I decided to investigate. Notably, there’s no online booking system. Instead, you have to make a reservation via email or telephone. It’s one of several hints that the venture isn’t currently focused on revenue generation. Another is the pricing. It’s more expensive than the £0 I usually pay for a cut (shout out London School of Barbering), but the fees are pretty reasonable for an upmarket salon in east London. Still, the price points and high-tech charms don’t seem to have generated substantial footfall yet. There were numerous appointments available on the afternoon I wanted. I booked one for 2PM on a Tuesday.
Getting the chop
I arrive on a typically rainy summer’s day in London. I’m warmly greeted by one of the coiffeurs, who ushers me towards the salon chair. Amazella* (*name changed because I forgot her real one to protect her identity) invites me to use the station’s Fire tablet and wireless charger while she brings me my first-ever can of still water. Is there nothing Bezos can’t innovate? While she’s away, I surreptitiously scan the salon for urine bottles and slave laborers — but Amazella returns before I find the evidence. I did, however, discover some unusual items for a salon: AR mirrors for testing how different hair dyes might look on you; shelves of beauty products fitted with QR codes for point-and-click shopping; and an employee commanding Alexa to play “only happy music.” While Amazella works her magic, I try to get some secrets out of her about the operation. She’s reticent about the tech, but says she enjoys working at the salon and the “positive” attitude of her colleagues. They do all seem very jovial and relaxed — perhaps because there are hardly any customers for them to deal with. As for the haircut, I’m pretty happy with the results. But I’ll let you judge them for yourself:
