The salon is called ""Customer Come First"" and my stylist was the owner, ""Grace."" In both cases they are aptly named. Customers really do come first and Grace is definitely full of grace.
Everyone knows how important first impressions are. Grace made a great first impression. She was running about 30 minutes late, but had the courtesy and professionalism to call me in advance of my appointment to let me know she would be late. She arrived exactly when she said she would. I've been to another African hair braiding salon and the braider was over an hour late, and never once called me!
As I entered the salon, I was exposed to a neat, tidy, and clean work area. The bathrooms were also clean. There was cable television and comfortable seating. I thought it was going to take all day so I brought plenty of reading material; I didn't need it though. Grace is a fantastic conversationalist. We talked almost the entire time. She is bright and very funny. I felt like we were old friends. This was nothing like my past braiding experience which felt uncomfortable; I felt like a burden.
I'm a braiding novice. I thought I wanted one thing, but Grace explained why that really wouldn't work due to the length of my hair. She made a different suggestion and recommended color as well. I was a bit nervous but decided to trust her and I'm so glad I did. The finished product is beautiful, but I'm getting ahead of myself.
The process was quick and painless. These are significant qualities because the last braiding experience I had hurt so much, I thought I'd NEVER go through that again. Grace is so skillful that there was minimal pain (no ibuprofen needed). She's also quick. I have fairly thick and long hair, yet she completed the job in 5.5 hours (I thought it would take 6-8 hours). Even though she's fast, quality isn't sacrificed; my hair is, in a word, GORGEOUS! She even took the time to show me some quick up-dos and how to maintain my hair.
After it was done and it was time to pay; there was no sticker shock experience. I knew in advance how much it would cost and her prices are reasonable. She didn't charge me more simply because I have long hair (the last salon I went to did). She accepts credit cards which meant I didn't have to walk around with over $100 in my pocket. Also, she takes the braids/twists out for free - unheard of but good business practice (that's one way to keep people coming back)!
I highly recommend Customer Come First African Braids. It's located in Cary and well worth the drive (I came from North of Wake Forest). I'll always go to Grace for my hair braiding needs. Thank you Grace and thanks to my co-worker who referred me.
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