Vivo Hair Salon Mt Eden — Attraction in Albert-Eden

I originally didnt want to post the review but too many mistakes have been made and I feel like writing feedback to the customer service who has responded in a manner that was not in any way making me feel any better I'd post a review. I originally got a call about a promotion around end of April this year and as I do my hair very rarely (this time would be my first time after almost 2 years) I got excited and booked in an appoinment for 8th of June. I wear a hijab so I specially asked if I can still be accomodated at the back of the salon away from the window which was nicely done for me previously. The lady from the call center confirmed and said I was booked in with a female and made a note that I should be in a private space. Fast foward to a day before my appointment which I was very excited about I wanted to make sure the salon did get the notes and to my surprise when I called I was told that I was booked in with a Male stylist and that there is no possibility of me being accomodated at the back of the salon as the male stylist is there full time. I obviously was not very happy to say the least especially after waiting for the appoitnment for so long and specifically asking if I could be accomodated as a hijabi. (if the lady at the call center wasn't sure about this she should have just told me as I had no issue with being told it's not longer possible) After a number of phone calls between the call center and myself and them promising me to find a salon that can accomodate me nothing happened. (I did get to speak to Bernard from Vivo Mount Eden who after my explanation still asked me if I wanted him to do my hair,which is obviously not an option due to the hijab ) I got a phone call from the Mount Eden salon later and the lady that works there (I dont not remember the name) told me that she can rebook me with the stylist I had previously but it would have to be in July as she is currently on holiday.. Cool no issue, I got an appointment for 12 th of July and booom 2 days before the appointment I get a call that the apointment again cannot happen (the lady did offer that I get my hair done thenext day after the salon is closed however I had an event on that day and could not go to the offered appointment). At this point I was lost for words and the reason for the cancellation didnt even register with me. It was a day before an event I was attending so again it was a huge dissapointment. I did write a feedback email to the customer service and felt like the person was trying to put the blame on me, even blaming me for not knowing Bernard is a male which I thought was an insult. All together was offered no compensation for it all, and to add insult to it all I got a call this morning from the call center that I was selected for a promotion....afer explaining to the lady what has already happend to me twice she said " so maam are you interested in booking in with us for the promotion...no...

I was disappointed. It took 2 hours to cut and color my hair. Other places always manage to do the same thing in no more than 1 hour.

I was told on the phone that I was being booked in with a senior stylist. I suspect that the person who cut my hair was not a senior stylist as she did not appear confident and at one stage asked another stylist for advice. Her apparent lack of confidence made me feel nervous of her ability to cut my hair well.

I was quoted a fixed price when I booked my appointment. On arrival I was told I would have to pay more for my hair color. I questioned this and was then told that I don't need to pay more. In the end I was charged $9 more than my original quote. I questioned this and the stylist repeated the price as $9 more with no explanation. By that time I couldn't be bothered arguing.

The hair cut itself was quite good, however when I got home and looked in the mirror I found that one side was slightly shorter than the other (both sides should have been equal length.) I evened it up at home myself.

One of the stylists was not wearing a mask. She happily told another customer that she recently had covid and still felt it in her throat. While I assume she was no longer infectious, under the current 'close proximity guidelines' of our orange Covid alert level, I believe all of the staff are required by law to wear a mask. I was disappointed that this staff member was not wearing a mask, and felt somewhat uncomfortable to be in the same room as her.

Despite the above issues, the stylist who cut and coloured my hair was friendly and polite. She tried hard to make me feel comfortable and cut my hair in the style I requested.

I was very happy with my new hair color. It was exactly what...

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bernard is truly one of the best in the business! From the moment I sit in his chair, I know I’m in capable hands. His confidence and expertise make it easy to relax and trust him completely—there’s no need to double-check or second-guess. Over a few months, he helped me transform my entire look, making thoughtful decisions with coloring only when my hair was strong enough to handle it.

Every visit to Bernard is an experience, not just a haircut. On days when I’m feeling down, I leave the salon feeling uplifted, refreshed, and like a whole new person. His incredible talent as a stylist is matched by his cheeky sense of humor, which makes the experience even better.

I’ve struggled to find a salon where I feel at ease, but Vivo with Bernard has been a game-changer. Every visit gets better, and now it feels like home. Highly recommend him to anyone looking for a stylist who truly knows what they’re doing and goes...