Ellen Conlin Hair & Beauty

As previous users have said, pushy and rude when you complain. Seems to be a reflection of the manager Ken who I found to be the most unprofessional person I’ve ever come across.
I had the audacity to complain on behalf of my partner who took issue with being charged 180 pounds for what should have been a 120 pound tint and cut. Apparently the extra 60 was for a customised colour that she was not informed of prior to application and of which there was no detail of on the final bill. She was just expected to pay for it.
Unacceptable. Ken was more concerned with point scoring when I visited the shop 1 week later as Ken had failed to, as promised, call back the previous week. I was told that because I had highlighted my complaint on social media, he would not entertain any discussion as «the damage had already been done»! So he made the decision to try and teach me a lesson and keep the 180 pounds. Brilliant way to treat customers.
I urge anyone to look somewhere else or at least make sure they tell you the price before application. Staff are obviously on some kind of commission to bleed you dry.

Ellen Conlin Hair had so much potential to become my regular go-​to salon, had even booked in another appointment in 6 weeks time, until today that is.
Why 1 star? Ellen Conlin are THE MOST EXPENSIVE hairdressers I have ever been to, and I can class Daniel Galvin, Toni & Guy and Rainbow Room among them
I understand being based in Giffnock can push rent prices up but there are other salons just feet away that are chocolate buttons in comparison and surely the rather frequent and slightly irritating up-​selling of hair products and make-​up services that goes on in Ellen Conlin (I hope it’s commission based because the staff definitely deserve money for the effort), would cover any extra costs?
I’ve been in 2 times now (I blamed myself for pricing of 1^st appointment because I fell for ‘Hey nice lady would you like an ADDITIONAL conditioning treatment on top of your conditional treatment?” but after 2^nd visit I can see where it all went wrong)
The first time was for a £17 blow dry, and after a ‘dual consultation’ I was advised they could put in an additional treatment that would make my mane positively glossy, I of course concurred and hey presto, 30 minutes later I come out £50 lighter. I left the salon reeling wondering where I went wrong and resolved, as the blow dry was indeed nice, to go again but just not to fall for the treatment spin next time.
The second time I called up for a ‘brown tint as I have regrowth’, I get there and hairdresser x (I won’t name names because prices really aren’t the hairdresser’s fault) suggests I put a few foils in my fringe to break it up too — I think there were about 4 or 5 foils. I agree to this thinking ‘that shouldn’t be too much extra’ and I make sure I say no to additional treatments and no to various products being put in front of me…
An hour and a half later, am all blow-​dried and ready to go. I pay, get home, don’t check my receipt until later (bad me) and I practically fall to the floor when I see £180 leaping out. £180 to dye my brown hair browner with a couple of streaks through the front. Couldn’t wait to let the boyfriend see that :(I think this CANNOT possibly be right, it’s a typo, I check the price lists. I am taken aback because they don’t include the cut & style (£50 min) in the tint treatment (£70 min) but even with a couple of foils that still can’t add up to £180 right?
The salon isn’t open on Sundays, website says it’s open Monday so I try then, no one answers after lots of calls so I try on Tuesday and speak to said hairdresser who advised I had paid for ‘personalised colour’. I asked how these costs were made up and not finding any sense asked to speak to manager, I was then advised he wouldn’t be in until the following day.
I’m happy to wait until then baited breath we can work this out, however my boyfriend, as angry as I am at this sorry mess, posted to Twitter «@ellenconlinhair why don’t your staff tell customers about additional costs before treatments?» and hey presto got a call from what I assume was manager at their Hyndland store. Wow, a bit of concern, great!
I had no intentions of leaving this review, I understand that we all have to make a living and although I am very angry and most definitely won’t be going back, life goes on. However the Hyndland manager’s response was not only condescending it was downright rude among her constantly interrupting rhetoric (could do with customer service training) mixed with the usual nonsense about the cost of good customer service blah blah she advised me: —
«Ellen Conlin staff are not in the position to pre-​empt what clients can afford».
So basically Ellen Conlin company values are to charge as much as they like because they don’t care if you can afford it or not, that’s your problem.
If I save a few extra pennies for the month, I can afford to spend £180 on my hair, I just want transparency and to know when I’m about to do so, and I can do without being made to feel like an idiot for daring to question what I’ve been billed. In every other situation, whether I’m buying a car or paying for my groceries, I have a pretty good idea how much it’s ABOUT to cost me, why shouldn’t that be the case with my hair too?
This could actually be a case and point for a lot of hairdressers out there, if you think a client’s hair is going to cost more than what they originally asked, be courteous and transparent and tell them! Hairdressing does not need to be so cloak and dagger!
I shall update with how this goes, and hope this helps some people out going forward.
UPDATE 10÷10÷15 — So Ken, the director didn’t call back and I don’t like conflict so my boyfriend went in today. The gist of it was ‘I knew what I was getting’, oh really Ken? I spend nearly an hour writing up a blow by blow account at your salon and lie about it? DO NOT GO TO THIS SALON! I am currently in process of going to Hair Council and Trading Standards.

Staff are far too pushy with the products and other services; to the point where it’s quite offensive.
Would have given it five stars if it was based solely on the quality of hairdressing.
Could also have done without listening to the staff moaning about their boss.

This is a newish addition to the many hairdressers in the area, and overall not a bad one. Staff are generally friendly and professional, although the guy in charge can be a little overpowering. There are TVs to watch while you are getting your hair done, as well as a good range of mags and papers to read.