So, prolific yelper that I am, I'm glad to be settled into my new digs in Fargo/Moorhead enough to finally create some semblance of normalcy and routine. Part of any cosmopolitan girl's routine is getting her hair did. (as The Man calls it, much to my dismay) Even though my original plan before moving to the arctic tundra was to fly back to Atlanta every 2 months to see the lovely Lisa at Studio Philisa, with planning our wedding and trying to decorate the home, money is just too tight for such ventures. I figured it would be next to impossible to find a quality, detail-oriented stylist who would coddle my fragile hair ego, so you can imagine my shock to find an actual session stylist right here in Fargo! Kari at Mad Hatter Salon is fun, quirky and all sorts of kitschy... just like me. I was as nervous as a virgin on her wedding night when I walked through the door of her small shop on Broadway for the first time, but Kari immediately set to work making me feel comfortable and welcome. She listened to me and took time to understand all of my needs, fears and desires and was willing to work with my obsessive nature to achieve a compromise between my current posh, cosmopolitan style and my sleek, vintage wedding style this February. And even though a small issue cropped up days later, she worked me into her exceedingly busy schedule to fix the problem-- all with the wonderful grace and humour of a true professional. I will be coming back to see her as often as I can. And while I won't be able to see my dear sweet Lisa in Atlanta as often any more, she can at least rest assured that I am in very capable and lovely hands. read more

Although I loved my boyfriend and I loved our haircuts from Kari the lack of customer service recently has made me go in search of something new. She was a no show for an appointment last Friday. We called, no answer. Called again and left message no return. Emailed on Facebook, no answer. Texted, no response. Not sure what the deal is. Makes us sad, she was great at hair cuts. Maybe she we will finally get back to us and I can revise this review. Just wanted to update this. Only had one hair cut from Kari, and then no response from her. During the cut she was very nice and friendly. Since this post I have also recommended her to people. Sense I did feel she did a great job at hair cuts. She may not want to cut my hair anymore but I still felt she deserved business. To date the 6 or 7 clients I have sent her way she has also done the same thing to. Maybe she only wants to cut her friends hair. As for the review that bashed my review. If a stylists wants to "break up" with a client maybe you should not schedule appointments with them and then be no shows. That is what angered me more then anything. That was why we tried calling and getting in touch with her. Because she was a no show. Dont make the appointment to begin with. We are all adults here. read more

I have known Kari Smith for nearly 20 years and she is a very talented artist in cutting and coloring hair. Maybe those who bash her didn't really set up an appointment or got the wrong phone number when you called. She is excellent ! Worth the wait. read more

Scissors N Smith - Kari Smith does an amazing job at keeping this 60 year old looking good! - Hair Salons Near Me - Fargo, North Dakota

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I love Kari, owner and sole stylist of Mad Hatter Salon! I should've written this review a long time ago; I've been going to Kari for over three years now. I came across her when I was working retail at West Acres Mall and helped a customer who had gorgeous hair and asked her where she had gotten it done (since I had moved to the F/M area about a year prior to this, I needed to get ideas somewhere!) and was told about Mad Hatter's. I made an appointment the following week. The experience was like none I'd ever had before: one person in one room focused on me and my hair. It's so much more relaxed than other salons that have two or more stylists running around, taking appointments. phone calls. etc. The shampoo and conditioner she used/uses make my hair ridiculously soft and the scalp massage during was to die for. And, being the sweetheart she is, she would give me a dry scalp massage prior to washing my hair using essential oils (which she also uses for a mini-aroma therapy treatment by giving you a hand massage with it and having you breathe it in while cupping your hands around your face) This only happens after a rough week or during finals... either way, it shows she really cares. She HAS forgotten about an appointment with me before, but in exchange I got a free hair product (or a free cut, I had a choice...), which was a nice touch. She's an amazing person and REALLY knows what she's doing. Even though I only see her once a month, she makes me feel like we're close friends; remembers what's happening in my life and gives me honest advice. I dunno, man. It's therapeutic! As if the great haircuts aren't enough... 99.9999% of the cuts I've gotten from her have been fantastic. A couple have been a little off, but if I have a problem, I make an appointment and she fixes it for free. No harm no foul. In summation: Pros: - Kari is an incredible person - one-one-one hair lovin' - Kari has done TONS of hair shows nation (possibly world) wide; she knows her craft - One can make appointments by - phone call - text - email -facebook - etc? - FREE trims as many times as you want (but you'll want to pay her because she's so great) - reasonable prices for what you're getting -eco-friendly - stylin', cozy, clean little salon - sometimes her puppy visits! - she provides knowledge of all the local shops and businesses F/M has to offer - she has a real passion for what she does - she'll happily show you ways to style your new 'do upon request - she has set her customers up; at least two couples she's made are getting married this year. If I wasn't engaged myself, I'd put my love fate into her hands for sure! - my hair stays suuuper soft for a few days after the cut, even through a couple washes - my hair is always really easy to take care of after a visit to MH, since it is cut so well Cons - it sometimes takes her a while to get back to you about appointments, I text her a second time after a couple days if I don't get a response and she usually gets back to me. I find that if I text her on the weekdays in the morning before she sets up shop that I'm more likely to get an immediate response -sometimes she goes a little crazy with the product, as my hair sometimes comes out sticking together a little more than I'd like, looking a little greasy. However, she takes care of this when I ask her to. And she wouldn't use it if I asked her not to; I just like having my hair played with. :) -sometimes she takes liberties; not often, but when she did with me, she gave me straight-across bangs (which I didn't want at all). I actually ended up loving them more than what I originally wanted, so since then, I've learned to trust her. - you need to specify whether you want a trim or a cut. I once went in for a cut and she had only made time for a trim for me... Go see her! read more

Mad Hatter salon was recommended to me, so I booked an appointment a week in advance online. I has some trouble finding the place since there are more than more doors marked as "12 Broadway", and I initially went into the wrong door and had to ask someone where the salon was. When I found the place and walked in and said I had an appointment, Kari said, "At 2:00?", I responded with, "yes". I was then told, "When I didn't hear from you I booked another appointment on my wait list". I was confused, but kind of assumed that because I booked online maybe I missed something and was supposed to call and confirm, so I asked, "Was I supposed to call?". To which Kari responded that I was supposed to call if I wasn't going to be on time. I asked, "Am I not on time?" and pulled out my phone, it was 2:06. She told me she waited 5 minutes then booked another client in my time slot. I said okay, I'll go to someone else and asked her for recommendations. She wasn't mean, but wasn't exactly friendly either. It doesn't seem like good business practice to turn someone away for being 5 minutes late, when it was their first appointment. I guess she could have booked another client 2 seconds before I walked in the door, but since she didn't really seem apologetic or offer to reschedule, my assumption is that she didn't want to take me on as a client in the first place. I cannot give an opinion on the quality of haircuts Kari gives, since I didn't end up getting a haircut from her. I can only say that I would not recommend this place to someone looking for a new stylist, as it seems pretty evident that she has no interest in taking on new clients at this time, read more

My turn to respond to Nicole. I wasn't going to say anything good or bad about this salon. I had been there multiple times, and I think she's an excellent stylist. That being said, the unprofessional portion comes when she stood me up for a hair cut as well, and refused to respond to any phone calls. read more