Manhattan Movin Movers

Maybe I'm asking too much from this salon, but from the moment I booked the appointment, I was served a big ole plate of attitude! First and foremost, if it weren't for my assistant texting me a reminder the night before, I would totally have forgotten about my scheduled appointment with Avant (hello!!! a confirmation phone call the day before would have been nice) When I entered the salon, I was told to wait in the reception area and my stylist would be with me shortly. 10 minutes went by and no one offered me a beverage (I could see other clients with them) nor an explanation as to why I had to wait... finally, an apprentice came over and let me know that she would be doing my shampoo. She was sweet, however, that was the lousiest shampoo I've ever received and my neck wasn't supported at all during the process. I was escorted back to the reception area where I waited for another 20 minutes...my appointment was scheduled for 10:30am and it was now 11:10 and I had yet to see or hear from my scheduled stylist. At this point in time, I requested to speak with the manager and informed her that I was very displeased and that I needed to have my hair blown dry, as I had meetings to attend. She hustled up an apprentice and I was taken to her station. About 5 minutes into the blowdry, my scheduled stylist made an appearance and said that she would take over from there (I wished that I'd have stayed with the apprentice)...to make a VERY long story short, I received the ABSOLUTE WORST blowdry I could ever have had; my 9 year old nephew could have done a better job! I've got a full head of great hair...I don't know how she managed to do it, but I looked like a frizz ball with flat hair. Although the service was comp'd, I tipped the stylist $10 and called it a day...in hindsight, I overtipped by $10...not being a b*tch, but the moment I stepped out of the salon, my hairstyle collapsed into a stringy Aveda product mess. NEVER AGAIN! If you are seeking a salon that doesn't know the first thing about VIP customer service, this is the place for you! (PS.........I didn't even think they deserved 1 star....but this website forced me to give a rating!) Pros: Got a compliment from an apprentice on my outfit Cons: Everything: customer service, quality of service, lack of... more

A bit too loud and busy. Upside, hip, trendy and the people are nice. Running that far behind is not acceptable. Pros: Good Salon Cons: Long wait for some stylists more

I've gotten my hair cut and colored by Melissa/Carianne twice now and it is by far the best my hair has ever looked. I love the experience of coming to Avant and from here on out, won't go anywhere else!! Pros: professional and very knowledgeable staff more

I am so happy with the service I received here. I was able to book online, which was very convenient, and I didn't have to wait at all when I arrived for my appointment. The salon is beautiful and very clean and I particularly like that the music isn't loud or obnoxious. Shanna, my stylist, is clearly very skilled and knowledgeable. She gave me exactly what I asked for and didn't do anything different without asking, which is a problem I often have with stylists. I will definitely come back and see her again! Pros: lots of parking, nice atmosphere, skilled stylists Cons: I don't have any complaints. more

I've been seeing Carianne for cuts and Melissa for color for about 6 months now; they are both absolutely WONDERFUL. They're easy to work with and very honest when it comes to telling me what will and won't work with my facial structure and hair type; and they've not only improved the condition of my hair, they've actually made it look GOOD! (AND I don't feel as though I need for them to be in my bathroom every morning while I do my hair, either ... the style is simple but exactly what I wanted.)\r Both of the girls are young, with funky hairstyles [compared to me, anyway] -- and I was slightly leery of what they might end up doing to me ... but there was nothing to worry about. They actually listen to you and WORK with you -- and the salon always seems to have an opening when I need it!\r I've tried several other ""upscale"" salons in Austin, but I will never leave Avant -- unless Carianne and Melissa do!\r Pros: Wonderful stylists Cons: Front desk staff sort of snotty more

I have known vanessa for about 7 years and she is the only person who did my hair right. more

I have tried a number of the haircutters in this salon. They have all been nice people, and I have always gotten a decent professional cut, but usually it was not exactly what I had wanted. In defense of the haircutters, I have fine, thin, wavy hair that is difficult to work with. My most recent haircut was with Ric, and he listened carefully to what I wanted, and gave me exactly the cut I asked for. The cut has been easy to manage and looks good with the most minimal care. I am extremely happy with it, and I will be going to him from now on.\r \r As far as color goes, I was lucky enough to find Vanessa on my very first visit to the salon. She's the best. The color has always looked natural, and faded gradually without any visible grow-out line. My hair always feels like silk after she has colored it. Beyond this, she always goes the extra mile to make my experience as pleasant as possible, from holding my twirling chair when I sit down to making sure I am comfortable at the shampoo bowl. She has always been extremely considerate of my time, beyond the call of duty, and usually checks back with me to see how my haircut went. I wouldn't go to anyone else. more

My hair was in desperate need of a make over and I went to go see Roxi there and she is wonderful just after the short time talking with her she knew exactly what I needed and it?s seriously the best cut I have ever had, she's wonderful!! Pros: Great products for a great price and they smell great! more

It can be a difficult and somewhat personal choice finding a salon that makes you feel comfortable. I've been searching for the right one for quite awhile and when I booked this appointment, my expectations weren't very high, I was just hoping I wouldn't be disappointed. In short, my appointment far exceeded my expectations and I'm very happy that I chose Avant. Allie was my stylist and from the get go, she presented herself professionally and knowledgeable with hair. She explained what type of brush would work best for my style (my hair is very thick), but was careful not to push me to into buying anything unnecessarily. She also showed me how I should properly blowdry my hair in order to get the results I wanted with my new haircut. I'm very happy and have already received several compliments on it. Oh and another bonus for me is having the convenience of being able to book on-line. I love that! Thanks very much for the follow up and exceptional customer service. more

Hello everyone, this is Vanessa from Avant. I am sorry you have been misinformed, but I am NOT leaving Avant. None of my clients have to worry about me leaving! I am very happy at Avant. I love this company and will be here for a very long time. I am a part of the education team. I care very much about my salon's future. We are also about to start doing photo shoots for our ads and to display in our salons. My dedication to this salon will keep me for a long time. So if anybody interested in doing photo shoots or having your color done, you can find me at Avant.\r \r more

6 months ago I decided to dye my hair brown (from blonde). I have since decided to go back to being a blonde and had highlights last weekend. I have thick, long, curly hair. I told the stylists (Brittany) I wanted blonde highlights all over. During the highlighting process the stylists asked me if I wanted the lighter pieces in the front around my face and I said Yes. She proceeded to color the front part of my face last so it processed the color shortest and the back of my hair processed the longest. Well no surprise the front of my hair is darker then the back of my hair. Also, the stylists asked me if I wanted ash or honey highlights which they would use a toner to get that effect. We discussed it and decided on honey. I have a lot of hair so you have to use a lot of product to get all my hair. When she applied the toner she didn't get all my hair and their are sections throughout my hair that are visibly lighter then the rest of my hair. To make matters worse after she washed my hair she asked me how I wanted to style my hair. I knew she did not want to blowdry it straight because she had already mentioned it would take over an hour because I have so much hair. So, I told her to do it curly. She then proceeded to ask me what product I should use in my hair and had me scrunch my hair to make it curly. Then she told me to sit under the blowdryer and let it dry that way as opposed to her using a diffuser to dry it and it turned out horrible. This stylist made it clear she did not know how to work with curly hair or cared to learn. If I'm going to pay $150 to get my hair done I most certainly expect the stylists to style my hair. If you call yourself a professional and charge the prices this salon does, your staff should be able to work with all types of hair. I will never go back to this salon and if you do not have straight thin hair I would most certainly not recomend this salon. Pros: Aveda products are natural and good for the environment. Cons: Inexperienced staff more

I'm going to Avant Salon since 2 years and I've been consistently satistied with Ashley (hair color and highlights) and Shana (haircut). I always get compliments on the result. They're both very professional, skilled and talented. I highly recommend them. Pros: Relaxing, great ambience Cons: Pricey more

I just recently got my hair done there by a girl named roxie and shes wonderful I didn't know what I wanted and after talking to me for a bit she picked the perfect hair style for me! more

I have been going to Avant for over 10 years and have watched them grow and win award after award. I noticed many years ago, that Avant Stylist are never hired from other salons, rather always trained in house. Recently the recession effected me hard, and i lost my job. With Thanksgiving approaching, I recieved an Email about Avants training classes. Being desperate for a haircut, i gave it a try. I just want to say ""I love my haircut"". Arron impressed me with his talent. I will be back! Hopefully I will get a new job before he gets too expensive. Pros: Aveda, Great Staff, Austin Original Cons: not cheap .... more

I am the type of person who enjoys walking into a salon and telling any stylist the basic changes I want (i.e. short, growing it out, highlights, single color process, etc.) but after a disaster with a new stylist at a SOSO salon, I've become a little more detailed about my hair preferences. I started seeing Laura who was referred to me through a friend and I am so happy to have found a stylist that understands me again! I give her basics (short, layers, no layers) and tell her other contributing information (I often air-dry my hair and when it's short it's poufy) and she goes from there. I've avoided going for any bobs lately because my hair gets poufy but we talked it over and I ended up with one of the best haircuts ever! Even after the cut had essentially grown out, I continued to get compliments. All of the stylists I encountered at Avant were friendly and personable. The salon has the appearance of a more snooty environment, but everyone there is fun and down-to-earth (as much as stylists can be). I definitely recommend this salon....especially Laura!! Pros: Austins most talented and best educated staff and the use Aveda. Cons: I live in South Austin, I will have to take a chance on Avants new SouthPark Meadows location. more

Well I got another email of another great stylist that has left. Rudy used to cut my hair and always did a fantastic job. He really knows shape like no other. He gave me the most precise bob I've ever had. I know you didn't retire Rudy...thats ridiculous. Now Avant has to figure out how to keep their talented stylists. Pros: salon smells good Cons: front desk is rude more

Crystal did a great job on my highlights. They look natural but enough blonde to make it fun. The blend of colors she used really helps give definition to my hair. Thanks! more

I have been going to Avant for a few years as I like the AVeda products, the atmosphere, and the customer services. Teresa does both my color and cut. I have always enjoyed the visit to the salon as it is quiet, serene, and relaxing. However, the salon has changed in the last year. It appears that the owner is moving it from a high value/ customer focused salon to that of high volume/low value. There are so many stations there now that you can barely get from the front to the back without running into chairs or people. Regrettably, my stylist Teresa has also left for Luxe in the Domain. Per chance it is time for me to find another salon with more atmosphere. Pros: some of the stylists are truly outstanding..Jackie is a good manager. Cons: too crowded that it feels like Grand Central Station more

I just have to say that I LOVE Mandy at the downtown location! Wow! She is amazing! Just when my bridal portrait day was looking extremely gloomy (rain and a bad updo.....) she made the day a beautiful one by doing my makeup and hair! Thanks Mandy! I will never forget that day! You're an angel in my eyes! -Kim M more

Haircut by Amanda, color by Vanessa. Both stylists were lots of fun, but very professional. Haircut and color were spectacular. I would definitely recommend this salon to ANYONE!!! Front-desk personnel (checking in upon arrival and checking out upon completion of services) were very kind, attentive, and professional without being stuffy. Beautifully decorated salon as well. Great experience--I will definitely be back. more