Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Modern Beauty Salon @ Mid Valley Mall - Avoid at all costs!

OK so this post veers off from the food theme somewhat, but I really need to write this to warn all ladies out there to never ever patronise Modern Beauty Salon. The location and setup of the place is nice and convenient, but the substandard, unprofessional service here really leaves a lot to be desired.
Coming from a Corporate background which emphasises trust, personal responsibility and dedication to meeting clients' needs, Modern Beauty's lackadaisical, "tidak apa" attitude towards fulfilling customer expectations and ensuring client satisfaction was a whole new ball game to me. I could not fathom why a people- and service-oriented business would treat their clients so shoddily, virtually guaranteeing for a fact that their clients WILL leave and they WILL gain a bad reputation in the market. It's almost as if they were either blissfully ignorant of their shortcomings, or just don't give a damn how they fare in the customer satisfaction stakes.
DISSATISFACTION #1: Confirming a facial/spa appointment
I paid for a package consisting of 15 facials and 2 spas. Booking an appointment with them, each and every time, has been like pulling teeth. I like to plan ahead, block my calendar and book facials every month to be repeated at the same time in subsequent months (OK so this again is a quirk I inherited from work), and the staff at Modern Beauty flat out told me that they were not able to help me plan ahead. A simple, fundamental thing such as booking an appointment becomes a chore and a nightmare. Apparently, their system only allows them to book client appointments for a couple of weeks ahead (less than a month), and nothing more. Long term bookings are not possible.
I've experienced cases whereby I've placed bookings more than 2 weeks ahead, and having had the receptionist take down my booking, was all satisfied that it was all settled and done. Little did I know at first, the lack of professionalism and customer-UNfriendly process that they follow here, meant that they would refuse to confirm that the date and time that I have booked is definitely mine no matter how EARLY I booked it. I've had instances where they've called me up a day before my facial apointment to tell me that there was no vacancy left and that I would have to rebook another day in the (distant) future. Hello? I just wasted 2 whole weeks anticipating my facial for which I have paid in full, and they chose to arbitrarily cancel it at the last minute with some pathetic, flimsy excuse that the entire day's schedule had been filled up. The fact that I booked 2 weeks ago and THEY NEVER SAID IT WAS FULL THEN somehow never registered in their insipid brains!! And so I wasted 2 weeks just to have them confirm that my appointment wasn't even taken seriously to begin with! You will never have complete control and assurance over your own schedule because they refuse to confirm your appointment until a few days before said appointment.
DISSATISFACTION #2: Spa
Just last weekend, I was booked for a spa and upon arriving all bright and early, ready for my spa session, I was made to wait 15 minutes, then told that the spa room was occupied by somebody else and that I would have to do it another time. I tried to reschedule it to coincide with my next facial appointment and was given a brusque brush off by the receptionist who told me she would get someone to book it for me (why couldn't SHE attend to it personally, there and then?)....nobody did. I had to call back and rebook. And, by the way, a spa here merely consists of a 15-minute soak in a jet bath and nothing more. No flower bath, no massage, no bath salts or bath foam even. It's sheer ripoff.
DISSATISFACTION #3: Pushy sales tactics
Don't you just hate it when you are attempting to have a relaxing, calming facial session and your beautician is relentlessly pressuring you to buy extra masks and treatments ("Your basic facial will not solve your problems, you need to add this and that") to add on to your already fully-paid-for facial, despite your firm "No". The first 10 facials I went to, I had to bear this nuisance, this irritating assault on my senses, feeling decidedly uncomfortable having to keep rejecting their unwelcomed overtures. After about 10 sessions or so, they wisened up to the futility of their pushy sales technique versus my (by now) notorious obstinacy. They have since ceased trying their sales pitch on me and usually leave me in peace now. In fact, they barely even greet me when I show up at their doorsteps for my appointment these days.
In general, the staff here are not fluent in English and for clients with a Chinese-language impediment like yours truly, it is indeed a challenge to communicate with them to sufficiently explain my exasperation with their lack of professionalism. In general, staff here are not too friendly to a client once she has signed up on their package, paid up, and hence becomes "downgraded" to the status of a regular "non-paying" client. A client ends up feeling unvalued and put through a guilt trip and subtle hostility for refusing to spend anything more than what she has already paid up-front. I would NOT recommend this beauty salon to anyone, and would strongly discourage anyone from even considering a trial facial at this place. I can barely wait for my package to finish up, I am SO DONE with this subpar hack of a beauty salon.
Modern Beauty Salon is to be avoid at all costs!

29 comments:

Hubby said...

Must be negative 5 BAM!

Anonymous said...

This is also the same case with CN Beauty. 10 sessions with 7 different beauticians, each citing that the products that you are using is insufficient.

Anonymous said...

Agree.

They like to promote their services when customers are half naked, having a mask on the face and trying to forget troubles after a hard day work.

I finish my package and manage to escape by telling that I am out of job and going back to home town

Anonymous said...

Wow, this is exactly the same situation I am experiencing with this salon!!! I wonder they actually take complaint seriously as i hv actually made one through their website but todate no reply/response from them!! totally agree with your appointment making experience and the pusshie sales method which seriously annoying.....wonder what we can do to actually get what we have paid for to this salon...

howeyelaine said...

wow....total agree!!!!

i feel i have been cheated by them too...

PLS PLS...dun ever go to this facial salon

Viviane said...

This SUCKS! How many more sessions do u have with this crappy place?

Jessica said...

Viviane: Zero, my package has been fully used up.

Anonymous said...

my package nearly used up as well..yet being push until sign up another package again...very regret :( *sigh*

Anonymous said...

Totally agree with you.
I have just had a bad experience where they burn my remaining 2 treatment claiming that my membership has expire unless I but the package then they can extend for me. What a stupid excuses is this?

Anonymous said...

I wonder if we can do something to announce to the whole world about Modern Beauty. They just forced me to upgrade my facial because the previous package has expired and promised to provide better appointment. I've been trying to book facials for 2 months now and yet.... do I have to say more?

Gals, NEVER NEVER NEVER go to Modern Beauty! Go at your own risk!

Anonymous said...

thanks gals.. for al ur info above, I ll definitely avoid tat saloon.I am still searching around for a gd saloon.. I did experience de same hardsell techniques in few saloons (new york skincare, facial first, bionn) n was beeing downgraded to a non-potential client after I had refused to buy the additional upgrade packages they were trying to sell,they started give me tat kind of hostile and despise look!

the ironic thing is coincidently I met de same saloon mgr (ms. nicole) who has switched job from bionn to facial first (times square), i ll run away from her coz she only cares for her sales target n will push you to buy more, if you said no, she ll treat you like SH**T!

Shirleen said...

Yup...AVOID MODERN BEAUTY SALON AT ALL COST.....EVEN IN SINGAPORE !!
Am a customer of Modern Beauty Singapore but they changed their name now to GIMAN Beauty & Wellness. Bad service, simply cannot get a slot for facial/massage even by booking one month in advance !! Very, very upset with them.

Anonymous said...

hey gals, i'm experiencing even more serious problem!
1st thing they were so pushy, til keep on pushing u to sign their packages when u r half naked, and suddenly the beautician accidentally spill a bail of water, and i was so bad luck my handbag was very near to their basin. My entire handbag was wet and the critical part is that i just got my new phone before entering into the saloon, and my phone was not functioning anymore on the next day!

I was so pissed off and requested for pay back on the spoilt phone..with their own beautician staff in the room, their so-called management suspected me are cheating them...so unfair!

And their management taken up almost more than 5mths, to revert n the last conclusion i got just they r suspecting my phone already got problem...they so-called say i accuse them!

oh my gosh..in the end, i said i don't wan to waste time...just stop all the previous signed packages and i need the refund back..just charge me the cancellation fees or whatever they have!

in the end, the stupid management said once the package is signed, is impossible for them to terminate..what a reason!
i told them, even a married couple can divorce by signing a letter...why not us?

GALS, we need to be a smart, wise and rationale consumers, any unsatisfactory services we need to go to : Tribunal for Consumers In Malaysia to raise our complain
[http://ttpm.kpdnkk.gov.my]

Being a consumer, we deserve the right to stand up for ourself..if we really felt cheated after we made purchase, we has the right to raise the complain!

Elvis and Elissa said...

I cant wait to finish up all my fully-paid sessions with them. It is so painful in arranging an appointment with them. Last week i have called to arrange for a body massage and facial session. The receptionist refuse to let me know immediately whether my intended time & date is available or not. I am asked to wait for calls. Ends of, i waited 4 days for their calls and I ends up have to incurred own cost to call them again!!

I only able to squeeze my body massage session into their booking bars, after waited for 4 days. The facial treatment, i really have NIL idea on how to finish up the session.

Anonymous said...

Too bad, Ia m one of the customer who got the same thing from this salon. At first, I told myself not to go again, coz there was really quite a long time I didn't go, even I had made the full payment. Until, I went again, then they keep on persuading me to sign up another plan, and that cost a lot. I don't know what to say about this salon, may be all others the same, not sure. But here, always pushing ppl to add or upgrade the plan, everytime going for facial also cant really enjoy. But have to say NOOOOO... So sad to go to this salon.

Anonymous said...

Not sure, if still got any sisters looking into this thread, but so heart pain of taking the plan from this salon, if can, I hope I never step in again. so sad.... like what other said previously, they just care about the sales, keep pushing for sales.

Anonymous said...

I wished I saw this blog a tad bit earlier. They are such liars and the receptionist is useless. I bought a groupon deal for 2 sessions. Making the first appointment itself was a pain. N I was nt allowed to book both sessions one shot. N when I wanted to book for the 2nd session after my facial, all they had to say is that all slots are fully booked till the voucher expiry date. So I made a complain to groupon, n groupon extended mynvoucher for another month. So I called again to make an appointment. The receptionist who so called put in me in the waiting list had the guts to say that I could only book on a weekday. If weekday was suitable why wud I wait so long. Real dumb saloon!

Anonymous said...

Oh No. I just signed a plan with them. I wish I had done some research before signing :(
Totally agree, their beautician/sale person never stop pursuing me to sign up or sign more. I am now so worry after reading all the reviews here. I wish they won't disappoint me and I will have a good experience there-la. Wish me luck.

Anonymous said...

oh no, I also been persuade to sign a plan after buying the groupon deal. I have paid some of the money for the plan, still gt three installments, after reading your complaint, dont feel like going leh, haiz... but I have already pay some of it, so regret now.......

they really push you to sign out more plan leh....

Anonymous said...

Omg.... i just finish the facial today.. and yes what you all said. They keep pushing me to sign up the upgrade plan. I already told myself not to sign. At the end.. i signed. I should do some research on this before i go. Arhhhh...damn regret now !!!

Anonymous said...

Giman beauty is a company that cheats, misrepresents and lies to their
customers. They made you buy their package and find all ways not to
honor these packages by closing their outlets '@ pidemco then tras
street than giman. They escaped from all their bad reputation by keep
changing their name from modern beauty, to be sauntuary to giman but
all these belong to same company. They push you package and then
refuse to honor it saying that it expires. They do this by always
telling u they are fully booked or closed their outlets so u can't
redeem them. They refused to refund u when they cannot meet their
requirement. They oversell and then refused to deliver so that the
packages got expired. They are a very despicable and unethical
company. To all ladies out there, I was a victim of their underhand
methods. Pls think many times before using their services. I never
patronize them ever again.

Anonymous said...

I hope u just forget about the 1st pay money... this saloon is totally dissappointed me. I thought it was my face problem, but every time i have a facial there, they actually cant really clean my face and now many small pimples coming out the next day after i have a facial. What !!!! And every time after their facial i have to go another salon to clean my face again. Unfortunately is i already sign their plan. And also, i feel very stress when i go there every time. Because they always persuade me to get many different types of facial treatment, although i have more than 10 times facial for the future, they still asking me to sign again.

Anonymous said...

This company is a crook and despicable company. It cheats the customer and is disgustingly unethical. Never sign up at modern Beauty at rb capital. Bunch of crooks and cheats.

Anonymous said...

Don't fall into the groupon trick. They cheat all customers to sign up and they give zero service. They are cheats!!!!

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Anonymous said...

After paying everything, they will force to sign on their discharge form and if I disagree,
they refused to provide me the service which they did in Dec.

I don't want their extension as these are useless to me when there areno slots and when I am forced to sign on their form.



It was so difficult to get the slots despite
their reservation method. It's useless to me if they extend the services
and I cannot get the slots.



They also forced me to sign the form which I refused and
modern beauty breached the contract by refusing to provide the service in
Dec 13. I maintain that I still want a full refund and nothing less and they ignore my request. To me,
this is clearly intimidation, force coercion, unfair company practices and
deception.


They did not tell me there is a validity period of 2 years when I purchase the package.

Anonymous said...

Fully agreed. I am a victim of their unethical method. They are downrightly despicable and dishonest. A bunch of cheats.

Anonymous said...

Please complain to the consumer tribunal. You don't need to hire a lawyer and modern beauty cannot hire a lawyer either so both of you will be on equal playing field. I managed to get an extension but i told them the extension is subject to them providing the original contract which i signed indicating the two year period (which I don't remember there being any). They didnt produce the form which i signed each time i went for facial despite repeated requests... but as i managed to finish within time i just let it go. Though i was really itching to take them to the tribunal!! If they allege they must prove there is a 2 year expiry period. I do not think everyone here has collective amnesia! Keep threatening them with the consumer tribunal and if really it comes down to it... go lodge a complaint.