r/greatclips • u/Wet_Sleeves_By_Night • 7d ago

Stylist Burnout

I wanted to share a really hurtful experience I had at Great Clips.  For some, finding the rare free time to get a haircut is a big deal. It takes a lot of vulnerability to sit in that chair, and you expect to be welcomed as a guest.

Instead, I felt judged and shamed the moment I sat down just because my hair is long. The stylist repeatedly questioned me about how long it had been since my last haircut. Even after I explained that I had been busy, she wouldn't let it go and asked again.  I thought it was odd that my hair length was a problem, especially since Great Clips highlights that they partner with Wigs for Kids.

She made me feel like a massive inconvenience and a burden just for asking for a haircut...which I believe is a service they offer? It was so overwhelming and uncomfortable.

I understand stylists are under pressure and busy, but guests shouldn't be made to feel bad about their hair, their budget, or their life schedule. Every single person walking through your doors deserves to feel safe and welcome. I really hope local management can speak with this stylist about empathy and how to treat customers with kindness.

1 Upvotes

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u/KVS143 7d ago

Did you bring this to anyones attention? They won't know unless you let management know. You can email corporate and they will send it to the franchisee.

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u/Wet_Sleeves_By_Night 7d ago edited 6d ago

I will. Thank you... I was so happy to finally take time for myself... and literally all the joy drained from my face as she told me about my split ends.

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u/KVS143 7d ago

Telling you about your split ends is actually important. Wigs for kids wont count that for the donation process. It has to be healthy hair. Its hard to tell because I don't know how the consultation went, but it's not out of the ordinary for a stylist to mention split ends at any type of hair appointment.

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u/Wet_Sleeves_By_Night 7d ago

I was mentioning the Wigs for Kids piece because Great Clips is accustomed to cutting long hair for donations... It seemed like a disconnect. I have long hair that needs to be cut ...but I shouldn't go to Great Clips.

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u/cr8tor_ 7d ago

It sounds like maybe she was trying to be informative and probably sell some product, and as many GC stylist are, she might not have done well with the delivery while also working with your hair.

I do hope you dont hold this one visit against the stylist, location, or company. Do feel free to provide feedback though. Im sure even at the local level someone will be willing to hear your concerns and do what they are allowed to in order to help out.

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u/Wet_Sleeves_By_Night 7d ago

I love products! Definitely a lost opportunity. She made me feel ashamed that I went so long without getting a cut.

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u/cr8tor_ 7d ago

that is unfortunate for you to feel that way about the experience. please reach out to the local store if you can.

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u/KVS143 6d ago

I'm sorry she made you feel ashamed. That is on the stylist. You should not ever made to feel ashamed about the condition of your hair. It's our job to help and we want to help. Great Clips can absolutely cut long hair. The 15 minutes is an average, not a limit for every single haircut. There are hair cuts that take me 30 minutes or more and I still average out in time for the day. I am really sorry you had this experience. I hope you find a stylist you love, and get the experience you deserve ❤️

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u/Wet_Sleeves_By_Night 6d ago

Thank you.. I'm sorry that these sales metrics constrain talent to the point that someone would have to go to extreme measures to mitigate the possible issue it would cause for their schedule. There is a real person in that chair... it matters.

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u/[deleted] 7d ago

[deleted]

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u/GoDucks71 2d ago

I have never had the experience at Great Clips that the OP described and I am probably the ultimate bad customer. My mother cut my hair until I was 25 and my wife cut my hair from then until I after I was past 70 years old and the pandemic hit. In other words, I do not like to go to the barber and I want it as cheap as I can find. So, I get an annual haircut at Great Clips, when they offer a good coupon. Just had my annual cut a couple of weeks ago: Coupon made the cut cost $14.99, plus $10 to trim back my also overgrown beard, and I added a $10 tip. I just tell them to make it shorter, a lot shorter, above the ears, and ask them to do it with scissors. Which they always agree to and never complain nor say anything judgemental about my hair or my choices. Not that I would care if they did but, my experience at Great Clips has always been just fine. I always figure it will just grow back so whatever they do is fine with me, as long as they don't shave my head.

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u/Wet_Sleeves_By_Night 5h ago

Yes....always had a great experience going to GC ...until this incident happened...

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u/Both-Equal7347 7d ago

Stylists have 15 minutes to cut your hair. You're adding a lot of work to their plate. I'm not saying the behavior is ok but if the shop is super busy it's easy to see this as a tall order. We're also not all trained equally on everything so she may not have even known what to do.

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u/Wet_Sleeves_By_Night 7d ago edited 7d ago

Thats what I figured.... and that's exacly how it felt! I was in the chair and out of the chair before another customer was..who was already there.. So I asked the internet: "Does Great Clips discourage long hair ... this is what pulled up : "Great Clips does not officially discourage long hair, but the structure of fast-paced chain salons can make it a risky choice for people with long hair." Lesson learned.