I really like my stylist, and feel she delivers a quality result (cut and color)--I'd give her 5 stars. That said, the pricing at the salon is high (the junior stylist rate is $100/hour, I think), isn't as transparent or awesome as advertised, and I don't care for the hourly rate strategy.
Unlike attorneys, who charge by the billable hour in six-minute increments, and only for work performed on project-related tasks, Alkali effectively charges clients for the time their hair color spends processing when no other services are being rendered. My stylist could be eating lunch, in other words, and I'm paying for that time. (In fact, she's never anywhere to be seen while I'm processing.) The salon argues that this actually enables clients to squeeze in more services, and get more bang for their buck, but I haven't found that to be the case. My stylist doesn't offer any additional services that could be performed during processing, nor have I ever been offered any extra services that could fit into my booking while at the salon; any additional services that could be performed during that time (if there are any) would presumably be done by someone else, and would thus incur separate charges (for that person's time). What's more, I don't want any additional services. So, in effect, I'm paying for phantom, theoretical add-on services I neither want nor receive. The pricing model is not a boon for me, therefore, despite the sales pitch. For what it's worth, I've never seen anyone at the salon receive any other services while their color is processing either. I suspect this is a feature rather than a bug for the salon, as it enables the salon to lock in hourly prices--prices that, presumably, bake-in the costs of various services that could, theoretically, be performed during that hour--without necessarily delivering anything above and beyond the services clients would otherwise book (and pay for) à la carte under a service-based pricing model. Just a guess. Tipping isn't required (of course, tipping is never required), but you will be prompted to tip at the end of your appointment. I've always tipped 20% at other salons, but I think prompting for tips is inappropriate in this context. The hourly rates here are high, and other professionals who charge by the hour don't ask for or accept tips. You don't tip your plumber, your electrician, or your attorney, and they don't put you on the spot by asking you to do so.
Services at the salon can add up quickly, especially if you get your hair colored. Estimating what your appointment is going to cost in advance can be difficult for first-timers, as well as for those changing up their services, which can make for an unpleasant surprise at the end of your visit. It can also be difficult to schedule yourself online unless you are rebooking a previous appointment with no alterations because doing so requires you to know which "Tech" or "Chem" or "Proc" selection applies to your desired/needed services, and no descriptions of these are provided on the booking platform. Yes, there are descriptions of each on the salon's website, but it's not necessarily self-evident which option applies to you at a given time (or how you might be able to swap one service for another to meaningfully reduce your service costs). This is unfortunate because, aside from speaking with your stylist directly, the online platform is the easiest way to get an estimate of your service costs. Not everyone feels comfortable discussing dollars and cents with their stylist, frankly. Even if you are, there might not be a lot your stylist can do/advise to reduce costs aside from drastically modifying your services or switching you to a more junior stylist.
As stylists get more education, they move up the payscale. In theory, this is appropriate. The challenge for me as a consumer is that I'm not necessarily benefited by certain advances in my stylist's know-how, or additional certifications she might receive. I might never need specialist services, like color correction, for example. But because pricing is based on hourly rates rather than services, and that skillset might increase her rate, I could end up paying more (possibly a lot more) for my regular old services every time I sit in her chair.
I'm very picky about my hair so I continue to pay the high prices Alkali charges despite feeling the sting. But I also space my appointments out more than I used to, which helps keep my yearly costs in check. And, every quarter, I evaluate whether or not I want to alter my services, or spread my appointments out even more, to bring my costs down further. If it came to the point where I felt I couldn't continue to work with my current stylist given her pricing, I would leave the salon; I wouldn't continue to pay the same or a similar price for a different, less experienced stylist, as Alkali recommends the budget-conscious do. Alkali itself isn't worth it. read more