Fringe Benefit Hair Design

I should have been the one who was paid for the hour I spent at this salon! The owner cut my hair and spent the whole time griping about her personal life — I had never met her before and she was so passionate in telling me her life story, it was as if the events described had just happened and I was somehow involved — or she forgot that I was a client and not her therapist — so much anger! She never checked to make sure that front layers were straight and even, etc. She asked at the beginning what I wanted — started cutting and talking and then I left!

I really, really, really wish I could find a salon that I loved in Stillwater. When I moved to Stillwater, I decided to find a place and stick with it, and decided that it would just grown on me over time. I found a great hairstylist/​colorist who worked here but, sadly, who has moved to a different city with her family. Her replacement is not very friendly and not as skilled. However, I realize I’m not just rating my hairstylist; I’m reviewing the salon overall. The interior is cute and makes me think of the movie «Steel Magnolias» every time I go there. But, it’s also kind of dim inside. When picking a haircolor, I would look at swatches and would have to go to a sunny window to see differences between shades clearly enough for me to decide between them. It’s also not dirty, but also not the cleanest salon I’ve ever been in. It’s just a bit dusty.
The last straw (and the reason I won’t go back) is that the service has just sucked the past three times I’ve been there. The last time I got my hair colored, the girl wasn’t friendly (You may wonder why I kept going back; I thought she just had some bad days!) and didn’t make much of an effort to ensure I was comfortable. She was kind of rough with my scalp (I’m never usually sensitive, but she pulled at my hair quite a lot and my scalp did get sore with the tugging), and didn’t set a timer when she finished applying color. She walked away and I read TWO ENTIRE magazines (on my iPad, the selection available was old, as in, I had already read the issues on my last visits). As I neared the end of second magazine, I realized there was no timer set, looked around, and didn’t see anyone. The dye was on my head for more than 50 minutes before she rinsed it out. (And, when she returned, she smelled like cigs.)
I’ve heard good things about the owner, and she seems nice. But, after going there for 2 or so years, I don’t feel comfortable to keep paying $ 80 – 100 for a service whose process I don’t enjoy much.