Great Clips

I disagree. Though some of the people in there might not be the best, a lot of the girls in there have been doing hair for years and have experience and do it well. Engaging in small talk is part of her job. She probably thought you were rude as you sound like you were.

I had the misfortune of needing a haircut on a holiday week in Sumter, SC. When I walked in I was first greeted with "what's your phone number" in a short kind of a why are you even here kind of tone. I declined to give my phone number and fill out the census data as I only wanted a haircut ,not a date! After being made to feel like a 3rd class citizen for wanting to put my information into their unsecured database accessible by part-time possibly temporarily unscreened workforce. Well I was escorted to my chair by Rachel and was asked how I would like my hair cut? I said short and Rachel replied a "businessman's cut." I was not familiar with the term so I said let see what you mean. I choose not to engage in pointless small talk as I see getting a haircut much the same as getting a car wash or some other similar service based business. After she was finished she borrowed a mirror from another stylist and showed me the result. I was disappointed and asked for more to be removed along the front and sides. She said that she already did my bangs and that it would not look right if more were cut. I started to worry about the attitude of this woman and the devastation that she could inflict on my head so I said that it is fine. She took off the cape from around me and I was left with cut hair all over my ears and neck. I had to wait for her to come back from the register to take care of this for me. She did not have a whisk or hair dryer so I had to sit at another stylist chair to have it partially removed. I paid her the $11 and gave her a $2 tip (nearly 20%) against my better judgement. I left and immediately returned when I looked in the rearview mirror of my car. I had hairs sticking out above my ear just like it was when I first walked in. When I walked back in she asked if I had forgotten something, I showed her the curled hairs and she apologized (sorta) and cut them for me. I left again and came back in after looking more closely in the mirror. I walked back in and I could hear her signing and then saying to another stylist "what does he want now?"

Another stylist came to assist me as Rachel apparently did not have the patience to "deal" with me. I simply asked this lady to look at my sideburns! I did not say anything else. She sat me down and brought them to the same height. They were off about an inch. I thanked her and left. While driving down Liberty Street I noticed a The Cutting Edge family hair care next to Swan Lake. I rushed in and told Joe a little bit of my experience with the "Great Clips." He was sympathetic and sat me down and began to repair my haircut.

After 10 minutes and apparently years of experience got it right. I did have to pay him for his time but not full price. I told him it was going be my last haircut of the day!

If I had it to do all over again...I would have walked out of Great Clips the moment I began feeling like a number rather than a person. Don't waste your time with this training clinic unless you have the time to go see the folks over at the Cutting Edge on the way out.