Heading Out - Fitzroy (1754 reviews)

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I had a fabulous haircut and colour but they charged me almost double the quote that appeared online in the automated booking system which was confirmed by a follow-up phone call - they did say it was approximate and may cost "a little bit more" to which I agreed. But then midway through the service as I sat there drinking Rose with wet but nicely coloured hair, I learnt they had almost tripled the price from approximately $240 to $650. There was no discussion about charging more and I was not aware of requesting any additional services. I certainly had not agreed to any extra fees and had not booked their most expensive consultant. I managed to negotiate the price down to nearly double the quote - about $460 - but left there feeling totally ripped off. I overheard somebody else complaining about a large price increase while I was there and was told of another similar case prior to mine. Although I liked their new automated booking system initially, it clearly didn't work properly and I hope they fix it before other clients are left as disappointed as me.

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I had a dreadful experience. My appointment was at 12 and I had a call at 11.30 saying they were running late and could i come at 12.20, and then 12.40pm. I agreed. I got there at 12.40 and checked in. I was still sitting there at 13.05. Eventually Clara came down and on the way upstairs she told me saturdays were always crazy. I explained that i had been waiting a long time and she just kept telling me the system was broken, I was really annoyed. I had my wax which was fine and then agreed to the dermabrasion but the experience was ruined as i was not relaxed. when I went to pay the guy on the desk apologised and I only paid 50% which was very appreciated but it was really not great. I will try again with the other therapist but the system needs fixing!

Comment

I have been a regular at Heading out for some time but recently have been more inclined to go elsewhere for a couple of reasons. One, while most of the staff are good, some can be a bit dismissive. Two - the upselling component. Staff seem to be more interested in trying to sell treatments, products etc then just giving good advice about what you actually need. And then become a bit uppity if you don't take any of the products mentioned. I will contrast this with an experience at another salon where I was looking for a good leave in antifrizz type product. The staff member selected a few items, went through what each did and then tried them all out on my hair. Result - an informed decision and a good customer service experience. Service and good advice first would make me more inclined to believe that what you are pushing is in fact something I need rather than an add on. So - ask what I need, suggest different solutions etc. If this is commission based for the staff it is having a counter productive effect as there are now staff I would prefer not to deal with. Finally, at a recent very expensive colouring and blow wave appointment, I was appalled to see on my quote that I was going to be charged $21 for a fringe trim. The trim itself took, literally, 30 seconds. Thankfully the hairdresser saw reason and didn't charge.

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There was something really wrong with the organisation today. I’m not sure who coordinates staffing and their calendars but there was a problem today. On previous occasions , Helen has been absolutely excellent: professional, extremely competent, friendly. But this time she was rushed off her feet, seemingly overworked and stressed. It looked like the floor was understaffed. Several clients were having to wait, which put Helen under more pressure. I am upset at the thought that your management treat staff this way. It is absolutely not ok to expect your team to work at 150% for hours. They weren’t stopping for water breaks and possibly ended the day with a headache. Not a good start to their weekend after a week of work. If there aren’t enough clients on week days, overbooking on weekends is not the way forward as it ruins the experience for staff and clients. Also, clients can tell when staff are talking publicly about something of frustration. Does not make for a relaxing vibe. Specifically, the following were an issue for me: - did not receive a curtesy call about how late you were. I sat down, waited for 5-10 mins and was told by reception that you were going to be 30 mins late. I said no, that I wanted to leave around 5pm. I was then told it was a mistake and you were not running late. - hair wash started about 4:25-4:30pm. Hair cut started 4:40pm. - Helen was stressed and had a short fuse (don’t blame Helen for this if your management and organisation was poor). - I did not receive the blow dry I asked for. In my opinion this was due to Helen having been overbooked so that she could not do the styling herself, instead a junior team member tried (who understandably seemed to be slower and less skilled than Helen). - at 5:30pm I advised Helen that I needed to leave asap. She joined the junior team member to dry my hair more quickly . I left at 5:40pm and was late to my own function.

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Went for a manicure and hair colour and style. The hair component of the appointment went well, no issues and good service. However as can be seen in the picture the manicure was a disgrace. I should not have been charged at all from the state my nails are in. I know the girl offered to fix them but I had not got the time nor the patience and I wanted my nails done for a function I'm going too the same night, however now all I have time for is to hopefully remove the mess as quickly as possible. The picture says it all really very disappointing.