Experience w/ Haircuts at John Allan's?

[thinksimple]

For all you New Yorkers, how has your experience been at John Allan's? They just opened their first location in Toronto, and they have a promotion going on right now for their annual membership- $620 for the year.

For those who have a membership (or are in the know with etiquette), should I be factoring in gratuities for every trip if I get the membership, or would different "rules" apply in that instance (i.e. I can assume tips are covered with my membership)? I only ask because if I had the membership, I would go as often as I could. Currently, I get my hair cut every month or every 1.5 months, but with a membership, I would go weekly. If I end up tipping everyone, it's like another $15-20 per trip, which could effectively double or triple the annual cost, negating any incentive for me to buy into a membership.

 

[tesseract]

john allens is awesome.

 

[Manton]

I did it once about 11 years ago and thought it was really strange and never went back.

 

[Beckwith]

Belonged for 3+ years, but location change and lack of time caused me to drop the membership. Tipping equates to $15-$20 per trip, which you pegged correctly. Other things to factor in, the free beer and tasting are a good perk and I used that a lot. To maximize the benefit go in here and there for a shine or a random manicure. It was a good experience and I enjoyed it but the expenses add up quickly.

 

[taxgenius]

I think the tips make the whole experience cost prohibitive.

 

[bant]

i was a member years ago and echo similar sentiments that its only 'worth' it if you go on a regular basis. the haircut is decent but the best part of the entire experience is the 5 min shampoo/scalp massage and babes (hopefully both still apply).

 

[thinksimple]

Originally Posted by taxgenius

I think the tips make the whole experience cost prohibitive.

Agreed. Wasn't sure if I had to factor it in or not, but if it's an additional expense above the membership fee, it's still cheaper to stick with my regular joint.

Thanks for all the input

 

[Beckwith]

It is not a cheaper issue, but rather a incremental expense for a nice experience. I really enjoyed it and had a standing appointment every other week. I would also take friends and they rarely charged me or them, and to be honest used it as place to go for cocktails and beer before I went out for the evening. You basically pre pay for the services and each time you tip is the real expense.

 

[jimmyfingers]

If you are looking at the big picture of saving money, this place is not for you. I can't imagine not tipping. When I was a member there was a German guy who showed up on a regular basis and refused to tip. The level of service he received greatly diminished.