Amy-N-Aimee Salon Disappoints
By Me on Saturday, July 22, 2006
Amy-N-Aimee hair salon at first glance appears to be a slighly trendy place to get one’s hair done on Elmwood Avenue close to downtown Buffalo. However, this Hot Buffalo writer didn’t quite get to experience the salon. After making an appointment with Amy (or perhaps it was Aimee) and showing up promptly, Amy informed this writer that it was going to be at least another half an hour before she could be with me. Being the busy ever in motion Buffalo resident that so many of us are, I let Amy know that it wasn’t going to be acceptable. There were no apologies or even a look of regret as I took the apparent hint and left this little trendy slice of Elmwood avenue behind me.
It seems this salon isn’t for everybody, a little Googling and we found this quote from JudysBook.com.
“It’s a good place for a special haircut – a wedding or some other special event. They do a nice job, but whenever I go here I feel like an idiot. The place is very trendy, full of young hairstylists who can’t really have a normal conversation. I guess if you are used to the scene it’s fine. ”
Where oh where are the days when people feigned an apology? I guess I’m off to SuperCuts for an emergency haircut. At least they are usually nice there.
I have to respectfully disagree with you about this salon. I have been going here for quite some time and Stephen Spadel is really terrific. I never have to wait and he does wonderful cuts and is a color specialist. I always receive compliments after I have my hair done here!
bflo_gal said this on August 8th, 2006 at 3:45 pm
Perhaps it would have been great. However they don’t seem to even have enough time to keep their appointments.
Anonymous said this on August 11th, 2006 at 7:35 am
I disagree, and while I wait sometimes, I feel its worth it. I find both Amieey’s extremely friendly, Stephen is also a wonderful hair stylist as well, and we’ve all become friends. My entire family goes here. I love my style, trendy, I love my color, rich and auburn, and I love my hair stylist Amy Peters, and my colorist Aimiee Kennedy. We just hit it off. People all talk to you as well, so I don’t understand that. You want a good hair cut, and great color? A half an hour is time enough to sit back and reflect on having some space to yourself.
Syyd said this on March 16th, 2007 at 3:12 pm
Great Spot. If you have to wait, and don’t have the time, then go find someone that isn’t busy. Good luck with that haircut.
mm said this on May 12th, 2008 at 1:36 am
I have been going to Stephen for the past 6 years,love his work.This is a extremely good salon.If you want the newest fun styles you will get that.Stephen is a exceptinal colorist,for peole that don’t want to wait,go elsewhere,that gives me a quicker scheduleed time
chris said this on July 29th, 2008 at 12:07 am
I JUST GOT THE BEST COLOR AND HAIRCUT I HAVE EVER GOTTEN.STEPHEN SPADEL DID MY HAIR.HE USED A NEW TECHNIQUE,WEAVING DIFFERT SHADES THROUGH MY HAIR.I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO HAPPY.I HAD TO WAIT 2 WEEKS FOR HIM,BUT IT WAS WELL WORTH IT,I WILL BE SENDING MY FRIENDS,I AM EXTREMELY HAPPY AND HE HAS ME AS A CLIENT FOR LIFE,THE GIRLS THERE WERE VERY FRINDLY.AND FUN.
MOLLY said this on August 23rd, 2008 at 6:51 am
There’s waiting for your scheduled time, then there’s a disrespectful “We don’t have time for you” after they promised they would. They are more than welcome to invite us back for a second opinion. We realize everybody has their off days.
So far it’s been over 2 years with no comment from the staff or owner.
hotbuffalo said this on September 5th, 2008 at 9:09 am
clomid what proviron nolvadex is me better
proviron is what better clomid recipe nolvadex said this on September 19th, 2008 at 2:06 am
I went to this salon looking for scattered high-lites..I HAD shoulder length hair…I left with a head full of way to many platinum ,spaghetti looking strands..I also had ALL of the length cut off..when I told one of them that my hair “$*&# sucked”..they replied” well,I wasnt sure how you wanted it cut”…I did say how I wanted my hair cut…obviously she didnt listen..I did not pay,I left there crying…I am getting married next month, and I dont know what to do…..
AW said this on April 6th, 2009 at 10:36 am
I always walk past this place and one day I decided I’d go in for a haircut. I don’t know if it was because I was in laundry day clothing or what, but one look at me as soon as I walked thru the door and I heard “We don’t do walk ins…” Came back a few days later not wearing an old hoodie and I was kindly let known I could wait a bit or schedule an appointment. I just left. =\
Sarah said this on April 10th, 2009 at 4:04 pm
I walked in in totally unfashionable clothes the first time I noticed the David Bowie portrait they had hanging near the front window. They were actually closing, but Christina stayed late to do my hair for me. I’ve never had a bad cut from this place, or a bad experience in any way. I just scheduled a last minute appointment for today and I’m looking forward to it.
Jackie said this on April 18th, 2009 at 11:30 am
I think this place is great. Never had any problems. Every personality is different. But once you get to know them there great. Stephen Spadel is an awesome stylist and has a great personality. So give him a try you will be pleased.
Marlene said this on April 30th, 2009 at 10:16 pm
I have been going to Stephen Spadel for 15 yrs now.I highly recommend him,A great personality,a wonderfull talented man.who keeps up with his education,There are people who cut and color hair for money and then true artists who create and give you your own special look,Stephen is a true talet,try him,thank-you
Maggie said this on May 21st, 2009 at 9:38 pm
I was introduced to Stephen through a friend when I was looking for a new stylist. This salon has been extremely accomodating to my schedule (including a last minute appointment just last week!) and I’ve never had a bad style. I’ve referred friends since and they’ve all been pleased prompting them to become regulars. Everyone is friendly and I always have a great time. That said I suppose it’s not for everyone, but I love the place and highly recommend it.
Chad said this on July 2nd, 2009 at 3:59 pm
I’ve been going there since it was Sassy Salon in the late ’80s. Amy Peters has been cutting my hair for most of the last 15 years. Sometimes I have to wait — they’re pretty busy and sometimes a bit scatterbrained and/or hung over — but it’s not a big deal and the cuts are worth the wait. Last time they were running behind, they sent Top Jimmy over to Wilson Farms to bring me a beer.
Hey, the place isn’t for everyone, and there are certainly some interesting personalities. If you want polite, prompt, and plastic, go to Williamsville or Clarence…this is Elmwood!
Michael said this on July 23rd, 2009 at 12:44 pm
amy is a coke head and crazy, look at her. ew, i wouldnt let her touch my hair. they are not trendy their stupid.
boobs said this on January 13th, 2010 at 12:37 pm
They rock! You are all haters!
Renee Moran said this on May 12th, 2010 at 7:29 pm
I just had my hair done by Stephen Spadel,at this salon,My cut is fabulous,the color is so rich and vibrant,i was referred by a friend of mine,I am so extreely happy,He took his time,we had a cosultation,,he was on time,and even flat iron my hair for free,I highly recommed this man,I don;t know the other girls there but they seemed professional and friendly,every salon isn;t for everyone,but i do recommend giving stephen a try,you won;t be sorry
carol said this on May 14th, 2010 at 9:37 pm
Actually sitting at amy n amiees right now n prefection takes time and its worth the wait I guess if your trashy with no style it is def not the place for u!!!!
bitty said this on May 28th, 2010 at 7:31 pm
Well they have people talking,I am a new client of Stephen,I am so incredibly happy with my color and cut.He spent time explaining the different ways to blend my gray wothout covering it all up,I love it.I am a beliliver you get what you wait and pay for,the girls we nice,espacially Amy in the front chair.I booked my next appontment with Stephen,i waited 2weeks,now i’m a regular,,I feal all the negative comments,are from jelous salon stlylists……
Kathy K said this on July 6th, 2010 at 3:22 pm
For almost two decades, the only people I allow to manage my hair styling are the beautiful and talented women at this salon.There was a point in time that I lived approximately 2 hours away and I still came back, just for my appointments. The thing I love most about the salon is the diversity of people that work there, customers, and just friends of theirs that drop by. They are the best! My husband alway says “There’s nothing better than any AMY CUT” and I agree!!!!!!!!!!
Val said this on August 24th, 2010 at 1:30 am
If you recieve poor service, an “I really care less about you” attitude, or a cut that you feel is sub-par, then maybe, just maybe they are sending you a message. Accept it and don’t return.
bigD said this on August 24th, 2010 at 1:40 am
I had my hair cut by them in june. When i made my first appt, one of the As had to cancel due to an emergency, but i was still hopeful. I made another appt. Aimee called to let me know she was running behind a few min. I arrived about 15 min after my actual appt. I brought a book, which is my custom when getting my hair cut or going to the dr. I waited a few more min. When they washed my hair they left me sitting in a chair with my hair dripping on me. Finally one of the girls asked me if i wanted a towel. When i got to the chair for my haircut, i casually mentioned my unhappiness with the hair washing thing and aimee apologized up and down and even made me a beverage to make it better. It started as a terrible experience and ended with me loving it and hoping they do weddings… I think you just have to have an open mind. and as someone said earlier… its elmwood… what do you expect? its full of character, not perfection!!
Dawn said this on October 1st, 2010 at 7:21 pm
I have been going to Amy P. for many years. She is a perfectionist with her haircuts. You don’t get a 10 minutes cut/ because she takes her time with each client. There are times when she runs late but she’s worth the wait. It is a trendy salon/not your typical “upscale” salon but you certainly get upscale haircuts and colors
Linda said this on October 26th, 2010 at 10:18 am
I fully agree with the writer…went once about 8 or 9 years ago, and was treated like I was not good enough to be a client. Everyone was super-pretentious and so off-putting that I still remember how uncomfortable and unwanted I felt to this day. Perhaps some people enjoy that attitude when receiving a service.
Even though I live right around the corner, I now happily drive out to a place in Amherst where the AMAZING talent matches the AMAZING attitude!
AMY said this on December 26th, 2010 at 1:18 pm
I agree with the writer as well. Christina used to cut my hair and did a great job, but the amy(s) are completely rude and disrespectful if you dont look like you have just come off of a runway! when christina left i vowed not to return. They are snotty and as “boobs” said, they are both crazy and coke heads…no thank you!
miss christina said this on January 28th, 2011 at 10:52 am
I have been using the salon 10 years I think. When I moved to Clarence I tried some of the upscale places closer-by b/c of the drive to downtown. I returned numerous times to get my cut and color corrected from these upscale Northtown salons and even tried other salons out here to get the ‘Amiee’ color. It never happened. The drive and wait is more than worth it and the conversation is to die for. It is raw and refreshing and just what a real woman needs when she lets her hair down. I find it extremely funny that ‘Boobs’ insults the ladies of the salon by saying “their stupid”, (‘they’re’ is the proper word form- careful when you choose to insult someone, especially publicly) Lets stick to hair, not insulting professionals intelligence or accusations about their(n.b. ‘their’ is used correctly ‘Boobs’) private life. The comments regarding their private lives are below the belt, and uncalled for. Honestly, as long as my hair turns out as terrific as it does, I could care less about what my stylist’s personal actions are. Bottom line. Very cool Elmwood salon providing exceptional quality in very specific services where you will probably engage in some wonderful ‘let your hair’ down conversation!
styles said this on February 3rd, 2011 at 10:28 am
I just had my hair cut there yesterday,i was refered to stephen by my new roomate.Being from New York City,new to the area i was hesitant,To my surprise Stehen gave me the best haircut i have ever had.I paid 275.00 in Manhattan,and and it was o.k.but now i have Exceptional,He is very nice,talks to you,very professional,i asked him abot my color,he loved my natural color and just suggeste a color gloss for shine,whickh i all ready booked for with my next haircut.This mans work speaks for himself,i am now a loyal client and allreadt refered two co workers to him,The Salon was plesant,no attitudes,comfortble ,clean and plesant,to put in in a simple staement”wow what a great surprise,and try stephen,you won’t be sorry,Kate
Kate said this on February 4th, 2011 at 7:30 am
I go there constantally to get my hair done. I always thought it was a bit pricy for a cut and colour but from what my friends say I’m geting off light price wise. I always have Stephen cut my hair he is AMAZING and aside from the fact that he is a genius when it comes to cutting hair he is also a funny person with a great personality. So instead of just sitting in the chair and letting him do whatever he actually strikes up a conversasion with you and it’s FUN! I love going there especially since I always do something wacky to my hair, he always has a blast doing it. It’s like a challange for him, and every time he does a fantastic job. I will always reccomend this place to anyone who’s looking for something more than “just a trim”
Ava said this on March 14th, 2011 at 8:49 pm
This is the only place I trust with my hair, I have never had a bad experience. If you didn’t actually get anything done maybe its not a bad sign they didnt talk to you, maybe it proves that they were busy talking to the customers they were actually working on? And them not liking people because they aren’t dressed right is complete bs, I’ve always looked like a complete bum, as has my entire family that goes there and we’ve never been treated like we weren’t worth the time. And to the person that said they said they don’t take walkins, its because they usually dont, not bc of how you were dressed. When I call to get an appointment its usually 1-2 weeks away…
M said this on April 6th, 2011 at 6:40 pm
I had an appointment at 1:30 by the time they got to me it as 2:45…in which case I should have left but I had heard great things about the cuts and colors. She finally started with my highlights and kept going back and forth between me and another client. Finally I told her I’m in a hurry and she didn’t leave my side. By the time I got out of there it was 6:45 my cut and color are ok. I will never go back in there!!! They were very disorganized and didn’t seem to care that I had waited so long! So disappointed.
N said this on May 3rd, 2011 at 6:15 pm
After reading the reviews about this salon,I booked an appointment with Stephen Spadel.I have been up nd down the Elmwood strip.Stephen gave me the best haircut i have ever had.I didn’t even think my hair had the abilty to do anything,because it is fine,I am so pleased and am now a regular patient of Stephen,I don’t know about the other stylist there,they seemed plesant and professional.Finally someone who understands my hair.excellent
ann said this on May 6th, 2011 at 9:44 pm
I just got my hair done there last week. My hair looks awesome!!! Amy Peters is the ONLY one I will ever trust to do my hair. She has been cutting and styling it for almost 20 years!
Sometimes I have to wait, but it is so worth it!!
JP said this on May 8th, 2011 at 7:35 pm
Great color! Worth the wait! Amiee kept working on it until I was happy with the color (and I’m hard to please, with hair that is very hard to color). Hey, even if it takes a while, you will end up looking great. And another plus – they actually listen to the customer. I don’t know how many salons I have been to where this was not the case. Planning to be a repeat customer.
C said this on August 6th, 2011 at 10:14 pm
Stephen is my stylist,he just suggested i go blonder with shade of gold going through my hair,Well i love it,it is the best so far,Stephen is a great talent,sincere and nice,I think he needs to open his own place,and get out of the of this salon,he;s the only one ever there for his clients,The girls look ike the just woke up on a barroom floor,very unput and messy,I don;t see any head turning work from them, my opinion,Stephen keeps this salon classy
mary said this on August 15th, 2011 at 8:52 pm
Amy P gives the best haircut! I have been going to her for 15 years and when I lived in Toronto (In between) I could never get as good a hair cut. She cuts each hair and gives you all the attention you need. Perhaps they book too tightly, so she is often late, but you own’t get a better haircut in Buffalo.
Patti said this on August 23rd, 2011 at 4:20 pm
Don’t go to brandy.she is not good.,took way to long,I sat there for 3 hours for a bad haircut,i’ll try Amy or Steven next time,there cuts looked great and beloved me o got to see a few since she toolk so long
K.A. C said this on September 25th, 2011 at 11:35 am
Update: After Christina left, I switched over to Stephen and he’s a whole other level of awesome. He actually did runway hair in London.
I’ve only had to wait once in all the years I’ve been going there (it was only for about 20 minutes), and that’s because they won’t rush a client out of the chair before they’re satisfied.
I didn’t mind waiting a few minutes because I know there have been times when I wanted something different or requested a service I hadn’t originally booked for and they accommodated. I don’t begrudge anyone else the time they need to achieve the look they came for. Plus, every single person in the salon – from the shampoo girl to each hairdresser – offered me a drink at one point or another during my honestly brief wait. This is a Salon, not Supercuts, and in Salons they do quality work, not quick hack jobs. That takes time and sometimes it means you wait a bit for the better end result.
And again, I don’t go in looking like a fashion plate either. I’m not gorgeous or trendy, but that doesn’t seem to matter. Maybe the person who said they felt that they were looked down upon has some self confidence issues they’re projecting onto the salon. And maybe the people who got attitude got it because they were rude and impatient, not as a matter of course. (Honestly, you tell them their work “f—ing sucks” and expect them to bend over backwards for you? I do not for one minute believe any of the stylists there gave a haircut that sucked. It’s possible they gave you something you didn’t end up liking, but there are a lot of ways to convey that without swearing at them. They care about customer service, but that doesn’t mean they have to fawn all you after you cursed them out.)
This place is busy because they provide quality service. They don’t need to put up with your unreasonable attitude because they have quite enough business without you.
So yeah, still recommend it.
Jackie said this on October 9th, 2011 at 12:29 am
Stephen is awesome.just tried him,I am very happy.you won’t be sorry
chris said this on December 12th, 2011 at 3:08 pm
My best friend jamal and I have been going to amy n aimee’s for nearly ten years and i LOVE it there! Stephen spent hours helping me get an apple sized knot out of my hair I had gotten in a fight (long story) and saved my hair from missing a huge chunk. Each and every time I walk out of their salon I feel like a million dollars and get a nillion compliments. I hope their around for another 30 years!
Christy Ziolkowski said this on December 14th, 2011 at 12:06 pm
After going to many salons over the past 15 years, Aimee Kennedy is the only stylist who always creates exactly the look that I ask for, and she does this every time. The color is perfect and so is the cut. She really listens and makes sure you look fantastic before you leave. It is worth the wait. And I am always very short on time. I will never go anywhere else for a color or cut.
C said this on January 15th, 2012 at 6:17 pm