Hairdressers: Do you get what you pay for? city centre or local?

[lifeistooshorttodrinkcheapwine]

I am never sure about this: I have been to city centre hairdressers and had mediocre haircuts - a case of the emperors new clothes. I have been to local hairdressers and had bad haircuts too.
What to you think? Whats your experience
Do you get what you pay for?

How did YOU go about finding your hairdresser?

Word of mouth. No other form of advertising can compete. I get new clients that have been recommended to me by my current customers. Personally if one client brings me in a new client I give them a discount or a small freebie. This seems to work for me very well. If you see someone with a style you love go and ask them where they went. They'll only be too happy to tell you. I worked in a little old lady style salon when I trained. However I trained alongside juniors from Toni and Guy at college. It made me laugh that as a junior I could charge £7.50 for a cut and blow and yet at Toni and Guy the same thing was £40 with a trainee. I earned a small % for my efforts whereas they didn't see a penny of it. Actually I felt bad for them. Anyhoo I digress...

it really depends what you're after. Try not to dismiss smaller salons. If you get one with trainees that have been taught modern techniques, you're laughing. You may find that different salons have dressers with different fortes. Mine was colour and highlighting. In our salon it was common for us to pass a customer through 3 different sets of hands (wash with junior, colour with technician, cut and blow with stylist etc etc) It worked for us. Some days I could go ages without picking up my scissors. My bosses were so impressed with my enthusiasm for colouring that they sent me on lots of courses to learn new techniques. (I swear I introduced Manchester to the Ombre style back in 2008! :o)
Ask your friends, post on fb, even check out the local college and get a freebie.

good advice freepiece thank you. Can i be cheeky and ask where you live? i want a good cutter.

I find you get what you pay for but it might depend on your style/hair as to whether an expensive cut is worth it. I have fine, straight hair in a bob which had to be well cut otherwise it looks terrible hence I spend a lot and travel into nearest city centre. Friends of mine who have different hair types/styles go local and their hair looks great.

Manchester. I'm working in Withington village. Be happy to take new customers. Its very quiet after Christmas.

I have been lucky to find a small, local salon who charges be £20 for a cut, £45 for cut, colour and highlights. It is one of those "old lady salons" but, tbh, it suits me and she does a great job.

I used to pay £££. Times are hard all round but this doesn't feel like downgrading, it feels just right. And I get several cups of real coffee plus a selection of biscuits. Winner

I live near derby/nottingham and go to stafford once a week freepeace I'm being cheeky again, do you know anyone near me?

My hairdresser is a 'mobile' one in South OXON. I pay £20. I have always thought she did a fab job, then I found out she used to work in a tippety top salon in London, doing various celebs hair, Wish i could remember the name, but I did recognise it. She moved out of London and went mobile when she got maried and had kids. Mobile, so she can work around school hours. I wash my own hair and make my own tea.

She is ACE and I get a fabulous cut for £20. I don;t have any colours done as I have very dark hair.

It's so hard. I think it comes down to individual stylists in the end. I've had great cuts from really nice stylists in city centre chains, but also horrible overpriced ones from sourfaced stylists who didn't listen to what I wanted. In general I'd say go to a local or independent salon (whether it's in a city centre or not) and build a good relationship with one stylist who will get to know your hair and listen to what you want.

I went to Sainsburys today with the full intention of looking for people with good haircuts and asking them where they get it done BUT i hadn't got the nerve to just go up and ask anyone :( Its clear I'm going to have to practice doing this. I also found it hard to find anyone whose hair looked like it had a good cut - what should i be looking for?

No shop around and like other posters said word of mouth is key!
I used to go to 2 very expensive posh salons in town paid a fortune for the top colorist and senior stylist- now I use a mobile hairdresser recommended to me and love how she does my hair and the price is much better- i've had people ask me where I get my hair done since changing to her and for her details so will take that as a good sign :)

I currently pay £55 for a cut. I usually try them out and if I like their personality and their cut looks good after I leave the salon then I go back, but I have lost so many hairdressers to staff turnover - very frustrating.

Its finding the right person thats the key it seems - please let me know if any of your hairdressers are within travelling distance of me (nr derby)