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Alfangi Salon
Categories: Beauty and Spas Hair Salons Beauty and Spas Massage Beauty and Spas Nail Salons Hair Salons, Massage, Nail Salons [Edit]
435 5th Ave3rd Fl
(between 38th St & 39th St)
New York, NY 10016
Neighborhood: Midtown East
(212) 889-9691
- Nearest Transit:
-
5 Av (7, 7X)
Grand Central - 42 St (S)
42 St - Bryant Pk (B, D, F, M)
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Parking:
- Street
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Insurance:
- No
- By Appointment Only:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
About This Business:
Swedish Massage, Couples Massage, Pregnancy Massage, Birth Doula Services, Belly Casting, Hot & Cold Stone Therapy, Deep Tissue Massage, Thai Integration Massage
75 reviews for Alfangi Salon
75 reviews in English
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Review from Julia E.
Somerville, MA
5/10/2012
Ladies, don't get your panties in a twist! Alfangi gave me a nice manicure today, a good massage, a relaxing little mini-facial, and a mediocre glass of white wine. Overall experience? Not mind-blowing great. Not an evil scam. But just good enough.
Yes, I also purchased the special promo deal in Bryant Park. Keyword there: PROMO deal. Of course the salon tried to up-sell me into buying a full facial (and to be honest, yes I do need one!) But, like a strong little feminist, I said "no thank you, I don't have the money now, but maybe I will book one in the future." Bam. Done.
It seems to me like the salon has improved quite a bit due to all these Yelp hissyfits. The service was fine (but not amazing) and I will definitely be going back to get my haircut and deep conditioning. Honestly, yes...if you purchased a $70 promo expecting a magic carpet ride to the Berkshires for a spa weekend with George Clooney, you will be disappointed.
So reality check: lose the naivete, accept the fact that this is a business that hopes to turn a profit, say no to the hair gloss/full facial/highlights, and enjoy your cheap spa deal. Every single woman leaving that salon looked beautiful and had perfect hair, so Alfangi is doing something right! -
Review from Times F.
Manhattan, NY
5/15/2012
I got this promotion for a friend and I, and this is most likely the biggest ripoff ever. So it ended up costing about $52 a person (registration fee and etc) for the promotion, which we wouldn't have minded if everything actually turned out right. I got the massage and manicure, the massage was pretty good, but the manicure was just alright. I could have done a better job myself.
My friend got a haircut, and she got pressured into getting a vitamin treatment for her hair, which she kept on denying in the first place, but the stylist kept on insisting that her hair was very damaged and if she cut it her hair would be completely "gone." She wouldn't cut my friend's hair until she said yes. Okay, so maybe the upselling can't be blamed on her entirely, I guess my friend could have just sat there for 30 minutes saying "No." She also said it would cost $120, but was instead $130. The messed up thing was that after getting her hair cut, the stylist said there would be an extra fee in blowing out long hair. My friend figured it wouldn't be that big of a fee, and what was she suppose to do, leave it wet and walk out looking like a dog? The blowout fee costed $65 extra. SIXTY FIVE. That cost more than the promotion itself! What kind of blowout would cost SIXTY FIVE DOLLARS!?!?
I don't think I'm ever going to go back for a cut, with $65 I can get two cuts in Chinatown that would look better than the cut they gave my friend. So basically I paid $62 (tip included) for a crap manicure and a 20 minute massage.
My friend paid about $220 (tip included) for a regular haircut, "vitamin treatment," and a crap manicure as well.
What kind of crazy "promotion" is this? This place is such a scam. I felt so bad for my friend that I told her she didn't have to pay me the $52, or else she would've paid $270 for this crap.
You have no idea how much I want to stab these people here. A middle finger to you Alfangi. -
Review from LeAnn L.
Lower East Side, Manhattan, NY
5/9/2012
APPROACH WITH CAUTION AT ALFANGI!!
My boyfriend bought me the voucher pamphlet thing for myself and a girlfriend of mine. I've heard mixed reviews about salons like Alfangi that promise amazing services at discounted (basically free?) prices, but I went anyways.
Went for the SPA package (facial, wax, massage, nails) as I read terrible reviews about the hair cuts and I was too afraid to try it.
My friend and I showed up 15 min late to the appointment but it wasn't an issue. Got there around 3pm on a Saturday and the place was PACKED. There wasn't even room for me to sit in the waiting area. My girl friend and I were immediately separated, her to a facial, me to a manicure. After being seated for a manicure, I waited a full half hour in the chair for my manicurist to mosey on over. She was kind, however didn't speak to me much because of the language barrier, I'm assuming. I couldn't help but notice her obnoxious under arm hair right in my face and I'm not talking about a little bit of stubble either. To each their, own, but if you're going to be in a SALON giving a SERVICE, for goodness sake wear something other than a TANK TOP to cover up your hairy pits. Anyways I was relieved the manicurist at least was taking care of me. As it turns out the manicure was miserable! She didn't even know how to do a square-cut and my long beautiful nails were filed down so shortly and unevenly -- it was awful. I asked her to cut my cuticles -mistake!- She only cut the SKIN on either side of my nails, not the actual cuticle. Did she even know what a cuticle was? When she was done, I was moved to the drying station where I sat for maybe 3 minutes and I was rushed into the facial area. My nails were NOT dry at ALL and they ended up getting completely smudged and ruined. I didn't even ask to get them fixed because I just didn't want to bother.
Facial was OK, basic, and quick. The facialist was refreshingly talkative and polite. Waxing, OK. basic, and quick.
Massage - done by a male, which was okay, who spoke english, which was great. However I was prompted to take my shirt and bra off (he left the room) for the massage. I was sitting in the massage chair wearing a smock so the back was open and my chest was resting against the front of the chair. Yes, I was covered, kind of, but I was UNCOMFORTABLE. I have very large boobs and there was just not enough coverage for me (side boobs!) while the guy was massaging very close to side-boob area. Was he gay? I have no idea. But I definitely would have appreciated a female masseuse!!! The massage felt great, otherwise.
Throughout the 3 hours I was there for the 3 simple services that could have easily taken 1 hour total, I felt completely rushed around and not-catered to. Each service itself was TOTALLY rushed through, and then you had to sit and wait a half hour for the next one. NOT FUN.
I wasn't offered the free wine but I wouldn't have drank the cheap stuff anyways.
Unsure if I will return for the hair cut package....
DEFINITELY would NEVER return to pay any of the full-price services. -
Review from Gigi L.
Brooklyn, NY
4/26/2012
So sorry those who were duped into this and had a terrible experience!! I see the last review was several months ago but FYI, they're back at selling their promo deals!!
I was approached in SoHo and the guy used his "we are hand picking 25 lucky ladies for this deal" line on me. Lucky for me I am a skeptical New Yorker so I gave him my time 1) because he was not budging at my "no thanks" and 2) I figured I'd give him some hope then kindly slip away. The guy claimed to be a stylist himself, good for him, however he was CLEARLY intoxicated when speaking to me. The man reeked!! I kept moving back as he was getting awfully close with his liquor breath. Very unprofessional if you ask me! Oh yea, the deal was $70!! I do not dye my hair or wax my face (thank you genes) so he explained that I can bring a friend to get the things I didn't get done.
I was finally able to walk away and as soon as I did I googled the salon and was bombarded with all it's bad reviews. I wish I had gone back to warn the lady who was signing up before they tried to scam me. -
Review from Kitty C.
Manhattan, NY
5/25/2012
It's the worst experience I ever had !!! I bought promo brochure on the street and it says : blowdry , hair treatment, etc... But ALL services provided without additional fee if only they really short( my hair was till my shoulders so they count as LONG)... So free blowdry only free if u have ur hair really short otherwise you will be charged 65$ for blowdry !!!!!!!!!! It's total ripoff !!!!!!!! I ended up having almost nothing cos it would cost me extra for practically everything!!!
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Review from Kathleen A.
New York, NY
12/26/2011
I've been going to a specific hairstylist for the last 4 years, Jolie, who works at Alfangi. She's amazing and takes her time getting my cut and color just right. Its expensive, but I have a lot of hair and it usually takes 3 hours to cut and highlight my whole head, so its worth the money. So even if you hate the salon, which has never really been a problem to me, you should go for the stylist - Jolie. She's amazing.
I didn't go from a promotion on the street, which seems to be a major problem with the salon's marketing. Maybe people would have the type of experience that I had with the salon if it weren't for creepy men in union square asking for money. -
Review from Jessica B.
Manhattan, NY
11/3/2011
I read the reviews after buying the pamphlet but i figured I'd spent the money, how bad could it be?
It wasn't bad. It wasn't perfect, but it wasn't bad either. Yolie did my haircut and she was nice. The receptionist was welcoming. The champagne flute of sangria was fine. My haircut is fine. I was needed, it's short enough without being too short and it looked nice the way she blew it dry. Now that i'm at home drying and straightening it on my own it still looks nice, but nothing special.
The one thing I found weird was the salon itself. It's on the 3rd floor of a building on 5th avenue. There were 2 customers there when I arrived who were just finishing up and yet I was the only customer there for the rest of my time in the salon. I've never seen such an empty place in the middle of Manhattan. The stylists, receptionist and the owner (?) all spoke to each other in Spanish the entire time, singling me out since I don't speak much of it. Occasionally Yolie would smile and fill me in, but the overall feeling of the salon was a bit exclusionary and cold. -
Review from Ashley Vivian A.
La Jolla, CA
10/26/2011
Another sucker in Union Square...
BUT
Claudia cut my hair and it looks amazing!! My hair is a little wild, so I'm always nervous when I get it cut (some stylists aren't so good with the curls). My ends were in dire need for some attention, but since I'm trying to grow out my hair I was hesitant to get it cut bc a lot of stylists will take off too much. Claudia made my hair healthy again, snipped in some layers and my curls have their bounce back.
I also got the waxes by Gloria. The brows look great, but she didn't really get everything on my lip ( I'm latin, hair happens).
I would NEVER come here and pay full price for anything, but the package deal was totally fine and I'm happy. Claudia gave me 40 percent off my next haircut, so we'll see... -
Review from danielle m.
New York, NY
5/26/2011
Worst.haircut.EVER!
I also had a free promotion and thought "what the hell - how bad can it be?" Well, it was worse than I thought. I had hair that hit about halfway down my back. I asked for a few inches cut and came out with hair above my shoulders (about 7 inches). The guy who cut my hair (I didn't even care to ask his name I was so annoyed) styled it in the most absurd way. I have never seen anyone style hair this way, except for a 5 year old with her Barbie dolls.
After I left the salon I immediately went home, washed my hair and restyled (which didn't help much b/c the cut was SO bad).
DO NOT GO TO THIS SALON! It's not worth the free/discount services. -
Review from Julie B.
New York, NY
5/9/2011
My haircut from Irina was pretty good. But I was not impressed with the salon overall. Considering what it would have cost without the prepaid coupon thingy, ($90!) I never would have gone if one of the pushy Union Square "marketers" they hire to hawk their salon hadn't badgered me until I relented when he finally offered me the deal for $30.
The hair products and tools they use are CHEAP. The stylist's work stations looked disorganized and Irina didn't have a salon brand product in sight. She was good about offering a glass of wine which was a nice touch for sure. The bottom line is, this place needs to focus less on its decor and more on elevating the level of service. They should put more money into some good products and styling tools and less into annoying, predatory marketers.
Don't go unless you've been swindled into buying the coupon. I'd recommend any of the Dramatix salons around the city over this joint any day. -
Review from Sara G.
Denver, CO
5/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
Sigh. I'm a sucker. I mean I have to be in order to buy the pamphlet deal to begin with, right?
But a trip home to Florida to get my hair cut for $20 isn't on the docket for a while so I was in serious need. And after asking around for recommendations and not getting one for less than $70ish, I serendipitously found my certificate for services that I purchased like 3 years ago.
Of course I was mentally prepared after reading all the reviews, but again: I'm a huge sucker. The second I sat in the chair, I was told my hair was 2 different colors and very damaged. The colors I knew about; I've been growing my natural color out for over a year. It's slow. But they're not that outstandingly different. It's not like I've got blonde tips and black roots, which is how she was making it sound. To the civilian eye, you can't even tell.
And the damage... Yeah, I mean it's been months since I've gotten cut so my ends were nasty. Of course the woman tried to sell me on color treatments, keratin, and a deep conditioning. The last option was "only $40" and "would last months" so I did it.
I can't tell you how my haircut is as of right now because she straightened and styled it after (I have curly hair). But I asked for 1.5 inches cut off and it definitely appeared to be more like... 4. I'm nervous. It also made me nervous that her straightener appeared to be Ed Hardy. It is styled really nicely, though! I felt fancy leaving the salon.
Anyway, everyone was really nice (including the woman cutting my hair... after I agreed to the treatment) and the salon itself was a really great space. I'm just so used to paying so little for quality haircuts that I can't bring myself to pay the regular price. -
Review from Catherine C.
Washington, DC
12/16/2010
If you want to pay top dollar for bottom of the barrel services then this is your place.
Like other reviewers, I was sold the promotional package. Being new to the neighborhood and in need of a hair cut I thought it might be a good way to find a new stylist. Boy was I wrong.
The stylist tried to up-sell me on a color treatment and when I said that I didn't want to color my hair she went from chatty to downright rude. The shampoo did not include the "massage" or "deep conditioning" that I had paid for and when I asked about it the stylist told the shampoo-er not to do it. She told her this in Spanish, assuming *mistakenly* that I did not speak Spanish. The stylist then rushed through my cut without speaking to me. Needless to say, she never offered me the advertised "complimentary wine". I could not wait to get out of there.
Since I had already paid for the package I did return for the second visit and hoped that I might have a better experience with the other services. The facial and massage were a joke. The facial (which is normally $65) involved applying a couple of masks then wiping them off. The 20 minute seated chair massage (also normally $65) bore no resemblance to the massages I've had from licensed professionals.
It is not at all surprising that this salon is struggling for repeat business and has to constantly lure in first-timers with its promotions. What a scam. -
Review from Ani S.
Manhattan, NY
8/4/2011
I wish I had read some of the reviews PRIOR to going here,...but unfortunately, as many of the Yelpers, I was taken in by some pushy promoters in Bryant Park.
I am really ticked off by the entire experience. First off, not only were the promoters extremely pushy, but they also did not tell me that I would have to pay a $15.00 service charge AS SOON as I walked into the salon to redeem this deal.
I went in this morning to get my haircut/blow/etc. and was greeted by a fairly rude receptionist. I am not sure if the women here do not speak english particularly well or what, but please learn to speak in a nicer, friendlier tone when addressing new clients...after all, you ARE in the service industry.
My stylist was nice, but I will admit, I am not thrilled with the haircut, nor I am particularly happy that after refusing the $40 and $60 conditioning treatments, she repeatedly asked me if "it was a money thing". Are you seriously talking to your customers like that? Granted, looking around, I realized that most of their clientele are silly high-school/college-going kids, but don't assume I am one of them.
Upon going to the front counter to pay tip and book my next day services, the receptionist told me "i could book it if I felt like it" - she seemed to be in a hurry to get me out of there for some reason. Forget it. I am so ticked off that I am not even going to bother going back to redeem the rest of my "beauty promotion". Not worth it. -
Review from Nedje F.
New York, NY
10/3/2011
This place is a scam. I wish I could give it zero stars. When I realized that they would be scamming us, I demanded my money back. At least they were gracious enough to return it. Don't buy any promotions from them. The will find any excuse to swindle more money out of you. A 20$ promotion deal can end up costing you 300$ in the end.
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Review from Amy S.
New York, NY
9/11/2010
I was staying in a hotel north of my apartment (long story) and asked the staff at the hotel (who were great looking with perfect hair) where to go for a pixie cut. They sent me here, and promised me it would be $60.
I went in to make an appointment but they had time to do my hair right away. I told them that I had been told $60, and they said that the price was $90 but that I could do some sort of promotion so I filled out a little card and asked "it will be $60, right?" to which the woman at the counter answered "yes."
My cut wasn't so awful that I cried or anything, but my stylist did nothing to razor out my super-thick hair (which is the FIRST THING every stylist I have ever been to tells me we need to do), and left me with these weird, chunky dog-ear-looking thingies on the sides of my face. AND she answered her iPhone TWICE while she was cutting my hair.
When I went to pay, the same woman at the counter asked for $90. I went over what had happened when I came in, and she insisted I paid her $90 without explaining why. I paid the $90, plus a $20 tip, because I didn't want to be rude.
I understand that $110 including tip for a haircut is not incredibly expensive, especially in Manhattan, but I really could have got the same cut at a barber shop, and I was treated as less than. I think that a huge part of getting a haircut should be feeling pampered, regardless of the price. This was not the case here. I would not recommend Alfangi to anyone.
And, yeah, the women who worked there all completely lacked customer service skills. In other words, they were all rude. Every single one. -
Review from Roshni N.
New York, NY
7/13/2011
I would HIGHLY discourage anyone from going to this salon, and here's why....
I'm eating an amazing dinner at Coffee Shop in Union Square with my friend and a guy approaches us with a stack of pamphlets and tells us that he "selected" us to be part of this salon deal. He explains the deal ($60 for a medley of services) and asks if we're interested. We hesitate, he knocks a couple dollars off to entice us/dupe us. Finally, my friend says no, I waver...to which he responds: "I'll knock off another $10." I say, "If this salon is so great, why do they have people walking around with a pamphlet deal?" He explains that this is how the salon first got started and they are carrying on the tradition. Hmmmm, if it's THAT good, then the reputation should speak for itself at this point (and there would be better yelp reviews).
I hesitate further and say, "If I were you, I don't know if this is the best way to sell/market this deal...." and before I can finish he rudely retorts, "Listen mami, I make good money doing this, I don't need your advice, you're not in marketing." Hmmmmm, funny, last time I checked I work at a major brand consultancy and know a thing (or 50) about marketing. I let him know that I do work in marketing and his response, "Well, you don't see a high end brand like Louis Vouitton getting marketing advice" 1.) I'm pretty sure that LV doesn't have door to door salesman either. 2.) I also know that LV has hired outside consultants to determine how the brand can differentiate itself. 3.) Clearly, insulting a potential client is the best way to get his/her service...and prevent her from writing a scathing yelp review.
Finally, I give in, simply because I wanted to yelp about it and warn people if it's horrible. I fill out my name on the tear sheet, he rips it off and asks for cash. I tell him that the tear sheet indicates I can pay with credit card. He says he has to have cash and I say I don't have any so I'll have to pass on the deal. He then goes off about how he HAS to recieve money for this because I already put my name on the tear sheet....it's the "marketing laws of NY!" (he claims). My friend says, "No. It's not." His response, "What are you, a lawyer?"....Actually she is (top tier law school in fact...and I believe its contract law, not ficticious marketing law...and there's this minor thing called soliciting).
In addition to insulting me and my friend, he insulted the poor Coffee Shop waiter as well. Finally, Joe Salesman was asked to leave...and off he went! Dejected, annoyed, and determined to find the next sucker who would believe she was "hand picked" to recieve such a great deal.
My advice: Don't be that foolish girl! This guy got very desperate towards the end and that speaks volumes to the type of establishment this is, the people they employ to do this, and the service they probably will provide. And judging by the 1 star this place has repeatedly been given, my hunch is probably right.
Just turn around, walk away, and go to Arte Salon in Greenwich Village...it ROCKS! -
Review from Lindsay O.
New York, NY
8/2/2010
Go if you got the promotion off the street, but it would probably be too pricey to keep going.
They try to upsell you. My stylist wasn't too bad about that, but I overheard others.
I got a great haircut, so thats always cool. After all the bad reviews on the facial, I will probably not go back for that. Maybe just the massage. :)
I have many friends that get their hair cut and styled in chinatown for like 25 dollars and it looks just as nice. Time to follow their lead.
Chinatown, you've done it again. -
Review from Lisa F.
New York, NY
5/14/2007
By far the worse service ever. Called to confirm address before going. Salon didn't mention that one of their locations were closed permanently. Got to the second location. Was greeted by a rude receptionist who made a point by telling us that we were getting "special" treatment by getting 4 of the listed services of that "promo" deal when everyone gets only 2 or 3. The manicure was mediocre, the facial was a joke (think astringent and towel on face for 5 minutes), and the one thing I wanted to get (haircut), I couldn't because they "didn't have anymore time available". The 15 minute massage lasted 5 minutes in the corner of the salon that was curtained off. Don't waste your time at this place. Don't get the promo deal they offer. It's just not worth it.
P.S. Don't trust the 5 star reviews on the "other" *koff*citysearch*koff* website. It's obvious that most of those glowing reviews were written from within. (Come on, don't tell me two completely random reviewers both misspell the word "definitely" the same way on the same day, and that a random 7 people called it the best salon in ny on the same day!)Listed in: Avoid at all costs!
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Review from Chris L.
Manhattan, NY
Updated - 9/5/2011
And this is where the bad review comes... the second day. After having such an awesome first visit, I was wary that the second visit wouldn't be as good. I was right.
First off, I made the appointment one morning using the very same phone number I had used for the first day of salon services. Once I got to the salon at 3, they tell me that I didn't make an appointment and that I might have made it at their other salon. I tell them that's not the case and they reschedule me for 5. It's definitely aggravating but it wasn't a deal breaker because at least I still got an appointment that day. I come back and I was told to wait a bit. No problem once again. Once I sat down, my manicurist got me a glass of water which was very much appreciated and I learned that my manicurist's name was Jennifer. When she was doing my nails, she was doing them very quick. Not quick as if she was a seasoned professional of 30 years, quick as in she wanted to hurry it up. That was not appreciated. She was quite rough with the cuticles and even a week after the manicure, my cuticles didn't seem that cleaned up. Before she put on the polish, we went to the massage chair. The massage was the highlight of the whole day. I told her that she could apply more pressure and she did. It was relaxing and very much needed. Afterwards, we returned to the manicure table and she asked me to choose a color. I was looking for a coral-pink and I chose one polish but it was dried up and a dud. I chose again and it was usable but the color was like something Barbie would wear. Honestly. It was a semi hot pink with sparkles. I couldn't tell from the bottle that it would look like this and Jennifer just said that it was a pretty color and she was already two nails in before I realized how gaudy the color was so I didn't have the heart to ask her to stop. I figured that I would just suck it up and repaint them if anything. Less than a few days later, the polish started peeling. I'm annoyed but not surprised. I have done better jobs painting my nails honestly.
Onto the facial. Gloria handled my facial and she was a very sweet lady but her services were not spectacular to say the least. She briefly tried to upsell me but I told her that I'm fine with the basic "vitamin" facial. Before she did the facial, she told me that I don't need a lip wax and that an eyebrow wax was all that's necessary. She put the wax under my eyebrows and only used one strip for both sides. Wow... really? When I looked in the mirror, there were still plenty of hairs left behind and my eyebrows looked pretty much the same. After reading previous reviews, I was aware of what the skin products would do to my skin and while Gloria was giving me the "facial", I felt like the Christine Valmy skincare products were way too greasy for my liking. Gloria probably rubbed the products into my skin for one good minute, applied another product and then just left me for 15 minutes, came back, applied another product and that was it. That might have been the worst facial I've ever received but I wasn't surprised. I said thank you but I bee-lined for the bathroom to wash it all off. My skin felt so much cleaner after rinsing my face with water and removing all the grease.
What's worse is that on top of the beyond sub-par service, I gave them tip. I'm not opposed to giving tip but I am opposed to getting bad service and then having to give the people gratuity. And then I came to a realization that the nonsensical "registration fee" is essentially the tip and it was so terribly unnecessary that I still wince when I think about how much money I wasted here. So thank you Jennifer and Gloria for a not so relaxing spa day.
The haircut wasn't worth all this. If you can avoid it, do it. If you can't, just be warned and wary.
C.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/14/2011
Clearly the ratio of bad visits to good visits is quite an imbalance and bad experiences at this… Read more »
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Review from Lani N.
Brooklyn, NY
11/19/2007
Worst salon experience ever.
I bought a package from a guy on the street. I walked over to make sure the salon was real, and yes, it does exist. And yes, it is the worst salon ever.
First, I waited for two hours, even though I had made an appointment, and I actually had to make a couple visits to try to use everything in my package. Both times I waited a ridiculously long time. I even tried going right when the salon opened on a Saturday, and I still waited for two hours.
My haircut looked like one I could have done myself, and the girl clunked me in the head twice with the hair dryer.
The manicure looked ok, but ended up chipping in just one day.
The facial was a joke, and actually made me feel less relaxed because the music was making my heart beat really fast and the women left me alone in the room forever...! She rubbed a couple creams on my face and would leave for the room for ten minutes at a time.
And the eyebrow waxing did absolutely nothing. No shaping, no tweezing, just some hot wax slapped on my face.
I talked to the girl who did my nails and apparently all of their business comes from these packages that they sell on the street. I wish there was a way to warn everyone about this place. -
Review from Carmen M.
New York, NY
7/19/2009
So, you've been suckered in to buying a deal at Union Square (in my case $20 for the package), and you check on yelp and are shocked that the place is a little bit of a scam. Here's what you can do to not loose your investment in the coupon you already bought:
* Consider that you either lose what you already spent, or that you have to get the most out of it, that is what you spent + $15 registration fee
* Be upfront with them. They know about the comments on yelp. Tell them you don't want them to sell to you, and that you don't want to talk about it
* To get your value out of the deal, ask for the wine early. You can ask for a second glass
* Be friendly to the person cutting your hair, they're actually good at it. I looked around carefully, and most haircuts looked really good. One girl across from me had the most amazing hairstyle ever, I was very impressed, and she was very happy.
* Also, my hairstylist (Rafael) gave me a fantastic head massage - he used to be in massage and I mentioned that I had a headache. It was gone after. The haircut was very fast but I liked that, I didn't want to spend too much time there
* I also noticed that all the women who were customers there were above average attractive. So if nothing else, take it as a compliment :)
* I didn't feel the need to go the second time, because I don't want most of the stuff and alone the tip is not worth it for me.
* The atmosphere in salon isn't extremely stylish, but they definitely try, and it has an air of an old room in a french castle because of all the gold, chandeliers and wallpaper. I kinda liked it. -
Review from Briana M.
11/12/2008
Basically what they said. I was harassed into purchasing a package. Had my hair cut by someone who definitely seemed like an amateur (you could tell by the really pitiful layers) who wouldn't shut up about her life's story. Seriously. I just waited like 3 hours for a bad haircut that was way too expensive and you are punching me in the face with your nonsense babble? Gimme a break. I do not want to hear about every single one of your relationships since High School.
I also do not like people drilling special offers for color or 'deep conditioning' wash deals into my head when I repeatedly profess strong disinterest in said services. -
Review from Jules S.
Philadelphia, PA
1/31/2010
Everyone's in on the promotion. AVOID THIS AT ALL COSTS, and if you have had the misfortune of buying it anyway, you might want to foist the gift certificate off on some distant relative that you don't really like all that much.
I definitely regret the sleep-deprived decision to buy the promotion in the first place, and I won't even bother going back for the second half of "services" that were supposed to be part of the package deal.
Reasons:
- The place attempts to be fancy, with plasma screens looping runway scenes, red curtains, chandeliers, and free wine, but overall the effect is of Eurotrash purgatory more than comfy salon. (Problem #1: Don't let your clients' first impression be, "Oh shit, I just bought a promotion to some tacky Jersey Shore kind of establishment." Except for the fact that this is pretty much what it is.)
- Went in at a busy time, but with literally one customer in front of me in the waiting area. Nonetheless, I was told to take a seat and then had to wait 40 minutes before the receptionist even asked me to fill out my paperwork. (Problem #2: Don't waste your customers' time if you're not actively working with other customers.)
- Super, super aggressive upselling. My hairdresser, although polite enough to get me my drink, was heavily insistent on having me buy "40% off" highlights on the spot. Even though I explained that this would not be kosher in my office environment, she persisted in asking me why I wanted boring hair. (Problems #3 and #4: It's usually best not to insult customers you've just event. Also, considering that they are aware they have just bought sketchy certificates off the street for your services, they usually want a chance to see the actual work you do before committing to more.)
- In the end, the hairdresser gave me one of the worst haircuts I've ever had. It was not hideously embarassing or anything (my hair's pretty hard to mess up, actually, since it's just a straight bob), but it was just a very mediocre job. I could tell she was rushing through the layers and just trying to get me out of the chair. Ultimately, I ended up getting my hair done with a cuter bob after the new stylist actually listened to what I wanted instead of trying to sell me stuff I didn't need. I thought the promotion would be worth the haircut at minimum, but I was badly mistaken. (Problem #5: Cut hair properly if you bill yourself as a "salon". It is very difficult to do badly a simply layered bob when your customer has a perfectly lush head of straight hair with normal-sized strands.)
Congrats. It's rare that so many basic elements of the customer experience go wrong like this, but Alfangi is a salon unto itself. -
Review from Fen P.
New York, NY
4/14/2008
This is all I would like to share:
Stylist: So, what brings you here?
Me: Well, my boyfriend bought me the promotional package... I guess he thought I needed a bit of work.
Stylist: Yeah, you sure do. Thank God he did that.
Ugh. -
Review from Stephanie Q.
New York, NY
7/31/2010
OK I am so glad I didn't even make it here. I was in Times Square and a salesman asked me where I got my hair cut, and then tires to lure you into talking. He keeps cutting the price and even starts naming which salos are scams, and states that Alganfi isn't!
When I finally left, he complained that I wasted his time and was so rude. I had already got tricked into buying such a voucher for Nardi so I wasn't about to buy another one.
Bottom line: NEVER BUY THOSE HAIR PROMOTION VOUCHERS! I'd rather go to a good salon, spend $100 and get a good hair cut, without being pushed into promotions, or worry about hidden charges. -
Review from Fay I.
Staten Island, NY
6/10/2011
Clearly there 70 something reviews and this place only has 2 stars. Something is up. As my friend and I walked the streets of Union Square we were both approached by a very very pushy man. He asked my friend "oh I can give you a good price this promotion the salon is having." My friend said no so he was trying to get me into. What a sucka I was. Finally after all the beginning and decreasing the prices on me I couldn't say no to.
I quickly got home and when on the website and saw how pretty it was etc. My friend and I go and we get a blow out. My friend has very curly hair so once its blown out it has to be done with a flat iron. So when my friend asks for the flat iron the lady says " Oh well there's a $25.00 fee for that" My friend was puzzled and so was I. They kept trying to push us to try to re color our hair add highlights cut it, I could go on. I got mad when she said that there's something wrong with my hair and my hair is unhealthy. A little of advice to the owners and coworkers. If you want to gain clientele treat the people right don't be pushy be polite and most importantly DON'T RIP THEM OFF. Overall experience wasn't good I give everything a 1 from the people to work that was done. Also say NOO to who ever tries to push you to buy something. -
Review from K M.
Brookline, MA
8/12/2010
Like everyone else, I went because I had got the promotion off the street and was very dismayed to then go online and see all of the bad reviews. My advice, like that of someone below me, is to make the best of it.
I was able to go at 1 pm on a weekday and thus it was not crowded at all. My hairstylist (Jaime) took her time and gave me a very good cut and blowout. She only tried to upsell me on some highlights in the very beginning, but didn't push it when I politely turned them down.
The whole promo deal is annoying and is a major downside overall, but I would recommend going in for a cut so you don't lose out on the money you've already spent. As others have said, just be prepared to politely refuse any upsells, go during off hours if possible, and request one of the stylists who people have recommended and you will be fine. -
Review from Mike P.
Brooklyn, NY
7/7/2009
Sucks. Really, really, aggressive sales. Basically called a girl ugly for not dying her hair... her hair that looked fine to me.
It feels like the kinda place where they pretend to be fancy, but as Carol S. says, they are really ghetto underneath.
That said, as a 20's year old guy... I got no aggressive sales tactics. -
Review from Julia M.
Yonkers, NY
2/1/2011
I think the cosmos were trying to tell me not to bother with Alfangi from the get-go.
I was waiting for some friends at a table in one of my university's dining facilities when all of a sudden, this ratty, shady-looking girl approached me. I found it weird that she was peddling promotions in a college cafeteria when she was most likely not a student (we have a closed campus, and she looked a little too run down to look like a student who had just gotten out of bed to take an exam). She immediately sat down next to me and began to tell me about this "amazing opportunity" for "only" $65 to be pampered and receive a "first-class" hair cut. Not long before, I had purchased a promotion for Dima Salon (which I have yet to use), so I told her that I already had one.
"Eww, you don't want to go there! Dima sucks!" she said.
Needless to say, I was struck hard by her lack of professionalism. After all, when you can't even sell your services through talent and professionalism, then you obviously have nothing to sell (even when you're just the advertising company). I said no, but she was insistent.
"I'll give it to you for only forty-five dollars," she said as she whipped out a promotion pamphlet, and indicated all of the services included. "See? You get all this for forty-five dollars!"
"I don't have forty-five dollars on me right now," I told her.
"How much do you have on you?"
"Twenty bucks." Naturally, I had more than that, but I would never let anyone know how much money I have, let alone a dirty promotion peddler (I know that not all of them are dirty -- the Dima one wasn't -- but this one REALLY was). Plus, I wanted to see if she would give it to me for a lot less. I was willing to pay $20 plus the $15 fee plus $8 tip for a cheap haircut and facial.
That was that. I got the promotion and she was out of my hair.
A few months later, I decided that I needed to get my split ends trimmed. I also (for some crazy-ass reason) wanted to get bangs, since I hadn't had them in years.
I made an appointment, showed up five minutes early, and walked into the salon where I was met by three stylists grilling me. One blonde chick gave me a catty once-over. The receptionist told me to pay her the $15 and fill out some form. I was a little tired since I had been carrying two heavy bags with me when she prompted me again (rudely this time) to give her $15 and fill out the form, because "I can't fill it out for you," she said.
I got free iced tea, which is a plus. I got my hair shampooed and conditioned, and then I was led to a chair where Magaly began to talk to me about hair color. I knew she was trying to get me to buy additional services, which is fine because that's how she makes money, and she wasn't forceful or obnoxious. In fact, she was actually pretty nice. It took her 10 minutes to give me very subtle layers and cut some uneven bangs. She said she had been doing hair for about 12 years, 9 years at Alfangi. But I gave Alfangi an extra star because she was a pretty decent human being.
I looked at the regular prices: $50 for a wash and cut, $50 for just blowdrying (WTF?), and $90 or more to have one's hair washed, cut, and blowdried (REALLY. I can't make this up). I'm glad I only spent a total of $43 or I would've been PISSED. I've spent $90 to get my hair washed, cut and blowdried at La Bottega in White Plains (FANTASTIC experience -- I sweat by Freddy, the owner as I've known him for years). I can definitely justify spending that money on that visit, because La Bottega is amazing.
If you want to go to Alfangi, talk the people selling you the promotions down to about $15/$20 and then just get your split ends trimmed. The promotion isn't really a deal necessarily since Day 1 involves getting your hair washed, cut, and blowdried, getting a color consultation (which has always been free everywhere I've gone), and an image consultation (which I didn't get, which is just as well, because I really didn't care for one). Day 2 gives you a facial, a 20 minute massage, skin analysis and a lip and eyebrow wax. I guess that's where the deal really comes in, but I don't trust just anyone with my eyebrows. I won't be going back.
Good luck out there. -
Review from Nisha S.
Jersey City, NJ
7/20/2010
Run!!!!!!!
I got suckered into a promo deal with this place when I worked down the street.
Run fast!!! These people are nuts in trying to force you to get more services. I should have listened to the reviews. The experience is highly unpleasant and so are the employees. I get that they need to make business, but there has to be a better way. If you already bought the promo, just keep it or throw it away. You'll end up spending more in the salon and leave fairly upset and uncomfortable. -
Review from J S.
Brooklyn, NY
4/12/2011
Stay away! I bought the promotion and then read the reviews here, so knew I might not be in for the best experience. But since I was considering getting coloring I thought I could just talk to them about that and they would not pressure me so much.
But I was wrong - the woman seemed to basically refuse to cut my hair unless I agreed to a whole list of services for several hundred dollars. I said over and over that I didn't want it but she basically said my hair was so unhealthy that she couldn't even cut it.
After 20 minutes of this I decided to leave. It seemed better to just lose the money than fight over this, and by that point I didn't feel very confident about the haircut.
I feel totally cheated and deeply embarassed for buying the promotion in the first place, and then going in and giving them $15 more!!! -
Review from Mary T.
Manhattan, NY
2/22/2008
I bought the "special promotion" - which apparently everyone else did too. I felt like a sucker when I bought it and even more so when I read all the reviews from the people that had bad experiences with this "deal". But I had already paid, so I decided to try it anyway. So, my experience:
Very nice place - have some kind of dance/trance music quietly playing, fashion videos on the various flat screens. The people there were very nice. My assigned stylist - Yolie I think - did a fabulous job. She touched up my roots and gave me a great cut. Very very happy with it and will definitely be back.
So, if you bought a promotion and are terrified of you going - don't be. If you don't want any additional services, don't get them. If you want wine - ask for it. -
Review from Alexandra B.
Sunnyside, NY
2/26/2009
I went to this last year after being offered a package. My sister and I both got one (we were resistant at first) and she hasn't used hers yet (because she lives out of town) and I told her she pretty much just wasted her money.
I used mine shortly after I bought it, and I was not a happy camper. The guy who sold it was actually pretty nice, but that was the only positive thing about the experience. The woman gave me a not-so-fantastic cut. She then talked me into getting highlights, which cost about $60 (half off...or maybe I got a half head of highlights). I told her I really wasn't interested, but she kept on about how my hair is so drab and it would lighten my face. I gave in, thinking that maybe my hair color was kind of drab (HA!). She gave me a muted blonde which did nothing for me and washed my face out. I had to get it fixed a few months later to bring it back to my natural color, and I've actually had a lot of compliments on my natural color since then. I haven't used the full package and I don't plan on it.
P.S. On another note, if you go to Nardi Beauty Center, don't fall for their scams either. You'll have a worse experience and the people are ruder, the cuts are dull (unless of course you go to "Fred Nardi himself" as seen on Citisearch which has nothing but rave reviews for them), and they'll try to talk you into extra services you don't need.
Moral of the day: Don't fall for those packages people sell you on the street. -
Review from Carol S.
New York, NY
5/22/2009
Eeek... I guess I should've read these reviews before I went! I was also snagged by a street guy and he sold me TWO packages for $60 so I figured $30 wasn't going to be too bad.
ONE THING that is ghetto is that when you come in to pay your "$15 first visit fee," they charge you tax! That is soo weird.. so you end up paying $16.31 and not a flat $15. I thought that was kind of ghetto.
I agree with what everyone said... the ladies were all talking in Spanish so it was kind of rude. They're not too polite and they claim to be upscale and even though the place looks really nice--- it's ghetto. Only a couple people there are nice. My friend had a really nice girl, although she convinced her to get $120 hi-lites! I was able to talk myself out of the pressure of getting color done because I said I was going to get a perm this weekend.
She cut my hair and seemed extremely confident, but she did everything SUPER FAST. Usually shampooing is the best part and I can fall asleep through it, but when I was getting my hair shampooed it was really rough and water was running all over my face & back!! Then the cut was done super fast. I think in total it took 1 hour for waiting, wash, cut, dry and style. It seemed like they wanted me outta there ASAP. Also I was offered a drink once, but then I guess they forgot about it. Since I was waiting for my friend, I just got up and got my own drink.
My hair was trimmed a lot shorter than i would have liked and I was very nervous when she was using the curling iron on me---it touched my face & scalp several times (that's how close it was!) but it wasn't touching long enough to really burn me. Also I noticed on my friend and for myself that when they're drying your hair, tons of smoke is coming out of the blow dryers. They use the hottest heat for hair drying so your scalp burns just a little. When the girl teased my hair, I didn't realize at the time but I guess she did it really hard because the top of my hair ITCHED like crazy afterwards and I was wondering why. My friend told me later that it seemed like a really rough teasing job!
Pretty interesting experience, esp the fact that the girl knew she was being reviewed.
Overall...... the salon is overly-confident/not humble, too pricey, shady at heart. It's basically a bunch of pretty pictures all over a ghetto experience. Don't judge a salon by its cover! -
Review from tiffany m.
Brooklyn, NY
1/16/2009
So me and my sister bought the promo package since a $30 haircut really is a steal. After reading alot of the reviews i was prepared for the worst and what we got was pretty bad. I called and made a hair cut and pedi appt for both of us. Check in took about 5-10mins which is to be expected. We both got our hair cut 1st which my sisters came out really good and mine was ok. My girl was nice and kept trying to get a convo going. My sisters stylist ignored her and spoke to the stylist next to her in Spanish the whole time.
After our cuts were done we waited 15-20mins to start out pedis (i honestly think they didnt have it marked down) They pulled my sister back to start hers and i then realized they had only one pedicure chair! Why in the world wouldnt they have had 1 of us get a cut while the other got a pedi?!? I waited for my sister to get done and then got mine.
The colors to choose from were horrible. Just different variations of an ugly pink. The pedicure itself was poor. Not much of a massage(which was the purpose of it all) and some of my nails aren't even completely covered in polish. To top it off her cell kept ringing and she answered it not only once but twice! she said she was sorry and i wouldn't have minded if the pedicure was actually good.
Our total time there was close to 4hrs which was mostly waiting. I wont be going back. -
Review from Carol H.
11/24/2010
Oh my word, I could not wait to get home and write this entry. My experience with this Alfangi scam started with a somewhat a regular conversation in Union Square during the holiday market and ended with a guy with a tattoo on his face shouting things at me.
So first of all, I used to work in marketing. I see the twists of your sales pitch coming a mile away but sometimes I humor them just to see if there's actually a good deal hidden in there somewhere. I'm going to separate my problems with this whole outfit into personal and professional quibbles.
First off, If you're going to flag people down based on them living in NYC, you should be prepared for them 1) being in a hurry, 2) inherently distrustful, and 3) in a hurry. (Professional misstep there.)
My first personal raised eyebrow was when he told me they had stylists from all over and that I would be able to have someone who "looks like [me]" do my package. O-kay. Racial marketing FTL.
Once I realized he was trying to get me to pay him $60 for a piece of paper and services that could or could not materialize, he started in on the personal questions. First he said I needed to see a "master stylist" because my hair needed work, then said later he picks girls "who look nice and have nice hair." (Professional and personal mistakes.) He kept encouraging me to call their number as I skeptically told him "you're a random person trying to selling me abstract services on the street." He countered that this was the greenmarket and there were other people there from his company, I asked him if he had a vendor license, he just told me to call the salon again. He bounced back and forth between being the masseuse and the owner of the marketing company, and even when I finally walked away I was still unclear on who he was. The other people he pointed out from his "marketing company" were also holding flyers, but with obviously different prices on them... which is never good. (Professional quibble.)
After he kept pressuring me to just call, I realized, ait a minute, this is the 21st century, I have a smartphone. He got happy when I pulled it out, but once I told him I was googling the company, he got extraordinarily upset and told me I should just call. Then after I found them on Yelp/Google, he told me it was impossible there were any reviews because they had just opened. As I poked around on Yelp and read these reviews, he demanded to read them and told me that it wasn't them because the address was different. I asked him if they were affiliated because they were the same name, and he refused to answer this question. (Major professional mistake. You've been called out; I'm clearly not on the hook anymore.) After I basically told him I wasn't going to pay some guy on the street $60 for something I couldn't verify, he stepped really close to me and said in a low voice, "You are blowing this." [Perhaps he was talking to himself?] Besides the unprofessional and personally threatening nature of this action, it's really not a smart idea to try to intimidate the women you want to get naked on a table for you. Just sayin'.
After I told him "No, thank you, good luck the rest of the night," he actually shouted things at me *in the middle of the crowded greenmarket* as I walked away. Please, please stay away at all costs. -
Review from Kristin T.
Mt Vernon, NY
2/2/2008
Okay, this place is expensive and always packed because they pull in tons of people that were suckered into buying the promotion (me included).
They offer a bunch of services with the promotion, and divide it up into three sessions, a hair session, a skin session and manicure/massage. I came for the hair. I'd read the horror stories on Yelp, so I was prepared for the worst.
The person I spoke to when I made my appointment was fine; she was polite and took down all my info with no hassle for a Saturday appt.
When I arrived for my appointment, it was a mob scene. It only took like 5 minutes to check in, and get matched with a stylist. Alexa recommended I get a color or highlights, and after a ten minute sales pitch, I gave in and got a head full of honey highlights and a cut and style. It cost me $120 for the highlights, and I think they look really great. My cut also looks nice; long layers and no surprises. She did the cut it exactly how I asked.
This salon has a cattle round-up atmosphere because of the amount of people who book the package promotion. Don't come here planning to relax. However, t was no where near as bad as others described.
The stylist gave me 2-40% off coupons, one for my next cut, and one for a friend. I only get my hair cut like 3 times a year, so for me, this is not a bad deal, and I'll probably go back for another hair cut here. -
Review from Joy R.
New York, NY
6/15/2009
Scary reviews... GOOD experience!
Went with some friends for a blow-out this weekend, and was able to get the 40% off promotion so the total was $32, not $50 which was great.
They serve you drinks when you arrive with your stylist and I got a nice head massage during shampoo. My stylist was Ingrid and she was great... gave me a lot of pointers and spent almost an hour blow drying and flat ironing my curly hair. 3 days later and it still looks great! I finally found a trusted hairstylist and I will be back to see her soon!!! -
Review from Danyel G.
Brooklyn, NY
2/6/2009
I read other reviews about this place, and yes, I was nervous, but delightfully proven wrong!!
I got the package deal that so many others received, and went in on a Friday around 5pm. My appointment was with Michelle, and I absolutely LOVED him!! I did end up asking to go ahead with highlights, and he took right over with color suggestions and recommendations. I know he stayed late to do this, but 3 1/2 hours later, I left that place looking so beautiful (and feeling great from the complimentary wine!) I hope the other experiences won't scare too many people off, and that's the only reason I write this review today....Ask for Michelle!! He will work wonders on you!!!! -
Review from Kimberly B.
Washington, DC
1/31/2011
NEVER give these people your money...that is, if they will take it in the first place. Like most, I got the promotion and called to set up an appointment. They have a very strict "policy" that you MUST get a haircut before you do any of the other services included in the offer.. regardless of the fact that you've already purchased everything. I wanted to go in, do all the things that came with the promotion plus several other regular price services. I was told that I need to "take my business elsewhere" unless I got a haircut first
If they already have the money and the haircut would be free....why does it matter WHEN I get it? The manager couldnt explain either and she just kept telling me that "this was not the salon for me" if I wanted to spend hundreds of dollars out of the proper order written in the policy. I had to have my free haircut first of course. ( I don't need a haircut now and told her I would come back another time but this was not acceptable)
Apparently this is not a salon that values customers, money or any kind of regular clientel. NEVER EVER go here. they deserve NO business.
