Do you Yelp? | Olympia and the City

Hello Everyone,
A few months ago, we were chosen to participate in HAWT ON YELP WEEK. Yelp is a social site that people review local businesses. It’s a great place to find hair salons, restaurants, bars and clubs. Yelpers, as they are called are super hip insiders, and very entertaining. Whenever I feel down, I go on Yelp to read a review and if I am lucky…get good laugh. There is this one Yelper that makes my day, her name is MICHELE L, the girl is a RIOT! Read her review of Arlington County Jail HERE
That being said, I accepted to participate on Hawt on Yelp Week, where top-rated salons and spas offer 3 services at a discount for Yelpers. I was so excited, it was an honor for Miracles to be chosen. Oh my Lord, I needed to get the salon ready for all these new clients. I had a staff meeting and told them all to be on their BEST behavior….or else. I told them that these people will write about us, so PLEASE BEHAVE you hairdresser, heathen’s you. Everything was ready and we were booked solid. Six whole days of the salon bursting at the seams. I was a basket case full of stress!

We were on top of our game, my staff was the epitome of class and professionalism….and then the phone rang. I ran to pick it up, people waiting to pay,trying to check in, and when I answered the phone, the person on the phone asked “Do you guys do men?” I did not think twice and answered :“YES, WE ALL DO MEN, AND SOMETIMES WE CUT THEIR HAIR”

I blew it right then and there. Of course the man was a yelper, and he was laughing. I could not fix this one. I tried so hard to behave myself…DO NOT KNOW HOW. It’s great when a small business gets a positive review, Lord knows we can use the extra income right now. A negative review is just as good I think, it lets you fix the issues that clients complain about. I am so glad that most of my mistakes at the hair salon were made before the internet came about.The reviews would be something like this:

-Awful facial….she left me with a mask on my face while she went out to do a full head highlights.
-Will never return…..stylist went into drug withdrawal while razoring my bangs.
-Don’t go to this salon…the Engineer Degree daughter of the owner speaks to me only in Spanish.
-Went to Miracles Salon today for a haircut… I think I was the only sober person there.

Get the picture? And the sad part is that they would all be true. I tried to write a couple of reviews on Yelp, one was good and one was bad. I felt so guilty that I almost erased it. But I left it posted. It takes bravery to write about what you like and dislike, and the good thing about these folks at Yelp is that they go back and update a previous review. That is cool with me. I don’t know any Yelpers personally, but, when I read the posts, I get a kick out of life.That’s right, it takes nerve and heart to sit and write something that will be useful to another. Democracy AND community are alive and well. Just visit Yelp and see for yourself. I wish you well and do visit our miracles specials page for Valentines day.

As for me, I have a soft place in my heart for Yelper’s. Those folks have helped my little store so much, and I am grateful. Heard through the grapevine that Elevation Partners is investing about $100 million dollars in making Yelp a much bigger and better site both here and abroad. Bono is one of the Elevation Partners, I remain impressed and the best to you all.