TONI & GUY Newcastle-upon-Tyne 0.3 2 reviews

First and foremost, let me make it absolutely clear... the staff were all friendly to me. It's not them I'm about to slate as people, it was theur skill set (or lack of).

People go to Toni & Guy and indeed at times, pay through the nose for what we expect to be a top class haircut/colour/whatever youre having done because that is what they are famous for. It's what they specialise in. I have experienced this quality in my old Durham branch... but not the one in Newcastle.

As it was my first time there, when asked - 'who do you normally have it cut with?' I responded truthfully and it turns out i was given a 'Stylist' (which I didn't necessarily mind as they only cost £25). She was friendly, and did ask all the right questions. However, her skills did let her down. After she cut my hair for no more than 2 minutes, I was then ushered away to have my hair coloured by someone else - a new exp. for me at Toni & Guy as I'm used to having the same person throughout the entire session.

The hair colour woman was equally as friendly, but worries did begin when she didn't bother with using foils whilst dying my hair even though it's long enough. I asked her why this was and she responded - we just don't usually do that in Newcastle (wierd). She then promptly went on to paint my hair here and there with her brush - great. The thing that makes it worse, is whilst we were discussing what I wanted having done (for the second time as it was a different person) she then went to 'get the mixture' without even showing me a book or explaning me what shade/tone she was using... uh-oh.

After she was done, I was then left with nothing to read or do for a good 20 minutes before one of the assistants slapped some magazines on the table with a lovely - 'there you go'.

Following my hair being washed and then dried - by yet another different member of staff (got a chance to speak to everyone in the place..) the original stylist made her way back to finish the cut. Personally, I found it wierd that she had straightened my hair when I felt there was still a lot of work to be done - I know I wasnt after anything drastic, but my hair had only been cut for 2 minutes previously. We joked and cracked on (like I said, they were nice people) and then after 1 minute, she was done.

I must have been caught up in the conversation as I didn't realise till I got home that she hadnt bothered to trim my sideburns, so I was walking around with one far longer than the other one.

It would appear simply that the staff - or at least the 4 I experienced - just didn't know what they were doing despite going through the 'Toni & Guy' training.

The strange thing is, I'm not mad at what I've been put through, I just find it alarming wierd. Maybe thats because I'm a bloke, and I can always get a buzzcut as last resort.

P.S. the hairdye the 'colour specialist' used was clearly not light enough as my hair doesn't look any different.

Had heard so much about this salon and having moved here for university and thought I'd give it a try,unfortuntley I found it very exspensive and not very student friendly, atmosphere a bit to full on and did not leave relaxed like I did at my old salon. Sorry will not return.
Imogen x