i can’t believe i wasted a whole day!!

yep, the place is on Mission Blvd. and it's called Ms. Sarah's beauty salon.  I told the young lady that I would not be HAPPY to give up my seat to someone..I don't have that kind of time..

This is not an uncommon practice. My ex husband used to tell me, "oh, you have an appt. at 10:00 tomorrow morning? I'll see you tomorrow night."  And it was true.  I was such a "nice" person, that whenever my beautician was braiding my hair, and some one came in for a touch up, or perm, I would get bumped.  Her reasoning was that braiding takes hours, whereas a perm doesn't take very long. Thus, me, and several "walk-ins" would play musical chairs, as she rotated us between the shampoo bowl, the drier, and the styling chair.

There have been times i would come in at sun up and came home after dark..I was always of afraid of crossing the young lady, or saying "no", because it was hard to find beauticians that did braids.

One day in July, i was bumped..and it was in a pretty bad neighborhood on a busy street.  University Avenue in San Diego. There was this old derelict in a dirty Santa Claus suit and a grocery basket that would go down one side of the street, come back up on the other side.  What was so embarrassing was Janice had braided half of my head, when several walk-ins came in off and on that day.  I couldn't get up and leave because my head was half-done. Thus, i had braids on one side, and a huge afro puff on the other.  I was sat in a WINDOW chair..for everyone to look in as they passed the shop.  Yep, that was me, looking like a half bred pearooster sitting on a perch in the beauty salon window with tail feathers up on one side of my head.  Looking at Santa, going uuuup and dooown the damn street.  Aaaall daaaay loooong. 

Over the years i've learned to ask for "by appt. only".  If someone comes in on my appt., and the beautician doesn't speak up - I will.  This saves her from losing a potential client, and they can say i'm the bad guy.  Believe it or not, some beauticians won't say a word when this does occur.  Each client is money..and yes, there are folks that "thought i'd drop by", while the beautician is seeing clients.  Or "have an emergency"..instead of calling, they figure they can muscle their way into the chair.

I must add, that to this day, whenever i see anyone in a santa suit, i laugh a bit.

 

 

I would never 'bump' any of my clients for walk ins!  I also never double book, it's too stressful for me and clients don't like it.  If you are in my chair, you have 110% of my full attention.