Hair salons price vs value?

Finding your hair salon for the best value where it counts most-- hair color. Finding the right hair salon that perfectly fits your hair color needs can be a daunting task, after all there are so many to choose from. What makes a good salon and what makes a good colorist? How to find the best fit for you? What factors in your decision as most important- cost, convenience or quality? Now we know that all of these factors are important, but you can be sure that each hair salon is aiming to attract a particular niche or type of client. Many salons specialize in one particular type of service over another making a hair color salon an obvious choice for one considering color. The most tangible question in this equation is what are the colorist credentials? This part can is probably the most straight forward part of your decision. As hair color can be expensive, what about budget salons? Budget salons are an example of aiming at a client interested primarily in convenience in the sense that there is no need to plan ahead (no need to make an appointment), and low cost. Personally I strongly advise thinking twice about choosing such a salon for hair color or any type of chemical work. The kind of expertise required for chemical services will simply not be found here. High end salons cater to the discriminating client. Therefore here quality becomes the emphasis. But something more enters into the equation… at the high end prestige and luxury become part of the picture, making an elite environment as much a factor as the quality of service. Generally the more one pays, the more a lush, luxury environment becomes part of what is being offered. The question to balance here is how much value versus luxury ambiance is part of your personal criteria? If you are balancing conflicting values does the prestige salon offer results that are commensurate with its prestige environment and celebrity price tag? While it is true you get what you pay for, it is also true that a high price tag is no guarantee of the best. One perk big budget salons can offer is dressing rooms to change clothing. This ensures that hair color cannot ruin clothing. Many also offer an assortment of drinks and munchies. All this aims at making the hair salon environment an overall experience. Are you one to form a bonded relationship (more in keeping with the personal feel of a small boutique salon) with the color/stylist doing your service; or is it to the establishment (luxury or prestige ambiances can feel impersonal) that is most central in importance? All hair salons seek to create a pleasant overall experience. Some are just able to do it better than others. Probably, these are things that are important to you if you are considering hair color that will have you in the salon for any length of time. These are all factors that form the intangibles. Balancing all these factors is why most salons fall into the mid range category. Here an attempt is made to offer the best service and overall experience at a price that still appeals to the general public. Obviously this can be a tricky formula to make work. In essence one is attempting to offer what is of value in the most elite hair salons but still keeping things affordable. Is that not what most of us are looking for today--- value? The best without the big price tag? For this reason I as a master hair colorist, have settled into a small boutique upper/mid range hair salon, doing what I do best, delivering value.