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In the salon industry there are certain standards and codes of ethics that we expect to see practiced by every Salon Owner and Employer. As stylists we invest our blood, sweat, and tears into building loyal clientele, and a huge part of that is finding a salon that encourages and helps their stylists to build.
Like most stylists I had a rough start in finding the right fit for me. For the most part whenever a position fell through, or the fit just wasn’t right, my social media commentary was primarily “well that tanked… what’s next?” This fact alone should stress how strongly I feel about the unethical behavior exhibited by the owner of Hair Experts Salon, that I should feel the necessity to write this article.
As a former employee of Hair Experts Salon, I was hired by the owner/manager Bella for what was supposed to be a full time position doing hair and introducing lash extension services into the salon. I had worked there previously and will admit I should have known better than to go back, but was messaged, called and texted periodically since I had left the year prior to my return by the owner asking me to come back. After numerous messages that things had changed and the salon was run above board from the owner, I resumed my employment there February 2015.
Just an example of one of the many accounts I was messaged through…
As most of my clients know, I was given 4-10 hours a week (shifts were for stylists to take walk ins as well as their own clients), hardly the full time position I was hired for. New girls were constantly be hired and at one point no girl had their own station, including the renters who also share the station that they pay to have access to (and hope that it is not occupied when they have an appointment.)
Despite my 1-2 days scheduled during the week I was still there 5-6 days a week, even if only for an hour or so, by bringing in my own clients and putting my own money and advertising into the lash extensions. The lash agreement was pretty straight forward: I bought all my own equipment and products, helped with advertising, and split the commission 70% for me, to help cover all the overhead costs, and 30% for Bella. A pretty good deal on her part since the room to be used was at the time not being used for anything, and a good deal on my part because the lashes would be on the books and I wouldn’t have to worry about taking out my own taxes.
Well like most agreements made at Hair Experts, this quickly change. Bella had, and still has, a nasty habit of telling clients they will get a great deal, but at the same time not let the stylist know until it’s time to cash the client out.
For example: One of her favorite clients came in and I did a Full set of eyelashes (regularly $125) at the time I was running a ridiculous introductory special for $90.
Let’s break this down for a second. At $90.00 my commission at 70% is $63.00; now take out the taxes from that at 20% and product cost you get $35.40. I block two and a half hours off for a full set to give a client time to fill out necessary forms and for a consultation so that makes my hourly wage at about $14.16. That is not ideal, but manageable. However, Bella gave her client an additional discount of $20.00 on my special to make the total $70.00, and then when I caught her giving me only 50% commission in my paychecks she told me it was because it was her client so she did the advertising, something that was not a factor in our agreement.
Let me further break this down for you… The regularly $125 service was given for $70.00 at 50% commission which makes my cut $35.00, after 20% taxes are taken out and estimated product cost, I end up with $11.25, that’s $4.50 an hour.
Please note that her additional discount came out of my commission and not hers. This is an unfortunate common occurrence for the stylists working at Hair Experts.
When confronted that this was not acceptable because I was the only one taking a loss, and that I was the one with the bulk of overhead, Bella’s response was to tell me I was off the payroll and was to promote myself as an independent contractor and advertising was up to me. Instead of feeling discouraged I saw this as an opportunity to build completely my own clientele, and focused a lot of my energies on advertising.
Unfortunately things continued on a downward spiral from there. Some weeks I was not scheduled any hours to take walk in clients so it felt like I was a renter right out of school again.
I noticed multiple help wanted ads on Craigslist for the salon, and I asked Bella about them and if she had extra hours if I could have them. I was given the excuse that she hadn’t thought to offer them to me because she thought it was more important for me to spend time raising my son. My response to that was that I agreed raising my son was important, but so was the ability to support him financially. The conversation ended with her setting a date; after Oct. 3rd I would go to full time (8 months after I was initially hired for full time hours). My response was that I hope she kept her word, because otherwise I would have to find a second job to supplement my income.
In good old Hair Experts fashion, October 3rd came and went with no added hours to my schedule, and so I began applying for another form of employment to supplement my income while I built clientele at the salon. The day I began interviews I notified Bella so she wouldn’t be taken by surprise when, and if, I accepted one of the positions. Keep in mind that any claim that she was in fact taken by surprise would be a little ridiculous considering that I told her prior to October 3rd I would need to seek out a second job.
I received a job offer that included benefits (something hairdressers only receive in the rarest of cases) including healthcare and vacation time, so I jumped at it.I informed the salon of my start date. I had spoken with Bella about how I would be available weekends and a couple week nights, but would be focusing mainly on my lash clientele.
FOUR DAYS BEFORE MY TERMINATION she texted and called me multiple times while I was at my office job. During my lunch break I checked all of the messages to find out she “desperately” needed me to come in and do her full set, since she had a party to go to and a wake that weekend. I had already schedule this service for her that Thursday night and was not available Tuesday (the day of her messages) or Wednesday. She offered to pay more (usually as a courtesy I allowed the salon owner and other stylists to get a full set for $30.00, a $95.00 discount, on a day that works for me) I finally agreed to come into the salon (an hour drive from the office job to the salon) at 5:30pm for $60.00 (a $65.00 discount from normal price).
25 minutes after the appointment time she finally showed up. I performed the service, and like most times she paid exact change without a tip. During the service she mentioned she had hired a couple more people, and had a lot of prying questions about how I did eyelash extensions, which I found a bit odd.
It’s important to note that a couple weeks prior she had mentioned another lash tech had come in asking to work there, but she had allegedly told the woman she already had me there and didn’t need one. When I asked the woman’s name she stated she couldn’t remember.
Sunday morning came and I was scheduled 11-4 at the salon. I was booked 11-2 with lash appointments and I had woken with a childcare dilemma. Around 7:30 in the morning I texted my boss to let her know I was only able to get child care long enough for my lash appointments but had to leave after. I need to be clear about this point; I had not given prior notice to needing this day off, I did not have someone who could cover me, and I was not willing to spend my entire earnings for the day to pay a second sitter in order for me to maybe, possibly, have a couple walk ins for the slowest hours during the shift. I was absolutely in the wrong that day, and being terminated was not something I was completely surprised about. The fact of her prying questions and the statement about the other lash stylist had led me under the impression that my days were most definitely numbered at Hair Experts, although I didn’t understand why she was willing to lose the clients I had brought into the salon as a lash tech performing as an independent contractor. Soon I would find out.
THIS RIGHT HERE IS WHERE MY DISGUST IN HER CODE OF ETHICS COMES FROM:
I was confronted in the back room where I did lashes and was fired while setting up for my first client, who was due to arrive in 15 minutes. I packed all my stuff in the salon as she followed me around throwing slurs and personal insults. My magnifying light, stool, and a lot of my gear was put outside in the drizzle and I was warned not to call any of my clients or talk about my termination at all to friends or on any social media, or she would take me to court.
Bella, consider this my invitation for you to take me to court and disprove anything I have written here today.
As I drove away from the salon I realized in the chaos that I had forgotten my portfolio with not only all my client information and consent forms, but also all my tax information and records of earnings and expenses.
Having just been told that if I came back I would have the police called on me for showing up, I drove to the Bristol Police and asked if I could have an officer escort me to pick up my files so the situation would avoid escalating, and so there also wouldn’t be any false complaints filed against me for returning to collect my property.
After the officer contacted the salon owner’s husband (who in between all the ado had contacted me by phone) the officer tried to avoid having to escort me, stating that the police cruiser would attract negative attention to the business, he grew frustrated with Bella’s husband and informed me he would take me down there to avoid an escalation.
After retrieving my portfolio and returning home, I opened it up (something in hindsight I should of done while still with the officer) to find all the client cards had been ruffled through and stuffed back into the front pocket out of place.
That evening I called all my clients that had upcoming appointments and told them simply, “I’ve been let go of Hair Experts and need to cancel your appointment for the time being, if you would like I can keep you posted because I will be up and running in the next week or so.” Every client who was scheduled for the coming weekend asked me to call them when they would be able to reschedule.
The next two days are where the discovery of Bella’s vindictive behavior came to me from multiple clients. Several of my hair clients who I brought with me to the salon, and who have never before received text messages or emails from the salon received both from Bella to ask them to come in for a hair color special the salon is running. Another email had surfaced a couple days after I left promoting the new lash stylist that is now employed, I also received this email although I had never received an email from the salon promoting before.
The worst case however is that more than one of my lash client’s (the one’s that I put my own money and advertising towards to attract) were contacted by phone personally by Bella to inform them I was no longer working at Hair Experts and also that I no longer did hair or lashes. Any of their upcoming appointments could be scheduled with her new lash tech.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST TABOOS IN THE SALON WORLD IS TO STEAL CLIENTS!
The fact that some of my client’s may or may not choose to follow me is not the issue, having my clients led to believe I no longer am able, or available, to service them is. Bella had at no other time been in contact with my lash clients, appointments were always made through me, and if the salon was contacted to schedule an appointment, the client was directed to my personal phone number or I was given the clients information to contact and set something up.
This is not only unethical but just plain dirty and unfortunately I have met multiple former employees that have had the same thing happen to them. As I said before, I should have known better than to return as an employee at Hair Experts, but I hope that more people are made aware of her common business practices and hope this prevents even just one more stylist from being victimized by this vindictive and unconscionable salon owner.
