Complaint Review: Safa Salon And Day Spa

Not only are Safa (cosmetologist) and Hekouran Shain disrespectful to thier clients, but to their employees as well. I worked in this salon for almost 2 years. Safa does not clean her tools in between each client. She also shows up 20 to 30 minutes late for the appointment.

When she is with the client, she blows them off and talks on the phone for 30 minutes at a time. Sometimes while they have bleach in their hair. They also used try to have me spy and tell on other employees after they quit.

If they make a mistake it's always your fault, never theirs. Safa will also promise to keep secret what you confide in her. Then tell the next client, or the person you're keeping the secret from when she sees them.

Hekouran (co-owner/ex-husband) also threw a book at the head of a message therapist that use to work for them. After a few months I started to apprentice in the salon, so they told me they couldn't pay me anymore because it's illegal. Which is the half truth, it's illegal for me to receive money for services rendered, but it's not illegal to pay me for receptioning, which I was doing more of.

I was clocking my hours behind the desk which is illegal, they should have been clocking my hours, and buying my equipment. But I bought my own equipment, and I can tell you it is very hard to buy salon equipment when you're only being paid $72 a week for working 48 hours. Not only that, I wasn't learning anything.

I spent most of my time alone in the salon. Then I decide to ask for a raise after I found out it's not illegal to pay me for my receptioning hours, so we have a meeting and I'm yelled at until I cry. So because of this, they decided to pay me for 24 of the 48 hours I work. I only earned $6 per hour.

After 6 months, I can't take any more so I tell Safa, my "teacher"/former employer that I'm thinking about going to the Aveda Institute, and we can talk more about it tomarrow. I said it infront of a client, because I thought it was no big deal,I just wanted to see my other options to get a cosmetology license.

That night Safa calls me and yells at me and starts calling me a back-stabber and a betrayer to the salon, and tells me that I can't be trusted. She then threatens me with a contract so I can't leave, and if I don't sign it, I'll be fired.

The very next morning I quit. I also left her two letters, a professional letter of resignation, and a personal one stating my feelings and how much she hurt me. Not to mention how horribly she treats other people and her clients (they just don't know because she says it behind their backs).

Safa also lied to me, she said it was her responsibility to cancel my apprenticeship, and that she is required to keep my permit and records. She also told me I can't tranfer my hours, ALL LIES!

I'm supposed to keep my permit, I can terminate my apprenticeship any time I want, and I can transfer my hours to ANY salon that wants to apprentice me. I just can't tranfer them to a cosmetology school.

I was told these lies so I'd think that I'd have no choice but to be thier slave and be paid nothing, since I already quit. NEVER believe anything either one of them say!

She also had the nerve to make snide remarks about what level of "class" I come from. Not only that she proceeded to call me for three consecutive weeks after I quit and tried to have me do my old job over the phone (Why does she need me to do my old job? I didn't work for her anymore, and she called me the next day to tell me she hired a new receptionist). She also sent other clients to spy on me.

Never trust them they suck you in with pity and try to work you like a slave for as cheaply as they can. They're people that feel powerless and try to show that they have power by treating the people around them like dirt.

I have no intention to be petty, but I am most definately angry. I have never been lied to, exploited, or treated this horribly in a place of employment EVER! But the good news is the day after I quit I got a 2 jobs that pay very well, and treat people the way they should be treated; LIKE HUMANS!!

Cappi
Ann Arbor, Michigan
U.S.A.