To those who gave or are inclined to give Hair Cuttery less than 5 stars, I hear ya. But hear me out as this is my first time reviewing anything. That's right. Not even a single review on an Amazon order or meal from a restaurant that I now associate with days spent next to a toilet. Right here is my debut. I have visited multiple Hair Cuttery locations many times in the past and have always left the salon less than satisfied every time. I never left reviews about my experiences because I'm also lazy when it comes to my hair. Even when the stylists gave me a cut I didn't know I wanted (still didn't), used extra hot water during a wash that made me tear up (maybe I had something moving about on my scalp she had to kill and steam without warning), colored my forehead and ears for free (to match my hair!), or jumpstarted my heart with surprise charges (no one told me keeping a longer length was going to cost me extra $$ in addition to extra time spent in the shower), I kept going back because the place is just too darn convenient. I don't like to travel far for my hair. And I regretted each return. I just figured this is what happens to perennial ponytail wearers like me. We get punished for not taking better care of our locks. We will never feel what those models in the ads feel after leaving a salon. Almost two years after my last visit to Hair Cuttery, I finally decided I was ready to be punished again, but for the very last time. Today was going to be my farewell cut and color. "I tried, Hair Cuttery. I hung in there, but you just did not want to meet me halfway. I am done crying" is what I had planned to whisper as I walk out the door. I did not get to do that today. Quan, the soft-spoken and unassuming man who took my call, ruined that moment for me. He was very polite and attentive. He figured out, like anyone who had the misfortune of dealing with my hair, that I never learned what to expect in a hair salon, like a mouse that could never find the right path to the cheese in the maze. I told him I wanted long layers, because ponytail, and color. He told me how much that would cost. He wasn't all about free forehead and ears coloring though, which I learned after he told me why he would apply a layer of oil outside my hairline and around my ears. I didn't mind at all. I didn't have gray hair on those areas anyway. He engaged in a conversation when I wanted to chat and quietly worked when I closed my eyes. He did something no stylist has ever done before and that was place cotton inside my ears to keep water from getting in during the wash. The cotton balls not only kept water out but also muffled the noise in the salon. Pretty sure I dozed off at the wash station. Sorry if I snored, Quan. I was told "5 minutes" under the dryer; and 5 minutes later, Quan came back. This was not the 5 hours I was used to! And the blowout was wow. There was no tugging at my already thin hair, no loud dryer next to my ear or a dragon's fire breath sweeping across my scalp. The way I felt in the end, I probably took a power nap during the blowout. I was so happy with Quan's work that I kept raving about him to my sister. My cut and color turned out better than I expected. I am super happy with today's experience that I was compelled to write a review for the first time. Quan, *in my best Jack Nicholson voice* you make me want to be your regular. I promise to return for touch-ups and trims. I will travel to your other location on other days if my boss doesn't buy my sickness on a Monday. Hair Cuttery, until you can clone your stylists, Quan must be protected at all costs! 5-star experience with Hair Cuttery today thanks to Quan Tran.
