Cole's Salon — Local services in Burnsville

Holy Wow! I grew up in the industry. I have relatively high expectations but also have grace for people learning the industry. I’ve experienced all facets from glam squads to private mobile businesses to luxury salons to drive thru services. I’ve even gone to a Cole’s previously.

This location AMAZED me. I was able to book an evening appointment the same day- roughly an hour after I booked the appointment.

My appointment was for 8:10PM. I arrived roughly 10 minutes prior. We were greeted with genuine warmth from the receptionist and I checked in. I’m Autistic and having to get my haircut is one of my worst spaces and the internal conflict makes it hard for me to advocate for myself and is usually met with abrasiveness. This didn’t happen here. We sat in the waiting area, my only complaint is the seats are really low to the ground. While waiting in the reception lounge, I looked around at the salon. There is so much to see! I normally get sensory overload with all the smells, lights, products, signage, the myriad of conversations and all the movement. I typically sit and stare at the ground to avoid the sensory overload and wear noise canceling headphones so that I don’t disassociate, shut down or leave hastily. This time- I didn’t. I felt safe enough to allow the massive amount of information I was receiving. I really enjoyed the fish bowl of Dum-Dum suckers that was overstuffed and the bowl of cute little mints. I didn’t partake in them but thought it was lovely. The reception desk was clean and organized which made it pleasant to observe. While observing, I was pleasantly surprised at another fish bowl that had, I think, 4 large orange flowers in it. Orange is my happy color and this was surprisingly soothing to me. My ND brain loved how organized all the displays were and they were dust free! I loved seeing Bumble & Bumble products displayed proudly, thoughtfully and neatly. I expected the Aveda products only so this was a nice change. The stylist was on time and greeted me with a smile that was sincere. She introduced herself. Her name is Hannah. I explained to her my situation- I had an intrusive thought and chopped a part of my hair off in error and due to my panic over it I needed to get in as soon as possible to save me from myself. She understood and didn’t express any judgement. I explained I had just washed my hair before I left my house and didn’t want to have it washed. She said it wasn’t a problem and she can cut it dry. It was damp but my ends were already dry due to my excessive damage from all the bleaching I do. I’m my own worst enemy! She asked what my goals were. I told her to not look ridiculous for my upcoming reunion. We discussed keeping most of the length and blending the myriad of layers I caused myself. She went to work and I told her about my favorite haircut that used a halo technique. It was piecey and I was able to build volume at my crown with texture powder and roughing up my hair. We chatted comfortably, which is hard for me as I’m extremely socially awkward- so this was a big deal for me. I typically have to mask for any salon service but she didn’t make me feel required to perform the role of Person. She finished the cut and I was happy with it. She asked how I’d like to have it styled. I explained I didn’t want it styled as I would have to wash it again when I returned home. She asked me again and I could see she wanted to ensure I was pleased with her work but I still declined the offer. The receptionist was again warm and inviting as we paid for the service. My wife was asking what amount we should tip. I told her this was my best experience ever in a salon and I’d like to tip her $20. We spent roughly $75 for my haircut, no wash, no styling. This EXPERIENCE was worth every minute and every penny. In my 40+ years…I’ve never left a salon without crying in the parking lot. Ever. I’ve never been fully happy with my experience or my hair from a salon service. Hands down this is the best salon and stylist. I’m excited...

I was excited that they had online booking as I'm terrified of using a phone. (I know, I'm pathetic. haha) So I booked the “Artistry Color & Cut” which is one of the most expensive options if not the most expensive one. (around $350) I wanted to treat myself and I figured it would include “The Works”. I was VERY wrong!

I wanted to go a shade or 2 lighter and get my hair cut with some face framing. The stylist said that was not a problem at all. She was very friendly! However, about halfway through she said seemed worried about the time and said she had another client coming in. I told her that's fine, I figured that meant someone else would finish me or I would have to come back later in the day or week. Which I would have totally understood! What I didn't expect was for her to just rush everything! Not even dye my roots and skip cutting my hair all together. She cut something off, I think... But I literally saw ZERO difference and absolutely no face framing or styling was done. To top it off, she had me leave the salon with wet hair which meant I didn't get to see that she missed dying my roots completely. I was left with a 1/4 inch of GREY ROOTS! My hair feels dried and the texture feels blah, there's no shine or anything and it lays heavy now. Something that would probably had been fixed if she had cut it. Don't get me wrong, I know that using bleach messes with your hair texture and dries it out but I feel like a conditioner or a gloss would have helped a lot! I bought some product to give it a gloss after the fact and that worked but I feel for $350 I shouldn't have had to do that.

Idk, maybe my expectations were too high. Maybe this is a "normal" experience. I don't go to the salon often as it gives me anxiety and I totally understand things happen, and sometimes time slips by. But what I don't understand is why I was still charged $350 for basically just a foil job with no color. That's MUCH cheaper on the website than the "Artistry...

I recently moved to the area and was recommended Coles Salon, so I decided to book a full foil. However, when I arrived, the stylist had a different approach and suggested I needed an artistry color instead, which was nearly $300, a significant increase from the $160 I initially booked for. While I agreed to the upgrade, I expected that my hair would turn out how I envisioned.

Unfortunately, my experience was awful. I showed the stylist clear pictures of a cool brunette look with minimal highlights, but instead, I ended up with a horribly blended mess of yellow and orange tones. It looked nothing like what I asked for. To make matters worse, the stylist spent the entire appointment trying to sell me on extensions I never requested or even mentioned, implying that I needed them to make my hair look “good enough.” This felt not only like bad business but also rude and inconsiderate.

After reaching out to management, I did get a response after 24 hours. They offered to schedule me with another stylist, though one with little experience, which left me feeling incredibly nervous about another potential mishap. Ultimately, I decided to go elsewhere to have my hair fixed, and now I’m out $300 with no resolution.

I would not recommend Coles Salon. The lack of professionalism, the pushy sales tactics, and the poor results left me thoroughly...