Saturday, a Sick Colourist and a Brassy Regular
It is Saturday morning at a three-chair neighbourhood salon. The senior colourist has called in sick, leaving two stylists: one competent generalist and a junior who has never done a colour correction. Mrs. Deshmukh, a regular of four years, had a global colour four days ago and now says her roots are brassy and the colour near the temples is patchy. She has a family function tomorrow and demands a ₹2,600 refund plus a free corrective colour 'right now'. The receptionist has already taken a walk-in booking of four blow-dries starting in 30 minutes. The salon's written policy says complaints within seven days are corrected free of charge, and refunds are given only if a correction fails. Mrs. Deshmukh is a local teacher with a large social circle and has already said she will post about it online.
1. In the first fifteen minutes, what should the salon do, in what order, and why?
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Order matters because three pressures are colliding: a distressed regular, an untrained junior, and four walk-ins.
- Acknowledge and seat her away from the door with the manager or the generalist, not the receptionist. Take the complaint seriously and ask to see the hair in daylight; get the exact date of service and the formula from her card.
- Separate the two issues - the refund and the correction. Say clearly: 'We fix the colour free within seven days; the refund question comes only if we cannot fix it.' This is honest, matches the written policy, and does not promise what cannot be done.
- Do not let the junior colour. Book the corrective with the generalist if competent, or with the returning senior colourist; if the function is tomorrow, offer a same-day toner or gloss that neutralises brass without a full redo, and a style.
- Reschedule the four blow-dries realistically - the generalist can start them, the junior can dry and finish; if timing slips, tell the walk-ins now rather than at the chair.
- Record everything: complaint time, what was seen, what was promised, who will do it and when.
2. What are the likely causes of brassy, patchy colour here, and what changes should the salon make to prevent a repeat?
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A patchy result four days old is a technical or consultation failure, not bad luck. Likely causes to check on her record:
- Previous colour build-up - the temples are often more porous and previously tinted, so they grab tone differently; a porosity check and section-by-section application are needed.
- Developer and timing - too high a developer, or the formula left on the mid-lengths while the roots took the bulk of the lift, gives a warm band and brassy roots.
- Under-toning - the target shade needed a toner after lifting; without it the underlying warmth shows.
- Water and product residue - hard water, medicated shampoo or a home colour in between can shift tone.
- Consultation gap - no strand test, no record of previous box dye, no discussion of what four weeks of regrowth will look like.
Prevention: a standard consultation and strand-test form, formula cards written at the chair, sectioning checks before rinsing, a porosity filler on porous areas, and a booking buffer so a colour is never rushed between blow-dries. Review the junior's training pathway before colour work is delegated.
3. How should the salon handle the refund demand and the threat of an online review?
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Both are managed by being consistent, not by being generous under pressure.
- Apply the policy evenly: correction free within seven days, refund only if the correction fails. Say it once, calmly, and put it in writing on the receipt or message so the client knows the terms are not improvised for her.
- Give her something real, not hush money: the corrective appointment before her function, a complimentary gloss or finish, and an apology for the inconvenience. If she declines the correction and wants the money instead, escalate to the owner and record the decision and reason.
- Do not ask her to delete a review or offer money for silence - that damages trust and can be screenshotted.
- If she posts: reply publicly in two or three lines - thank her, apologise for the experience, state that the salon has offered a free correction under its policy, and invite her to contact the manager. Never discuss her formula, her hair history or her temperament online.
- Debrief the team afterwards and keep a complaint log with the cause and the fix, so the same failure is visible if it repeats.