I’ve had to wait all week to post this due to my hosting problems, so let’s just say my initial ire has faded somewhat. So accept my mellowed out version of what was a pretty crap-tastic experience at Skingenesis salon last Thursday. Aren’t they lucky!?
So the story begins with how damn hard it was to get an appointment with Skingenesis when using a Wahanda voucher – eventually I did get a slot for after work, midweek. Officially my appointment was at 5.30 but the receptionist asked that I was there for 5.15pm to fill in the paperwork. No problem!
The building was very much a ‘office block’ type place, somewhat off putting because it was quite quiet and there was a tiny lift to get in and out of – one of those rickety that you’re terrified to stand in alone in case it breaks down.
So I get there on time at 5.15pm and poor Mr C was waiting for me under the illusion that the treatment would take around 30mins. Infact, I had said to him they’d probably be even quicker – I am super quick at filling in forms (ahem)…
So I waited…and waited….and waited. My phone was on it’s last legs and it was pretty dull waiting in there. So I waited, and waited.
I was pretty annoyed at this point. Without sounding self important, time is really precious to me – it is to everyone – and I hate it, I hate it so much when my time is wasted on pointless things like waiting to be seen. There’s a reason we have an appointment system no? This is NOT a doctors appointment (I once waited 1hr 25mins to see the doctor – what’s your record?) this is just a beauty treatment! I am a paying customer (albeit at a discounted rate).
I looked at the clock and 30 minutes had passed. My phone had died. No one had said ANYTHING to me about the fact I was sat there, like a moron in the waiting area. The receptionist asked me if I wanted any water. The manager (I think) tells me I have a pretty colour bag. Balenciaga. Thanks, but I’d rather be at home right now.
2 Chinese boys come into the salon asking about hair removal for their bodies and bum fluff – I look at them suspiciously – Chinese men, the majority, aren’t even hairy. I feel like saying, just go and get some waxing strips from Boots!
The manager heads home. The therapist finally appears, she is sniffy and tells me she has been unwell and is the only person working so apologised for the delay. By now I have been waiting for 40 minutes. The receptionist grabs the therapist and asks her to explain laser hair removal to the two boys and they go talk and talk and talk about the treatment and arranging appointments.
I mean really? I’ve been waiting 40 minutes, 2 people come in with an enquiry and the receptionist can’t handle it? They spend a good while talking to the potential customers, who ultimately scurry away anyway ‘My friend is too shy to show his chest on his own’ and the receptionist then comes back to me with a clipboard about about 6 sheets of paper.
‘I forgot to give you the form before so can you fill it in QUICKLY’.
Oh yes I forgot how hard it is to hand the ONE customer you have in the salon a questionnaire. By now I am hopping mad but hiding it as well as I could…if the therapist is unwell then I sympathise but it means that either she shouldn’t be there OR customers should be informed of the delay.
Eventually I got into the salon room and the therapist looks through my form. I ticked a box which said I can get keloid scarring – I got two from when I had chicken pox as a kid.
She informs me that actually, this means she can’t do the microdermabrasion. Obviously at this point I was already imagining a noose around my neck tightening, and I was too tired and annoyed to even argue with her.
‘Didn’t anyone ask you about your skin when you booked the appointment?’
‘Er, no’.
Considering the fact it takes 45minutes to hand me a clipboard, I’m not surprised I wasn’t asked a few basic questions to make sure I was suitable for Microdermabrasion.
The therapist offers me a ‘normal facial’ but can she do it there and then? No, because it’s ‘too late’. But for my inconvenience, I could have a 45min treatment rather than a 30min one. I feel so lucky! Except by this point I had wasted an hour, a precious, precious hour (regulars will know I barely sleep so you can imagine how much I could’ve done with an hour) and was angry with myself for ever bothering.
I cancelled the ‘normal facial’ – the thought of going back there made me feel ill, and passed it on to my aunt who I am hoping has a great experience because god knows SOMEONE should use it.
Wasn’t that a gentle rant?! Have you every been driven mad by a salon?
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Ive heard a few people having bad experiences with companies when using wahanda vouchers. Its put me off buying via them. No one should have to deal with shoddy customer service whether you pay a discounted price or not. You think they would realise that you are more likely to be a returning customer if you are treated well.
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Hey Loud
Yeah unfortunately this has happened to me a few times and it’s just not wahanda either, same with Living Social and Groupon. It’s so hard to know how professional the seller will be, whether its beauty or a restaurant etc. I noticed the treatments are quite rubbish with vouchers – I’ve had a few facials which were glorified face washes!). The point of these vouchers SURELY is to win people back?!
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‘bum fluff’ and ‘chinese men aren’t that hairy anyway’ -> haha this made me laugh so much.
i am so sorry they made you wait pointlessly in the salon.
if it’s any comfort, they didn’t ask me either the first time, on the phone, if I had some skin stuff going on. i bet if you do a poll, no one is asked. have you have ever had a colour strand test at the hairdressers’ before a proper colour? i haven’t. standards are slipping here. somebody needs to put order in all that, whether it’s £10 or £50, or more xx
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Hey Liloo
Ahhh yeah I know what you mean – lots of places don’t ask, I guess, if something like Microdermabrasion isn’t for sensitive skin they should really say something at the time of booking or god forbid, at the time of purchasing a voucher! So annoying! x
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I’m booked in at Destination Skin on Tuesday…afte reading your review on them, I am expecting nothing more than a fruity facial massage!
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