As noted, many of them are independent contractors. Around here, they pay to rent a chair in a salon, and are expected to pay a share from each customer, as well.
But that only means they already get the lion’s share of the fee.
I don’t get upset. I just never go back.
I once witnessed a female customer melt down. Quite a scene. She walked in with a magazine and showed the stylist a photo of a celebrity, maybe it was Jennifer Aniston. “I want that.” Well, that is where the stylist made a huge mistake–she agreed to it. The customer didn’t look anything like Jennifer Aniston and her hair wasn’t anything like Jennifer Aniston and she expected to walk out of the salon looking like Jennifer Aniston.
At the end of the cut, she looked in the mirror, and whined, “That’s not what I wanted at all!”, and was in tears. Reminded me of a 4-year-old who got the wrong flavor ice cream. The stylist offered to have someone else work with her but she wasn’t interested and I think they let her leave without trying to charge her.
Some people are very emotionally attached to their hair.
Then going to a place where they cut it off is a bad idea. 
I have two haircuts. Winter - generic male. And summer - #2 sides, #6 top. Works great with the motorcycle. I have never met a stylist incompetent enough to screw up either one of those.
Now if someone screwed it up out of malice, I’d burn the ears off their manager and find another shop.
I’d also pay good money to find an old-school barber who uses a straight razor, but that’s another conversation.