Are the English too reserved to complain?

[smiler13334]

Hi all
After a real ****ty few months I decided to get my hair coloured at a top salon. I had grown all of my old colour out and it was long and in tip top condition (apart from the grey lol) I booked in with the top colourist as I was assured the £95 was going to be well spent.

I had explained my hair is up alot of the time due to training and work etc and my hair is very fine, so light thin highlights were decided upon. Offered reds and browns but said no. Advised too blonde would not suit me and it would be too much for my hair.

After 3 hours it didnt look any different apart from even finer due to the fella washing it off and tackling my mass of tangles with a thin tooth comb (I politely told him how to do it properly but some damage had been done as soon as he went bionic with the comb) not even a treatment was put on it? due to it looking the same I said I will go home and see what I think then be back monday. I put my hair up and found the main blonde/yellow areas and the grey still there and my poorly ends. Odd thing is, in different light it changes? Some friends asked if I used a home highlighting kit lol cheek!

I went back today and spoke with the manager and he could see there was only 20 or so blonde streaks ranging in thickness and large blonde splogges above my ears?? not nice. The browns/reds I didnt want had appeared in there too.

Explaining what I asked for and what happened etc in a calm way helped the situation. Going about it raging just gets people on the defensive. After a good talk, I got a refund, complimentary items to help strengthen my hair and a strand test to see if it would handle being corrected. I appreciate people are human, but its a sod when the mistakes happen to your hair.

So if any of you who are unhappy about something, rather than let it eat away at you. Talk to the person responsible. You may be pleasantly surprized.
x

 

[melissaq]

you know what they say...squeeky wheel gets the oil.....

good for you for saying something and getting it all straightened out

 

[Terese]

Good for you, I complain when I need to and I get told off by my family for "making a scene", when all im doing is saying im not happy and would like them to do what they say they are going to do....well done you

 

[loubylou]

Yes i do complain when something is not right as some of the geeks on here have witnessed lol
but if nobody complains then these people will just carry on doing these things wrongly

 

[Bagpuss]

IMO...I think we do complain...its saying "That was brilliant, Thank you" I think people have problems with in this country...:lol:

Good for you though....I think its important to say when your not happy with something....x

 

[Sassy Hassy]

I think it's not so much that we don't complain ... we just don't know how to! Unlike you most people think they have to be rude when they complain which as you say just gets everyone's backs up. Also I think a lot of people don't know how to handle complaints and see it as bad criticism rather than a second chance to get things right.

 

[sj1973]

I think it's not so much that we don't complain ... we just don't know how to! Unlike you most people think they have to be rude when they complain which as you say just gets everyone's backs up. Also I think a lot of people don't know how to handle complaints and see it as bad criticism rather than a second chance to get things right.

Spot on here.....its not the complaining people dont know...its HOW to complain....some people are rude when complaining and they look really silly...

Its always best to stay calm as if you dont people wont listern to you......even worse is swearing......xx

 

['chelle]

There are 2 ways to look at it I think.

First, no you dont have to be rude to complain. Be assertive and state the facts yes, but theres never a reason to be rude. I do complain if I get bad service.

The second thing though, which I DO think is an english thing, is that sometimes you are met with an attitude. The English, for the most time, haven't grasped the concept of customer service (think Fawlty Towers!). On several occasions when I've had reason to complain, I've been treated as an unreasonable customer, and have had to step up the assertiveness in order to get what I want and am entitled to. I dont mind that, but most people will bow out of the conversation at that point, and this deters them from complaining in the future.

I'm not saying every shop/salon in England is the same, but just compare our attitude towards customers to that of other countries such as America.

 

[smiler13334]

Thanks guys

But thats my point Sassy because people dont know how to, they dont do it. I think alot of people expect the others to be nasty and rude, and yes that does happen. But there are laws out there that cover not only the staff but also the customer. I think body language plays an important part, if you are relaxed and smile and explain things cleary but be firm at the same time you will be fine.

Plus sometimes the true saying 'bull**** baffles brains' can scare the hell out of people and thats when they back down and dont get a refund etc.

Anyone at Excel tomorrow look for the stripy yellow blonde over the ears....thats me lol hope to see some of you

x