Salon Riviera — Local services in Gig Harbor

I had an extremely disappointing experience at Salon Riviera with stylist Jenny. During my consultation, she assured me that my hair goal—a dimensional look with bright blonde pieces for contrast—would be easy to achieve and that she was confident in delivering the result. However, after the appointment, she completely changed her stance, telling me that achieving my inspiration photo would take a “miracle.”

The final result was nothing like what I asked for. Instead of the bright blonde pieces and high contrast from my inspiration, my hair looks too uniform in color, lacking the dimension I specifically requested. The blonde pieces are barely noticeable, and the result does not reflect what we discussed.

Beyond the unsatisfactory color, the service itself was unprofessional. Jenny ignored my concerns, repeatedly complained about how long the process was taking, and allowed an intern to work on my hair without my consent. She also made multiple remarks about how many hours she was working and even asked me to confirm the appointment time to determine how much she would charge me. The appointment ran much later than expected, which caused significant inconvenience for my family.

I paid over $1,000 for this service, expecting quality work and professionalism, and instead, I was met with poor results and an uncomfortable experience. When I reached out to request a refund, the salon refused, despite clear evidence that the service was not performed as promised.

I’ve attached photos so you can see the drastic difference between what I asked for and what I received.

I would not recommend this salon, especially for color corrections or anyone looking for a stylist who listens to their clients. If you’re considering booking here, I strongly suggest going elsewhere.

Edit/Update: In response to the salon’s reply, I want to clarify that during my consultation, I was assured my goal was easy to achieve with no mention of needing multiple sessions. After the service, the stylist completely changed her stance, saying it would take a “miracle” to achieve my request.

I was not properly informed that an apprentice would be working on my hair until it was already happening, and I felt uncomfortable when I voiced my concerns.

The final result did not match my request, as my hair lacks the bright blonde contrast from my inspiration photo and is too uniform in color. Offering a refinement does not make up for the misleading consultation or poor service.

I attempted to resolve this professionally, but they refused a refund. I’m sharing my experience so others can make an informed decision...

I am stunned by how cold and nasty Jessica has treated me. I went in for a partial foil of highlights and color. She was too reluctant to give me an accurate price breakdown beforehand, and explain all that I would be charged for. I told her I really couldn't spend over $400, not including a tip, which is plenty. She kept me there for five and a half hours, and hit me with a huge bill at the end, way over my budget. I reluctantly left her a 20% tip, that I now regret. She never thanked me for the tip. When I got home, I sat down to breathe and look at the bill. I was charged an extra $99 for extra color and lightening. My hair isn't super long, and she was wiping globs onto the towel before applying it. I saw a lot of product being wasted. I was also charged extra for the gloss, which the website info says is included. I sent an email to the owners about my experience and politely asked to be refunded for the extra product and gloss overcharge. Then I got a long and vicious email from Jessica, basically denying any wrongdoing. In the first sentence, she was actually scolding me for expressing my dissatisfaction to the owners. Jessica was cold, condescending and deceptive. As a paying customer, I can communicate with the owners about the quality of service in their establishment. In her email, Jessica said she should have charged me $900!!! Outrageous! She also insulted me and made me feel bad for being concerned about the health of my hair and scalp. I have fragile hair strands and a thin fine hairline. I'm on a vegan diet due to health reasons, I have legitimate concerns. I had to remind her to be gentle on my scalp and not scrub too hard. She should be WAY more considerate and respectful. What a downright TERRIBLE way to treat a new client. She is clearly all about piling on as many fees as possible, in a sneaky deceptive way. Im a reasonable and open minded person, but there has been zero attempt from Jessica or the salon to make this awful experience any better. I kindly requested just a partial refund, for what I was overcharged for. But I basically got stomped on. I am a mother, a wife, and I do volunteer work in the community. I'm a respectful and accepted person around here. I work hard on the weekends bussing tables, and I told Jessica how I would like to save up to go back to school again. I feel seriously taken advantage of and stomped on. As for the appearance of my hair, it overall looks pretty good, but a little over processed. I've been to many salons over the years, both high and lower end salons. But I have never been treated so badly in all my years...

Very disappointed to say the least. If I could give this business 0 stars, I would.

From the beginning, they are incredibly difficult to get an appointment with. When I was searching for a haircut appointment in January, they were booked out until June.

I have been rescheduled 3 times with this company and have never been able to get an appointment with ANYONE. Each time I make an appointment (and I make them at least 1-3 months in advance) I get multiple disorganized phone calls 1 week before my appointment stating "I don't know how you were able to schedule an appointment at this time, but the afternoons are booked for only our afternoon clients." Which makes no sense to me . . . am I not an afternoon client if I'm scheduled for an afternoon appointment at 4:00 p.m? Otherwise, how am I supposed to get an afternoon appointment? Keep in mind, I have waited 3 months for this appointment . . .

They attempted to reschedule me for an earlier appointment in the day at 10 a.m. but I work and cannot accommodate that time. Also, I will get voicemails stating "we need to move you around to make room for one of Kelsey's other clients" and will reschedule my appointment without speaking with me. Which gives me, the client, the impression that my time is not valued or respected and they reschedule for times that are outrageous.

This has happened each time I try to schedule and each time I grow more and more frustrated. Also, even after calling and canceling my appointments, I get a phone call from Salon Riveria asking if I can show up 15 minutes later for my already canceled appointment to accommodate for one of the stylist's other appointments. This is concerning as they have a no show policy that charges you the full price of your haircut appointment if you no show. I called back and the front desk had to RE-CANCEL my already canceled appointment because the first time I called "it didn't go through." Absolutely ridiculous. Bottom line - 3 strikes and I'm done. Do not waste your time if you're looking for a new hair salon - this business will waste your time, reschedule you left and right, and then charge you for a no show policy that was created from...