Author's product rating: 
| Advantages: |
none |
| Disadvantages: |
Feeling bad, being shouted at . . . |
| Recommend to potential buyers: |
no |
The first thing you have to know about Garbo is that their prices are incredibly and ridiculously high for the quality of service provided. Really you'd be better off getting your hair cut in a small salon with someone who has good manners, who cares for customers, and who puts reasonable prices.
Surely you have heard of modeling for trainees in hair salons, and it is for free, but BEWARE in Garbo they will charge you the
price of a haircut!!
There were several posters on the window of which a catchy one advertising modeling for trainees, and a more detailed one next to it advertising a service free of charge. Before I booked the appointment to be a model I asked several times (phone, face-to-face) if it was free of charge and never was told otherwise. So it was clear to me I wouldn't be charge, therefore I booked an appointment.
I had my hair cut by a trainee, and although he asked all the proper questions, he seemed quite bored by his job. He was clearly struggling, and was willing for his work to end. I will pass on the dropping products on me and being not so careful in general (he almost riped one of my ears off)...
But lets not blame him as he is a trainee and I knew what I was walking into!
The real bad surprise came when I was lead to the register without even a goodbye from the trainee... The girl there who was quite unpleasant asked me to pay the price of a haircut, when I asked and asked if it was free of charge. So I inquired again, making it understood that I was told I wouldn't have to pay, and with a forced smile she tells me that I am wrong, adding that they always charge a minimum fee. I wouldn't call it a minimum fee, but everybody has different standards! Of course she made fun of me for not knowing, looking at the rest of her colleagues behind me...I really felt alone on this...
So nice as I am, and not willing to make a scandal, I pay saying no problem.
Later on, I asked other people to check the posters on the window (I didn't want to do it myself as I was not willing to attract more attention to me, being a rather shy person). They all confirmed that the details on the posters seemed to explain it was free of charge. I wanted to make sure I was not the only one to understand that before I would talk to a manager and make a complete fool of myself. The next day I went back and asked for a manager, he came and straight away was very unpleasant treating me like he was way superior when not only his manners but also his appearance were repulsive. I don't want to be mean, but this old man looked too much like a gypsy to work in a hair salon, he looked more like a crazy man than like a manager. Fortunately, he just vanished and left me with another man, who seemed more educated and with whom I could discuss the matter in a more civilized way. He asked me for the name of the person who told me this was free of charge and of course I didn't have their name, I never thought I would need it when I booked an appointment the previous week! Then he just denied everything saying that they charge for all their services. He added that they don't give refunds and the only thing he could do was giving me a free haircut... not exactly what I was expecting after this whole disaster!
Evidently the supposedly free haircut would merely a way to rearrange my hair, and really there is nothing left to cut since I had long hair, and now it is over 5cm shorter than the limit I specified (over 20cm were cut).
They advertise themselves with:
' "We have a unique approach to customer service."
It is a simple philosophy. We want you to look great, feel fantastic and be able to maintain your hair between salon visits.
Guarantee
Promotion terms & conditions explained" ' (quoted from their website)
The poster also says terms and conditions are available on demand.
I requested the terms and conditions to both men and either my request was ignored or the scary man would show me a dirty and wrinkled list of prices...not exactly terms and conditions.
Seeing that this was leading nowhere as those managers were not even taking me seriously, I just stepped out, but a bit later I remembered I didn't show them precisely the words on the poster where it says free of charge, so I go back in as I wanted this whole embarrassment to end.
Unfortunately the man with good manners was in a meeting and another man who listened to the previous conversation asked me what it was about, so I told him I wanted to show the manager his poster, and out of nowhere he started yelling at me when I was calm and polite. I told him there was no need to shout and I would come back when the meeting would be over.
I felt at that point it was better to just leave and never go back.
Believe me I am not that a sensitive person but I went home in shock and tears where running down my eyes. I guess it can happen when a complete stranger yells at you for no apparent reasons. They made me feel like an idiot, and I think this was unfair.
Can you believe I paid to feel like this?
- confusing posters (note: not only to me)
- staff should be able to answer a simple question that was asked several times (is it free of charge? ANSWER NO if not!)
- making customer feel very bad, making them cry by shouting at them even though they are shy and being polite.
- not giving a refund after this awful experience, and pretending to offer something for free
GARBO=RUDE & OVERPRICED, DON'T TRY
