I'm a native New Yorker, born and raised in Manhattan. You're probably thinking that since I am a New Yorker, I must have had lots of experiences of spoiling myself at high end beauty salons and getting cheap haircuts at hipster barber shops. Occasionally, I do go to higher end salons (only after I search for promotions or deals--New York is expensive!) but I have to admit that I am loyal to one stylist in my Chinatown neighborhood.
She is a very nice, pretty Chinese lady. She does not have the best fashion sense but she has very beautiful hair. She works at a little shop around the corner from my apartment and I visit her every three months or so. As a local salon, they charge a fairly cheap price, a lot cheaper than a lot of the newer salons that opened up in the neighborhood. However, that is not the reason why I keep going back to her. The reasons are: I like her and I like the atmosphere of the salon. What I like about her most is that she got to know me throughout my visits. I remember the year bangs became popular and I debated whether I should get bangs. Most people told me yes- I had the face for it. However, when I asked her for her advice, she told me no-- she liked my forehead and she said, "knowing you, it would bother the heck out of you. You can barely sit still when you get a haircut. You rarely blow dry so your layers and your bangs will be a frizzy mess. you'll get acne from the hair oil and the face touching." She was totally right. I would have winded up waiting impatiently for months for my bangs to grow out again.
Sometimes when I visit a higher end salon, I feel out of place. The thrill of being there and waiting to be overcharged for a haircut is awseome, maybe once in a while. Not because I feel inferior to the other customers, even though they do own Louis Vuitton everything. I do love the decorations in higher end salons, it's so tasteful and modern but honestly, I have to say I don't really like the overall atmosphere of the higher end salons. The receptionists and stylists are welcoming and friendly, but they don't give me the same welcoming, homely feel. I speak for myself but aren't all women just too tired of wearing a mask to a salon at the end of the day? I mean, they want to appear exclusive, I understand that. If I want to feel like I'm part of something exclusive, I prefer a club or restaurant. For a salon, I just want to sit there, put my trust in a stylist who knows me, knows what I want and won't mess up. Can you do that for your clients?
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