KL hair salon admits to failing to inform Stomper of perm price, but denies she was 'cheated'

A salon in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia wants to share their side of what happened after a Singaporean woman said she was 'misled' into paying an additional 332RM ($95) for a perm at their salon.

In an earlier Stomp report, the woman said she visited Hair Quarters at Pavilion on Dec 22 and confirmed with the salon's staff that the Korean perm she wanted was 550RM ($157).

However, she was shocked when she was charged over 900RM ($257) for a setting perm and said at no point was it communicated to her how much it would cost.

She also said that the salon did not inform her that they would be doing a setting perm and that the stylist admitted to her that he failed to inform her of the price but refused to refund her the price difference.

She added that when she posted a Google review on her experience, it 'vanished' and instead, noticed an influx of positive reviews by one person.

Hair Quarters Malaysia reached out to Stomp and issued a media statement in which they said: "We have been informed of a recent Stomp article that casts our establishment in a negative light, based on one customer's perspective that they were 'cheated' by our pricing."

They wanted to take the opportunity to present their account of events:

"The customer approached our receptionist with an inquiry regarding the cost of a normal perm, for which our receptionist provided the appropriate pricing information -- starting at RM550.

"Following a thorough hair consultation with our stylist, the customer decided to opt for a setting perm, a premium service that carries an additional cost."

However, when it came to the dispute over pricing, the salon said it was a 'miscommunication'.

"At no point did the customer enquire about the price of the setting perm," Hair Quarters said.

"In retrospect, it would have been prudent for us to inform her of the setting perm's price, even though she was aware of the normal perm's price.

"We acknowledge this communication oversight and accept full responsibility."

The salon added that they wanted to highlight that the stylist and receptionist are separate individuals who have no prior knowledge of their respective interactions with the customer.

Following the hair treatment, the salon said the customer 'expressed satisfaction with the service' and originally awarded them a five-star review on Google. However, the rating was later adjusted to three stars, 'reflecting her concerns about the price, not the service quality'.

"We reached out to clarify the confusion regarding the price as soon as we were made aware of the review," Hair Quarters said.

"The customer then suggested we adjust her charge to RM550 in return for the removal of the negative review.

"We did not agree to this proposal as it is against our policy to edit reviews, even if it is a negative one.

"Additionally, the costs of providing a setting perm are significant, and we could not reduce the charges without incurring a loss."

The salon said that by choosing to 'sensationalise' her dissatisfaction on Stomp, it resulted in public criticism from the Singaporean community in particular.

"We are saddened that a misunderstanding has been misconstrued as a deliberate act of deceit," the salon said.

It added that there has been significant reputational damage and their business and staff morale has been adversely affected.

The salon also alleged that the customer created multiple fake reviews and 'enlisted her friends to do the same'.

The Stomper said that after her experience was posted on Stomp, she received a message from a woman who is believed to be an employee at the salon.

"I don't have any Malaysian contacts and only gave them my name and number," she said.

"The salon stated on their Google page that they collect customer data to trace reviews."

In the message, the woman mentions 'karma' and says: "I won't wish you good luck as you are overly wicked."

In response to the statement, the customer maintains that she was never informed that they would be doing a setting perm for her.

As for her review, she clarified that she initially posted a five-star review to qualify for the 10 per cent discount. However, she later sought advice from her friend who told her to be truthful.

"I revised the review as I don't think that this large miscommunication was deserving of five stars," she said.

"In regards to my reply to the salon that I can remove it if they revised the price, this was on a goodwill basis as I have already filed for a credit card chargeback."

As for the negative reviews, the Stomper said they were not posted by anyone she knows.

"How can they say they're my friends?" she asked.

"I'm wondering if they have evidence to support this."