They called the police because a dissatisfied customer refused to pay full price for incomplete and inadequate service. But before that, and while they waited for the police to arrive, they called the customer and her daughter (me), Armenian-Americans who have lived in this beautiful country for over 20 years, “Gypsies,” reminded us that “This is America,” threatened to have their “Teamster friends give us a visit,” and wrote down the word “trash” on a piece of paper in our view. (I don’t mean to suggest that I stood there helpless; I gave them an earful even though I didn’t lower myself to their standards – no cussing, racist/derogatory comments, or lame insults from me). Need I say more? Perhaps not, but for the sake of exposing the absolutely obnoxious, unprofessional, and rude behavior of multiple employees there (who ganged up on us), I will provide more detail:\r
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I called in to inquire the price of a mani-pedi, and was told $35 (I assumed this was a discounted rate for doing both, but later learned that their pricing sheet listed a spa pedi at $25 and a mani at $10). I made an appointment for my mom. During my mom’s pedicure, the employee complained multiple times about being tired. Her body language confirmed her discomfort and displeasure at having to do the work. She did a very poor job overall, and had to be reminded to finish a few toes. At the end, all toes got two coats, but several were patchy and uneven. Ultimately, the worst pedicure my mom had ever received. Before the manicure, the employee told my mom that she didn’t like to do manicures. Just what every customer wants to hear, right? So what can my mom do but request that she stop and that another employee start her manicure. The man at the front desk told her that no one else was available at the time and that she could come back in a few hours. My mom said she did not have time to wait and was not going to come back. He told her she owed $25 for the pedicure. I told him we would not pay the full amount for a pedi alone because it was not done well and we were expecting a packaged deal. He then said $20, which I still deemed unfair because half the job was done, and it wasn’t a good half at that. I told him I would give him $10, expecting that he might ultimately convince me to split the difference. What I got instead was an agitated and angry threat to call the police. I thought, “How desperate,” (among other things) and then said “go ahead.” Long story short, there was a huge scene -- a lot of loud arguing back and forth, police involvement, and they got their $20 (not because I thought they were right—or that the police settled the dispute appropriately—but just to put an end to the ridiculous ordeal). What a great way to do business, right? Meanwhile the customers already in the salon, and those coming in, had the pleasure of experiencing this dramatic scene. I’m sure most would have paid $10 just to see the show.\r
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