We Vehemently Do Not *Heart* Rudy’s

While we haven't got anything against Notre Dame (nor little fellas with big hearts), we don't much care for local barbershop chain Rudy's. Seattlest has never gotten a cut or color there---we already know where our hair loyalties lie---but even our brief encounters with Rudy's staff have not been good. Look: we've got a very low tolerance for snide, hipper-than-thou attitude from people who spend their days sculpting fauxhawks and sweeping up hair. Though it should be mentioned that somehow the staff at the Phinney Ridge location is the exception to the rudeness rule, overall, Rudy's customer service is about as good as their website...which is to say it's terrible.

In the past we utilized the chain's status as a TicketsWest outlet, but we've even quit doing that, after having a few trips there that took far too long. Invariably, the one guy in the shop who knew how to print out tickets would have just stepped out, so we'd be forced to sit there for half an hour, reading Vice and listening to whatever flavor-of-the-week indie rock was playing, until the ticket guy got back from his cigarette break. After that exact same scenario played out a few times, we learned to just buy tickets from the venues themselves rather than wasting our time hanging out at a barbershop.

Furthermore, we've always been of the opinion that stylists at Rudy's only know how to do five haircuts---not that they know how to tailor a haircut to an individual, but that they've got five standard haircuts down pat. This assumption was confirmed last week, when a good friend of ours (despite our warnings) went to the Capitol Hill Rudy's for a long-overdue cut. Even though he had a picture with him---that of a "cool" hairstyle which Rudy's, given their hip reputation, should've been able to replicate---he still ended up with a cut that did not resemble the picture in the slightest. In fact, it was far shorter than what was pictured. Dejected and feeling unattractive, our friend returned to Rudy's the next day to get his money back. Though the manager attempted to weasel his way out of it, the overwhelming evidence of incompetence (i.e., the blatant difference between the intended cut in the photograph and the actual cut on his head) won out, and our friend got his refund. Thankfully.

Let's be rational, people. Why spend $20 for rude service and a haircut of questionable quality? Instead, take a couple steps up and check out one of the local student salons. Both the Gene Juarez Advanced Training Salon and the Gary Manuel Aveda Institute offer high quality cuts at a fraction of the professional salon cost. The Gene Juarez ATS is $30 a cut, while the Aveda Institute is only $12-18. We've never had a bad experience at the ATS, and everyone we know who's gone to the Aveda Institute left happy. Our only caveat would be that you can't walk into either of these salons like you can Rudy's; make an appointment about a week in advance and you should be fine. Do yourself a favor: Take our advice, and don't let this happen to you.