# Are salons obligated to give you a discount for a bad haircut? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 11, 2013, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-salons-obligated-to-give-you-a-discount-for-a-bad-haircut/670982 "2013-10-11T14:26:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2013, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-salons-obligated-to-give-you-a-discount-for-a-bad-haircut/670982/1 "2013-10-11T14:26:37Z")
Yesterday I went to my usual neighborhood salon to get my hair cut. I usually go on Fridays, but I’ll be out of town and wanted it to get done before I left. I got my haircut from a different stylist than my usual. Anyway, I asked for clipped sides and scissored top, leaving the top a little longer. She’s clipping the sides like I asked, then all of a sudden, she runs the clippers over the top, effectively starting to give me a buzz cut. She admitted she made a mistake and did her best to fix it, but my hair is now a lot shorter than I’d like and a scar that is usually well-covered is now very exposed. When came time to ring me up, she charged me full price, even though she knew I wasn’t thrilled with the outcome. I didn’t ask for a discount because I don’t want to be that guy, but I felt like she should’ve knocked at least a dollar or two off. I ended up tipping less than I usually would have. What do you think? Does a salon have an obligation to give a small discount if they admit they screwed up a haircut? Does it make a difference if it’s a mom & pop shop or a chain (this was a mom & pop shop). ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2013, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-salons-obligated-to-give-you-a-discount-for-a-bad-haircut/670982/2 "2013-10-11T15:51:14Z")
I wouldn’t expect a discount, but I’d take future business elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2013, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-salons-obligated-to-give-you-a-discount-for-a-bad-haircut/670982/3 "2013-10-11T16:19:01Z")
I’m not sure. Anyway, it’ll grow back. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2013, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-salons-obligated-to-give-you-a-discount-for-a-bad-haircut/670982/4 "2013-10-11T16:23:04Z")
I got a horrible haircut a couple of months ago (also a different person than my usual) and when I told her after it was finished that I hated it, she got her manager. Who told me that it was free, and I didn’t tip, either. So in the future, if you complain and she doesn’t discount it, ask for the manager. ---
**Author:** ![want2befree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3e96dc/32.png) [@want2befree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2befree)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2013, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-salons-obligated-to-give-you-a-discount-for-a-bad-haircut/670982/5 "2013-10-11T16:28:49Z")
I’d be tempted to go back and ask. Also, maybe you could have just not tipped or only give a very small one. ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2013, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-salons-obligated-to-give-you-a-discount-for-a-bad-haircut/670982/6 "2013-10-11T16:29:13Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > I got a horrible haircut a couple of months ago (also a different person than my usual) and when I told her after it was finished that I hated it, she got her manager. Who told me that it was free, and I didn’t tip, either. So in the future, if you complain and she doesn’t discount it, ask for the manager. Did the stylist get upset with you? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2013, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-salons-obligated-to-give-you-a-discount-for-a-bad-haircut/670982/7 "2013-10-11T16:32:37Z")
To answer the OP, no, they are not _obliged_ to give you a discount or refund unless their own policies demand it. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2013, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-salons-obligated-to-give-you-a-discount-for-a-bad-haircut/670982/8 "2013-10-11T16:40:27Z")
> [@Agent\_Foxtrot](#): > > Did the stylist get upset with you? No. She seemed concerned that I was not happy, not upset at all with me for not being happy. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2013, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-salons-obligated-to-give-you-a-discount-for-a-bad-haircut/670982/9 "2013-10-11T18:22:29Z")
It’s probably not mandated, but as a matter of good customer service, they should have offered you a discount of some sort. As to the OPer, I would have paid the charge, but not given her a tip. She didn’t earn it. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2013, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-salons-obligated-to-give-you-a-discount-for-a-bad-haircut/670982/10 "2013-10-11T19:59:15Z")
Back when i had a regular hairstylist I’d always ask him questions about the ins and outs of his business. He told me his policy was if someone was unhappy with the job he’d done it was no charge. But…if they took the no charge option they couldn’t comeback. I doubt it happened much, he was good and very meticulous. He always had more clients than he could handle and a waiting list. ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_From\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3da27b/32.png) [@Girl\_From\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_From_Mars)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-salons-obligated-to-give-you-a-discount-for-a-bad-haircut/670982/11 "2013-10-12T11:53:27Z")
I’ve been unhappy with a cut one time, and a colour the other - at different hairdressers. Both times when I called afterwards to mention this, I was able to come back to get it attended to at no extra cost. But I have longer hair than you so a cut can be fixed a little easier. If it was too short and I was unhappy, I’d not go back. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-salons-obligated-to-give-you-a-discount-for-a-bad-haircut/670982/12 "2013-10-12T15:24:44Z")
you should get a ‘do over’. they shave you bald. they then give you cuts until it gets to the length you want.