Salon Femi — Attraction in Bloomfield

I'll start this review by saying I'm being generous by giving two stars.

I scheduled my appointment for late Saturday morning. I arrived ten minutes late and apologized to the receptionist for my tardiness. She simply told me "Oh don't worry, you're not late". Feeling relieved, I took my seat at the color bar.

After about 15 minutes I was introduced to my stylist, Nia. She asked what I was having done, which was a deep condition and press. Another girl washed my hair and sat me under the dryer with the deep conditioning treatment for, I kid you not, an hour and a half. I've had deep conditioners before and I know they do not take that long. Finally my hair was rinsed and back under the hooded dryer I went for another hour. They ran two cycles on the hair dryer because my stylist wasn't ready as she was busy with other clients. I sat under the dryer while it was off for an additional 30 minutes before Nia came to get me. Once I was seated in her chair she proceeded to put even more heat on my hair by beginning to blow dry it. Half way through this process she decided my hair still wasn't dry enough and again sat me under the hooded dryer. I believe she was doing this because she had other clients she deemed more important. At this point I had been at the salon for about 3 and a half hours, longer than ever before for getting a simple press done. I was left to wait while I saw client, after client come and go, most of which had entered the salon long after me. I sat for another 30 minutes waiting for my stylist to finish with her many clients before she came to get me.

Once I was deemed dry enough (for the second time), Nia continued blow drying my hair using a round brush. After she was done with the blow drying, she began flat ironing my hair. I let her know that my hair is prone to frizz and requires additional product to keep it in check. After about an hour in her chair (and a total time of almost 5 hours in the salon), she lets me know that there is still one more step left. I told her that I really needed to go as I had a prior engagement, but she and the salon owner told me it was in my best interest to do this step as it would make my hair less prone to frizz and humidity. At my request, Nia tried to speed up the process by wrapping my hair in a shower cap and using a hand dryer to set my hair for about 10 minutes. The results were lackluster, my hair still looked exactly the same, a frizzy mess. The owner told me I needed to sit under the hooded dryer to fully benefit from this step. I grudgingly agreed. Another half hour under the dryer and not much improvement at all. By this point, the salon was almost completely empty and here I still was, my hair looking a mess (I seriously could and have done a better job myself). I was unhappy with the way my hair looked and asked Nia if she could do something to fix it. The owner interjected and said she would fix it after she finished with the client she was working on. Another 20 minute wait, and I was finally seen by the owner.

The owner, Kenya, sat me in her chair and proceeded to make my hair look like how it should have in the first place. She added more product and tamed the frizz. I was happy with the result, but unhappy with how long it took. There was no apology or explanation for why it took almost 7 hours to get my hair done. The icing on the cake was after I had finished, I went to iHop next door where I found a discount coupon for new clients. This aggravated me because as a new client, I feel I should have been given this discount without having to ask, especially since I was there so long.

I will not be returning to this salon, and I would not recommend it to anyone I know. They should focus on customer service for all their clients, not just the ones they already know. I'm still very upset with how I was treated and hope that they would improve their customer service practices...

I have been to Salon Femi two times and I plan on never going back. Here is why:

The first time I went I was super excited because I was referred by a friend. I wanted to get my hair shaped and burgundy color on the ends. Before Nia (a stylist) touched my hair, the owner, Kenya, told me my hair was damaged and I wouldn’t be able to get color this time and that is her “professional advice”. I couldn’t understand why she considered my hair damaged especially since I hadn’t had a perm nor strengthened my hair in over five years and take very good care of my hair. After the stylist, Nia, washed my hair Kenya said, “oh your hair isn’t damaged at all but you’ll have to come back for color”. I wondered why, before she even thoroughly assessed my hair, she decided it was damaged.

I decided to go back again, despite having a less than ideal experience the first time, because I received a great cut from Nia and wanted it again. I didn’t even bother asking for color and asked for a stretched fro. So, I showed my stylist, Nia, and she said she COULD do it. She shaped it, twisted my hair and put me under the dryer. When she styled my hair, and told me she was done, I told her that this isn’t what I wanted. She asked me to her show her the photo again and I did but this time she told me I could not achieve the look because of my hair texture. Why wasn't my texture an issue when I initially show her the photo? Instead of arguing I got up to go pay and I saw her whispering to the owner, clearly talking about me. So, I waited patiently to speak to the owner, Kenya, and I expressed that I wasn’t happy with my hair.

Kenya asked me to show her the picture and these are the ridiculous things she proceeded to say to me:

The woman in the picture doesn’t have the same texture as me so I couldn’t achieve that look. She proceeds to say that I probably don’t know my own texture and this is her "professional advice". I said everyone can achieve an afro regardless of their hair texture and that’s what I wanted. 2.Then she told me that I didn’t need to come to a hair salon for that, that I could have done it on my own. So basically, it is possible to achieve this look regardless of my texture and apparently, it’s so easy I could have done it at home…interesting…I told her I could have also done a twist out on my hair at home too. 3.Then she said that Salon Femi does “polished looks”, and this fro look isn’t polished. So, a natural hair salon that serves “85%” natural haired woman is telling a black woman that a fro isn’t polished look…interesting…sounds like anti-blackness to me or better yet texture discrimination. 4.Then she said certain ETHNICITIES can achieve this look. So, my “type “of black is too black for this look. Good to know. 5.To top it all off…after she talked herself in circles and as if she hadn’t already made herself look crazy…she told me maybe I just didn’t have good chemistry with my hair stylist. Chemistry wasn’t an issue until I expressed I didn’t like the outcome of my hair.

Long story short this salon has very specific ideals on what is "polished" and what can be done to your hair based on your texture. All I wanted was a stretched fro and instead I got a multitude of excuses and disrespected. I paid $99 for wash, conditioner, trim and a twist out... take your money elsewhere.

For you reference I have attached the look I was...

When does the scamming end? I had gone to this salon 2 years prior for a hair cut and was styled by the owner Kenya... total cost $210, Touch up, rinse, cut.... I was at that time very impressed with how she cut my hair, her customer service skills are not the best. I didn't return... This year I had a bad experience at another salon and remembered that Kenya had did a great job with cutting my hair in 2014, so I figured let's give her a try again. Well let me say, I don't write reviews but I can't let this go. Clients beware..., I went into the salon to schedule an appointment and a relative who works the receptionist area suggested I stay and wait for Kenya to come in after 11:00 am to see if she could fit me in, I explained that I didn't need to get my hair done today, but she said wait to talk with Kenya, I did and when she did come me, Kenya sat me in her chair proceeded to work her hands thru my hair and state she had no appointments and then told me to wait a minute. Kenya passed me over to a stylist name Lenza whom was a very nice, no sure of her self stylist, who wasn't very happy working with Kenya and not very good at doing hair. I found that Kenya put me and my hair in a bad position to get some revenue for her shop, she could clearly see, I wasn't happy during the whole process, but didn't want to make a scene, I had to keep reminding the stylist of what I wanted and she kept saying "The next time you come" or "if you come back" I was suppose to get a virgin perm, but Lenza didn't understand that and I had a kinky left side and a very straight right side and her response was, " I going to cut that anyway" my cut was horrendous and so out of sort, I suffer from hair thinning on top and a stylist who is doing my hair should notice that way before curling my hair and not after cutting and perming. It was a total disaster and Kenya was watching. Now I'm looking like a rooster and it time to pay and Lenza has to go to Kenya to write the bill. " SMH" So I'm to pay for the services of a experience stylist while my hair was an experiment?!!! What I refused to do was pay for a virgin perm, when I got a not so good touch up and those cause a little atitude from the own Kenya. I did ask Kenya if I could schedule an appointment with her in the future and she stated she was not accepting new clients. YOU are a Con lady.... You saw that I was not properly service and I was looking to correct a mess and you dismiss me. $175.00 to look...