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| - I have been racially profiled over the phone by a receptionist AND a manager. Here's the back story:
I am an African female with naturally thin, wavy-curly hair which I blow -dry 90% of the time. I walked by the Eaton Center location a couple of weeks ago, and talked to an associate about becoming a new client. I specifically asked for a junior stylist because I wanted a low price on my cut (cost is $35). She told me the name of the stylist and that she's usually there on the weekdays until 6:30. I'm thinking, "Bet! I can swing by after work and get a new 'do."
Fast forward to today. I called to book an appointment with said stylist and mentioned that I prefer someone who is comfortable cutting curly hair. Side note:If you cut curly hair while wet, the cut might be uneven when the hair is blow-dried and the stylist will have to cut again resulting in a shorter haircut that requested.
The receptionist tells me that there's only one person in the establishment who deals with 'curly' hair and she's senior stylist costing upwards of $65. I'm taken aback by this. No new talent is trained on cutting curly hair, even on the basic level?!?! So I told her that it sounded bizzare that no one but one senior stylist knows how to cut curly hair and i'm forced to pay an extra $30 dollars because my hair is curly. I tried to describe what my hair looked like, and she become really snippy. I quickly got off the phone to compose myself.
I called right back and asked to be transferred to a supervisor to which she replied is not available because he was with a client (mind you, she had me on hold for over 5 minutes). I said that's fine, then let me speak to a manager. She gave me the same general run-around that reps always give when you request to speak to a supervisor. 'He was with a client doing colouring and will call me back.' Fine, I asked her how soon he could call me back today but she would not give me answer. I said I live within a walking distance, and I will walk to the store if she doesn't tell me this information over the phone. She then put me on another hold and got him on the phone.
I told Paulo, the manager, that maybe the receptionist told me no one in the salon knows how to do curly hair except for the senior stylist, and wanted to confirm with him if this was true. He told me was that the senior stylist only does 'ethnic hair'. Hold up! but isnt everyone in Toronto ethnic? lol I said what do you mean 'ethnic'...he replied, 'black people hair' (his words, not mine). I said 'I am black and my hair is curly, but it is of a different texture than some people would assume.' He says, that he doesnt even do black hair..'you are black, no? then you have black hair.' again, his words, not mine. Then he quickly became agitated when I told him he has no idea what my hair looks like BECAUSE I AM TALKING TO HIM ON THE PHONE. He quickly says, ' you don't have to come to the salon then' and HUNG UP ON ME?
I stared at my phone in disbelief at his unprofessional behaviour, feeling racially profiled. I've had a similar experience 10 years ago, when I walked in to a salon to get a trim, and the lady assumed my hair was chemically relaxed because it was straight at the time (I had only blow-dried it and my hair had never used a relaxer in my life). She refused to colour my hair. for your information, africans have various textures of hair.
If you want to go to this establishment, please be advised that if you are 'ethnic' or have 'black people hair'....maybe you should try going to another salon that will welcome your business with open arms and that hire people that are at least trained enough to know to speak to a client in person before passing judgment or, worse, being racist over the phone.
I am so disgusted right now and I felt that this was the perfect platform for my venting.
PS: Liz T, chin length? *yikes* that's a nightmare!!!!
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