Let me start with stating that I've been a big fan of experimenting with hair color (and sometimes styles) since my teens. When I was younger, for many years I did my own hair, so no need to deal with salons and stylists. Then I decided to go for more complex hair color schemes that I did not have the skills to do, so committed to going to salons. I always hated these kinds of appointments so much, but went because the experiments were fun (the result, sometimes, not always). But I never really liked my stylists' personality except one that I saw several years ago in another city, but she did a crappy job with color, and I am not paying for a nice personality. The ones I found in NY were OK with the hair, but just as annoying otherwise. Until I found my current stylist early this year - just after getting sober - I was looking for many new things to do, so new hairstyle with new stylist... And finally I managed to catch a true artist. She does magic with the color, everything she has ever done I loved, and there were a few versions. And she is very calm, quiet, focused on the work. We do chat usually a little - about hair dye chemistry, ideas she has, or traveling. And she is not a shark, tries to find me cheaper options for my usually expensive requests. I love her and am keeping her! Hope she won't decide to move to another city or something like that.
The people who like to talk a lot and play drama: I would usually stay pretty minimalistic in my responses, and then they stop after a while or tune it down, at least in my experience.