HAUS Salon North Loop — Attraction in Minneapolis

I should be resting and recovering from a bad cold right now, but instead, I am taking the time to write this review because I am exasperated. I have been going to Haus for at least 7-8 years and remain completely loyal to this salon; I haven’t gotten a cut/color anywhere else in Minneapolis since my first appointment in my early 20s. Even when I lived in other cities, I would wait until I could visit home to get my hair done at Haus as much as possible. This means that I have spent thousands of dollars with them over the years. I have even referred friends/my mother to Haus and sing their praises whenever someone asks if I know of a good salon in the area. I mention all of this because I think it is important context to adequately convey the magnitude of my disappointment with some recent experiences with Haus staff. Unfortunately, I had to cancel an appointment in August with less than 24 hours' notice (the first instance that this has ever happened as far as I can remember). I had developed symptoms of COVID overnight and sent Haus proof of my positive COVID rapid test results from that morning. I apologized profusely for the inconvenience, but the front desk staff responded via text not with, “No problem, we wouldn’t want you to come in with COVID. We hope you get better soon!” but instead with, “We will need to note on your account that you late canceled for next time.” I found this to be completely devoid of empathy and humanity (and also just illogical, as nothing could have been done differently). I told myself to get over it, and I have been to Haus for appointments twice since then; today was going to be my third appointment since that occasion. I have had an incredibly stressful week with a high-stakes meeting at work, and I purposely booked this appointment to celebrate being done by pampering myself. Others in my household have had colds this week, but I was able to avoid it myself until late last night after Haus was already closed. I texted the salon before they opened this morning and said that I have a virus and would not want to expose anyone else to it (particularly those I had appointments with, as I know they both have young children), but I’d still be happy to come in, as I don’t want to be charged for a late cancellation. They responded that it was fine to cancel then gave me the line about it being noted on my account for next time again. I replied that I’m not sure what there is to note, as I originally said I would still come in today if required, and they said that it would be okay to cancel. A bit later, they responded back via text saying that actually they would need to charge me for the cancellation, as they noted this had happened once before. I immediately called them and let them know how I felt about that, and though the kind person I spoke to at the front desk immediately apologized for how it was handled, she said that they would need to take a deposit from me before booking another appointment. A visit to the salon (while spending hundreds of dollars in the process) is supposed to serve as a moment of respite and a treat for yourself. Instead of getting to pamper myself at the end of this long work week as I originally intended, I find myself sick and incredibly upset by the salon’s handling of this. It is really sad, as a loyal client, to be treated as if you are deceitful and selfish instead of with respect for not wanting to infect others and with well wishes for your health. Ironically, I have been canceled on before by a stylist at Haus on the day of my appointment due to illness, and I would never have even thought of holding this against them. Viral illnesses can't always be prevented or predicted with precision, and we should all understand that after coming out of a global pandemic. It is worrisome that this policy encourages clients to go to the salon when they are ill rather than stay home for fear of retribution. I really hope Haus takes a step back and reflects on how they treat clients, and maybe situations like this can be handled differently...

My experience with this salon was an absolute disaster! Right from the moment I booked my appointment online, things went downhill. The next day, I get a ridiculous voicemail from the receptionist, saying they didn't have a stylist available for my appointment. Can you believe it? They had the audacity to suggest that I should blow dry my own hair after coloring or reschedule. What a joke!

I was so hopeful and excited about this appointment, especially after seeing Anline's work on Instagram. But guess what? My optimism quickly turned to rage. I specifically asked for a 2-3 inch trim before coloring, but she had the nerve to tell me she only handles color services and that I'd have to book another appointment for a cut. Seriously, how unprofessional can you get?

Throughout the appointment, I noticed one problem after another. Anline didn't even bother to offer me a drink until halfway through, which felt incredibly neglectful. And when it came to removing the clear wrap after bleaching, she treated my hair like she was trying to win some rough and aggressive handling award. It was downright infuriating!

And don't even get me started on her rushed, unsoothing washing technique. I came to be pampered, not treated like some inconvenience.

As if all that wasn't enough, when I asked for advice on how to maintain the color, she just casually said to wash my hair like I normally do because it's "natural." What a load of garbage! I did my research, and that's definitely not how you care for colored hair.

The final straw was the pathetic balayage results that faded into oblivion after just a week. I'm seething with anger. Anline is absolutely NOT a competent hair stylist, and this salon is an absolute rip-off! They don't give a damn about their clients; all they care about is taking your hard-earned money.

I regret ever setting foot in that place. Save yourself the trouble and avoid this disaster of a salon at all costs. They don't deserve your business. If you want a salon that actually cares about its clients and doesn't charge an arm and a leg, go to Hour Rose Salon in St. Louis Park instead. Steer clear of this unprofessional,...

*Editing my review as the Haus team responded, but claims management and their team spoke with me on a number of occasions (only spoke to the management team once on the phone and they never responded to my email.) Extremely disappointed with how this entire situation has been handled. Again, it's never been clear when booking I could have any other option then a finish with an apprentice. It feels like I am being gaslit a bit based on their response below.

After close to 10 years with the salon, I had a disappointing visit and left me feeling undervalued. I did speak to management on the phone and followed up with an email, which they never responded to.

As always, the team did an amazing job with my color, they are consistently excellent, and I truly appreciate the work of the people I see. Unfortunately, the styling portion of the appointment was disappointing. The junior apprentice rushed through the blow dry, didn’t use any product like leave-in conditioner or hairspray, and I was left with curls that fell almost immediately. More seriously, I experienced a painful burn on my scalp from the dryer that lingered for a couple of days. I consider Haus a high end salon and I shouldn't have this experience.

When I spoke with management on the phone, I appreciated the kind tone and acknowledgment, but I left the conversation feeling discouraged. I was told the blow dry is a “free service,” which felt dismissive, as that’s a standard service at any salon. It was also implied that any refund would come from the colorist's service cost, which left me feeling like I would be punishing the one part of my visit that went well. That felt like a lot of misplaced responsibility from how I understood it.

I was told I could request a more senior apprentice next time, but I’ve never seen that option while booking online nor has that ever been presented to me when booking over the phone. And the offer to come back for a wash doesn't feel useful without any upcoming reason to do so?

I wasn't asking for anything, as I already was told nothing could be done, just wanted to document my experience as a...