Chatters

I just wanted to write an update on my review. I had my wedding up-​do done by Paulo and couldn’t have been happier. He did such a wonderful job and gave me the exact hairdo I wanted and asked for. I highly recommend seeing him for up-​dos for special occasions.

I went against my better judgment and agreed to go in for a last minute blow-​dry with a new stylist whose name starts with a B. My instincts told me not to, but I ignored them. I had a function to go to and my other stylist (at another salon) had called in sick. I got to Chatters after booking my appt over the phone, and I waited half an hour for B. She didn’t apologize once when she finally came to do my hair. My hair had already been washed– I had made it easy for her. She wasn’t particularly friendly during the appt, actually she was quite smug and rude– very different from the other stylists I’ve seen at Chatters.
B did a horrible job. She basically made my hair frizzy and unkempt and unfinished. Please see my profile pic. Not only did she not apologize and admit that she doesn’t know how to properly blow-​dry hair— she rudely blamed it on my hair, saying «your hair is fried beyond belief.»
I assure you– my hair is not «fried beyond belief». It’s natural wavy and frizzy, but any competent stylist should know how to blow-​dry wavy hair – all the ones I’ve seen in the past have. It’s like the easiest thing for a hair stylist to do. On top of this, I could’ve done a much better job at home doing it myself. She just shook her head, with a smug look on her face, and blamed her inability to blow-​dry my hair on her insistence that my freshly trimmed hair is «fried». I still can’t get over how trashy she was.
I walked by the reception, practically in tears, saying «I can’t pay for this. Does this look like a professional blow-​dry?» And when I was saying this, B was standing there, smiling at me smugly the entire time. It was very creepy.
IF she had admitted that she didn’t know what she was doing– I would’ve appreciated that. If she’d apologized for her inability to do it. But she didn’t. She was rude; she made me wait 30 mins without apologizing; she did a horrible job on my hair; blamed it on my hair being damaged; and then smiled smugly at me like a sociopath when I was practically in tears.
needless to say, this event has severed my ties with this salon, sadly. I just don’t want to go back. Too bad for them, they lost good business. I will say that they offered to have a competent stylist fix my hair, and when she did, she did an amazing job. They did not charge me, but I tipped the second stylist $ 5 bc I was so grateful for her to take the 10 mins to fix my hair.
I really hope that B undergoes some therapy and learns how to treat clients… hopefully they let her go so that there won’t be a mishap like this again, and so that she can take the time to focus on herself, her abilities, and on her people skills.

I am so impressed with the Chatters brand! I am always so hesitant to visit any salon that is part of a chain (a la First Choice or Super Cuts). But let me tell you… this chain is NOTHING like the other two, and is absolutely worth the visit.
My last experience at the Trainyards location was awesome, so I figured why not check out the location closer to my place in College Square. I called around 8:45 a.m. on a Thursday (emergency hair cut needed!), and they were able to fit me in by 9:30. The staff member on the phone was sweet and friendly — they really pay attention to client satisfaction here.
When I came in, my appointment was with Jess who made me feel totally comfortable and taken care of. She was funny, approachable and I really felt like I could be honest with her and trust her opinion. I’m in the process of growing out my hair, but the end were just awful, so she gave me a fantastic cut that would grow out well. Is also had some colour issues, and while I didn’t book a colour, we chatted a lot about what she thought would work best for me, and explained several options. I also have to give huge props for the amazing scalp massage — so relaxing!
I really appreciated the fact that she gave me a special rinse to get chlorine and chemicals out of my hair, and when I asked her about products, she walked me over to the retail section and we chatted for awhile about cost effectiveness, and what was best for my hair. I ended up leaving with a great Redken product that didn’t cost me too much, and a heat spray that I am loving. Another thing I love about this place? Free products! I received a free bottle of CND Vinylux (which is an amazing product!) which retails for about $ 10. Last time I went to the other Chatters I got a high end conditioning treatment. Who doesn’t love free gifts?!
I still adore Studio B for colour, but this place is seriously cost-​effective and they do a fantastic job. If you’re looking for a place where you can get in quickly, have an approachable and knowledgable staff member (they go to «Chatters University» and have a ton of hair/​beauty knowledge), not pay a fortune (my cut was $ 40) and pick up all your favourite beauty products, this place is for you.