A TikTok creator has sparked a wave of backlash after attempting to tank a Los Angeles hair salon’s reputation over an appointment she missed because she arrived late.
The drama began when the woman, who goes by Lisa (@cruelrice), booked an appointment a month in advance with hairstylist Madelynn (@madlocks) in Pasadena. On the day of the appointment, Lisa left her home already behind schedule, with her GPS showing an ETA of 11:04 for an 11:00 appointment.
From there, she cited a series of setbacks including traffic lights, highway closures, a broken elevator in the parking garage, and even a train passing by. She arrived at 11:16, one minute past the salon’s 15-minute grace period.
Despite showing up late, Lisa was seated, offered water, had her hair brushed, and was asked what she wanted. Madelynn then told her that with a client booked at 12:30, she did not think an hour and 15 minutes was enough time to complete the textured, layered cut Lisa was requesting, and that she did not want to rush and deliver poor results.
She offered to reschedule for the next day. Lisa declined, saying it was her only day off. She left the salon in tears, posted a video to TikTok with a photo of herself crying, and left a one-star review.
Madelynn responded with her own calm, measured TikTok. She confirmed Lisa was more than 15 minutes late, explained that she works six days a week without scheduling lunch breaks, and emphasized that she holds herself to the same standard she expects from clients. She said she genuinely felt bad for Lisa and thanked the people who left supportive reviews in response to the situation.
The salon reportedly saw an uptick in positive reviews following the incident, suggesting the public sided firmly with Madelynn. As for Lisa, leaving a one-star review and posting a photo of yourself crying over an appointment you were late to is not a great look, no matter how many traffic lights were involved.
