I'll begin with "WOW." Typical Thursday in this neighborhood, all the girls are priming for Friday/Saturday. My regular hair/nail place was very overbooked with guys and gals doing just that -- which ... Read More
I'll begin with "WOW." Typical Thursday in this neighborhood, all the girls are priming for Friday/Saturday. My regular hair/nail place was very overbooked with guys and gals doing just that -- which is what happens when you run the one clean and respectful places in the area -- and so I had to find an alternate place just for today. I had a gift certificate for Anne's and so I walked in for the first time.The sweatshop factory style hit me first, followed by the fact that there was no discernible manager to ask about the gift certificate. The place was basically empty except for 1-2 clients and the 6-8 staffers. I still had to wait. Another woman stepped in and there was suddenly some confusion about who to take next as she pushed past me in silence and tried to shove her oversized stroller through the tiny hallway to the pedi stations. Junior started hollering as soon as she got through.Not the best first impression, but the friend who'd gifted me said she'd been going there a while, so I tried to give the place a fair chance.A woman who comes up to my elbow says "You. There. She takes you." and I proceed to the dead silence of the pedi area. The decor is frightfully dim. Most of the lights were out. I greet the manicurist and ask her name.No answer, but she directs me to the chair. "Chair now. Shoes now." When she finally does speak it's to say, "Do you want ___? That's $5 extra. Do you want ___? That's $5 extra." Because I don't believe these small grooming moments should cost over $30, I passed on all the so-called extras, which boiled this rather painful experience down to what I refer to as "Holy Thursday, Batman!" pedi -- they soak and scrub your feet, dry them off and apply paint. I have to keep reminding myself that I'd be back at my usual salon in a few days. Anyway, no big deal since this would be covered with the gift certificate, so I'd just have to cover about $5 and then the tip, right?WRONG! The little pirate waited till I was stuck in the uv drying contraption to announce she wouldn't accept the certificate. "Nonono. You pay cash. Now." She took the cash then disappeared. No change, no return to see if the work was done or to get her tip. It's not like she had another client.... It was just me and two others!I must have had an incredulous look on my face. The young girl next to me smiled and said, "I know. Where do you regularly go?" I told her and also passed the phone number of the family-owned salon down the street. "I'd actually be there now, but the lady was seriously overbooked."Though her nails were wet and freshly polished, the young lady gave them a call on the spot to make an appointment for her next grooming/spa day.On the way out I saw the staffer sitting on her little stool bowing her head over her little mani station with her hands folded in her lap. I said, "Thank you. Have a nice day." but apparently to no one since she didn't answer. Still no manager... What kind of place is this?Besides the strange service I found the place... well, just creepy! I tossed the gift certificate in the nearest trash bin. I'm never going back. Read Less