I’ve been here a few different times, the first couple times for spa-related massages and facials that were fine. Slightly above average pricing, but my northern european aesthetician gave me the most amazing massage on top of my facial. But, the good service wasn’t to last. They do have a cute French(male) hairstylist, but they also have some customer service issues. I called one day to another hurried stylist(not the French one, he’s well-behaved), informed him it would be my first time coming to them for a salon treatment, and asked for a consultation for coloring, and deep conditioning. He seemed in a hurry to get me off the phone, but recognizing this was a salon in the middle of Sunnyvale in Silicon Valley I emphasized, multiple times, a single detail, by asking — «I have VERY curly, ethnic hair. Can you DO very curly, ethnic hair?» «Yes yes, of course, no problem!» He insisted, each time I asked. I showed up to my appointment, and of course, suddenly he was shocked, and in his backhanded European way said, «Wow, all this HAIR!» I gave him a look. «You DID say you could do curly hair. Can you?» «Oh yes, of course,» he said, and he began with spritzing my hair and laadeedah, put me in the bowl for washing. Then the deep conditioner, then the dryer. When I emerged, with his limp, uninvolved fingers, he pressed a little with the towel(his attempt at drying further) and then after removing it … Presented me with a comb. «Here, honey, you’re going to have to do this,» and I took the comb and he sashayed away. I should have decked him for that. But, alas, I have better manners than he does. So, bewildered but quiet, I combed my own freaking hair, while the other stylist worked on the chick who’d been bragging that she worked at Cisco and had encountered it’s founders. Little did this oh-so fabulous group know I work at Google and have personally exchanged words with Larry and Star Chef Charlie. AMAZING for a black girl! Just amazing! Anyway, after that was all done, my stylist was suddenly almost unwilling to book me for a future color appointment, implying that I didn’t even really need a highlight, maybe just a tint, blah blah. All these even though 1) it would equal money and 2) he had sworn up and down on the phone he could deal with ethnic hair. He literally had no shame. I forced him to book the appointment, then called back a few days later to leave a message for the manager. It was a brief, haughty, incensed message that what he had done was uncalled for, disrespectful, unacceptable, and I’d never be coming back again and would tell anybody and everybody about the experience. No one ever called me back to apologize. The stylist in question might have even deleted the message so no one would know. Of course, they were probably glad I swore off them, and still probably think they didn’t do anything the least bit wrong. Cads.
