Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  03/06/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Let me start out that I’ve been wearing hair pieces for around 15 years, I know how to properly care for them. About a year ago I started getting poor quality pieces. ***** tried to make it right, but each piece came worse than the next. After 3-4 horrible pieces I was told I need to pay for any future pieces, and in my mind I felt abandoned. The last piece I got was short, thin and the hair started falling out that day. I think I was offered low quality products, but at the same price. They also kept or resold a half pack of extensions that I purchased. I’ve asked them to refund the last piece, and return 1/2 pack extensions and she refuses

  Business response

  03/15/2024

  To whom this concerns:
  
  The BBB complaint is the review that the client left on The Hair Specialists ****** reviews.    Below you will first find a summary of the situation and then our copy of our response to the clients ****** review.

  
  
  SUMMARY         
  In summary, the business owner and team members feel everyone worked in good faith and went beyond what would be considered reasonable to resolve the issue.  Our actions and offers show high level of customer focus.

  When the business declined to refund / replace a product for a 5th time since 2021, this client engaged in sending multiple emails, threats of posting bad reviews (attached), the posting of two bad reviews (under two usernames), threats of legal action, social media activity, plus this BBB complaint.  We simply do not understand all these reactions, especially with a client since 2017..   

  Our business is a hair restoration studio specializing in hair loss for men, women, and children.  Launched in 2010, the salon has been recognized as an industry leader and the owner is a nationally accredited Certified Master Hair Loss Specialist.

  The four replacements were provided in good faith while we would try to resolve together whether a quality or user care issue exists.  Since 2021, the customer purchased 4 hair pieces and has received 4 free / replacement ones (this retail value is over $7,000).  We have also worked with the supplier over this matter and our stylists have discussed proper care with the client. We even offered the client weekly complimentary shampoo styles to ensure proper care of the toppers, in which she declined.

  Clients are to come into the salon every 4 weeks for system maintenance & cleaning. Each hairpiece can last up to a year with proper care; 9-12 months is a fair average to expect across the client base over a decade.  This client’s hairpieces, since 2017, averaged roughly 6 months usage. 

  The business takes quality and customer service seriously.  The actions / accusations and public postings has been upsetting, to be direct. However, the client has already received over $7,000 worth of retail product while declining the salon’s attempts to resolve in good faith.  Given that we have no other way than to consider this an isolated situation with no other client having same product issues, the replacement products we already provided, the offers of free services; we just did not see a basis for yet another refund or replacement of $1,600. 

  In fact, we have consulted our attorney because of the ongoing nature of multiple emails, the posts, reviews, accusations, legal threats, social media activity, etc.  This all has really affected the team, and to be fair, also because this is the only complaint like this we have experienced in almost 15 years.  But, we also have used this situation as a teaching moment for the staff.  This could have been solved simply by allowing the professionals at the salon to help.  
  

  
  RESPONSE PART 2 – The Posted ****** Response from Owner

  Overall customer experience, quality products, using the best techniques, and above all honesty are part of our value system.
  Supplier quality issues can happen. Any occurrence is taken very seriously by the team and our supplier partners.
  This review is unfortunate, and the team is disappointed given how much effort was put in to resolve and help. We appreciate the many years of being a client. Yes, we do work in a team-based model and feel blessed with our current staff and clients.

  
  The review omits that the salon provided 4 free replacement hair systems from 2 different suppliers to this client since 2021 and made numerous efforts to determine if this is a user care or product issue. The client did not accept our offers of free weekly shampoo / style sessions to ensure the proper care, but these free appts would allow the ability to meet, monitor and determine a root cause to the repeat issue. Important since we did not see this same condition across any of the other clients.
  When we were asked for a 5th refund since 2021, we did not feel that was appropriate. After this one decision, all the following occurred:

  - A draft of this “bad ****** review” was emailed to us. The review was to be posted on a future date, assumingly unless a refund was provided.
  - A reference of another salon’s involvement
  - Social media activity, requiring us to block the client.
  - The actual public posting of the review and then a second review under another ****** account
  - Even a BBB complaint filed.
  
  Every feasible attempt to resolve was taken, offered, and the team cared about fixing whatever was occurring. Honestly, we are really at a loss at what could have been done differently. We provided four free systems while trying to present multiples offers to solve. Only when no refund granted did this happen. The accusations of re-selling any client products, excessive pricing and low-quality products are inappropriate, inaccurate. 

  Business response

  03/15/2024

   

  Hello - 

  In my response, I was unsure to provide the email attachment sent to the owner that was prior to ****** post and BBB complaint.  

  I feel this email is important because it shows this customer sent a draft with threats and intention to post it unless refund provided.  In my response, you can see everything we tried to resolve this isolated issue.   

  The client was with us seven years.   To disparage the business in this manner publicly, the hardworking team, our suppliers, accuse theft, and other actions are just wrong simply because we refused an additional refund.  Over three years this customer was comped 7,000 worth of product with some expectation that she would accept our offers of weekly free shampoo / style and work with us to determine or rule out supplier issue.        

   

  Thank you, 

  The Hair Specialists, LLC

  Customer response

  03/18/2024

   I am rejecting this response because:
  The hair piece they sold me is unusable 
  
  

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩