
    I am the manager of a great clips. Yes, we are on a time limit but its an average. Some haircuts take longer like womans cuts and some take a shorter amount of time like a buzz cut. How long would it really take to do a #2 buzz on a man that is half bald? Not that much time, Then the time would average out. I believe if you know how to cut hair you know how to cut hair, you don't have to spend $50 on a cut for it to look beautiful. I feel really sorry for her bad experience. Great clips like that salon is what give Great clips like my salon a bad name. We are very picky, all my girls have to do a very thorough technical before they get hired and our franchizee isn't down our backs pressuring us either. I am very proud of where I work and have fixed many cuts from high end salons. Please don't judge all Great Clips from that experience. We aren't all the same.

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