Don't move, don't move.
If these were sheers I'd cut the skin.
You're not going to remove them right?
You'll just make them nice?
Stay still, don't move. It won't hurt.
Don't move.
Nice sneakers.
Thanks man. I like your shoes too.
Hello, and welcome back to One Star Reviews.
My hair is growing a bit long.
I haven't had a haircut probably
in about three months.
It's beginning to go over the ears.
Definitely going to want this
beard groomed because, as you can
see, it's quite unruly.
Also, I'm probably going to try
to get the eyebrows done because
they're feeling a little crazy.
I guess you could say we're just
getting the works and hopefully
they don't cut my ear off.
Welcome to One Star Reviews.
Today, getting a haircut.
Alright.
So far I'm seeing a lot of five stars.
Couple four and a halfs.
And I'm going to go all the way
to page nine.
So, I've just stumbled upon Alex
Barbershop, and they seem like
they have a bunch of one star reviews.
I asked for a standard boy cut,
but they shaved my little boy's whole head!
If your kid needs a haircut,
I strongly suggest that you don't come here.
When the owner saw me with the stroller,
he didn't even offer helping me at the stairs
and was rude from the start.
So, apparently they're really
awful with kids at this place.
But I'm not really a kid anymore.
So.
Alex this one's for you.
Go fuck yourself.
- You fucking fuck. - I didn't give him a tip
because of the false advertising
he got my face and threatened to
- "take it outside." - He will not listen to
you. Let me repeat that: he will
- not listen to you. - He bragged during
the haircut that he could beat
- anybody up and how tough he was. - He asked who
the last person to cut my hair was...
And it was him!
Okay.
If you get the dad,
it's going to be a bad cut.
If you get the son, it's gonna be a bad cut.
And I'm going to go and test
all of their skills. From the
hair, to the eyebrows, to the beard.
Let's do this.
So, Alex Barbers,
is a family owned business, run
by a father and son with equally
bad reviews.
I'm unable to make
an appointment so I'm rolling
the dice and we'll just see who I get.
We've arrived uptown and
we sent our producer in and he's
been in there for a while so I'm
a little scared.
I hear that the guy won't put a
microphone on. I hope everything
works out because I really want
this haircut.
After some pleading, I was
granted entry but under strict
rules: just a cut and a 15 minute window.
- Hi, how are you? - Hi.
How's it going?
- It's good. You want a haircut? - I'm Taji.
Do you have any photos I can check out?
Sure, there's a lot of photos.
30 is good, too.
Do you think 30 is good?
That's pretty nice.
No way was I going for the 30.
I don't want to kids cut,
especially not in here after
some of the reviews I've read.
Oh, you know what one I like?
Can you-- Do you think you can do a number 20?
I like that.
Yeah.
You could do the beard like that?
Cool.
With the look fully locked in,
I was ready for my
transformation.
Not a kid, huh?
What's up?
Not a kid.
Nah, I'm not a kid.
Huh?
You said, "Not a kid?"
No, a lot of hair.
Oh, lot of hair.
Oh, sorry.
Do you cut-- Do you cut this guy's hair?
Yeah.
- It looks pretty good. Not bad. - It's good.
Alright.
He's a good guy.
Did you hire him to come here?
So it looks like you did a good job?
Have you ever done like, a design?
Design?
Yeah.
I'll make a V in the back.
A V?
If you want I'll do a Z. It's a new style, 2019.
Yeah?
2017, D.
That's too old, no good.
Okay.
What do you think?
I think the V can be cool.
So, you do people of all ages?
- You know, never a problem? - Yeah, I'm doctor for this, doctor.
Cool.
Maybe professor sometimes.
Somebody uses one blade for one day.
I change for everybody.
- Really? - New one, new one.
Yeah, that seems best.
Probably more sanitary to change
- the blade definitely. - Don't move, okay?
Okay.
So, you do a few different
things at this barbershop,
not just the hair?
Shoe repair, cleaners, everything.
Sorry, I think I have a hair
- in my mouth. - Sometimes cooking too,
egg and cheese.
Sorry, I think I just have a little hair here.
Thank you.
So far so good.
But the antique headrest was
starting to dig into the back of
my head.
But while I had Alex Barber's
undivided attention. Sorry, I just got to
rest. One sec. Is this like a--
Sorry, okay. We're good.
It felt like the perfect
time to get his feedback on
some of the negative reviews.
So, I was checking out a few in the reviews
someone mentioned, I don't know, that
it wasn't a great place for kids?
And they said something about like,
if you use scissors it could more?
I mean you seem pretty nice,
I'm just wondering why-- maybe
- where they got the idea. - Okay, don't talk.
Is there any sort of like thing
- you could-- Okay. - Go back, go back, go back.
The headrest issue was distracting me from my mission.
So, I was excited for the luxury
part of the experience: the head
massage.
Massage.
Alright.
Chinese massage.
There's like, a hard thing behind me though.
Is this this like kind of--
We're gonna see how much tip you give me now,
Nice.
after that.
Before no.
No, go back.
Tough customer.
Whoa, that's nice.
Yeah...
I told you, if you give me something, you know?
They had gone to the effort of putting a sign up
declaring the people of Yelp
loved them.
Perhaps they had been
misrepresented and these reviews
were actually just from a bunch
of annoying customers.
Have you ever had any annoying
customers ever though you have to deal with?
No.
If you're hungry with no lunchtime.
That's about it?
Yeah. If you have no lunch and no breakfast,
maybe somebody.
That's why I'm working fast, you know?
Got get ready for lunch.
Yeah.
- So that way you don't-- - Not me, not me.
- Oh I see. Customers. - Customers.
So, as long as the customers had
lunch usually they're alright.
If you have no lunch, no tea,
this... you know?
Are you ready for this?
Whoa.
You weren't playing games with the V.
Nice.
Could we get a photo?
Thank you.
Alex had honored me with my own very
place on the photo board.
This is it.
Is this where we go our separate ways?
With my fresh new look, I found
an opportunity to talk to Alex's
son and colleague about one
review in particular that was
really getting to me.
Parents came in giving a
technology, phone, and the barber
got distracted, you know, because
the kid will not pay attention.
So, the barber cut its-- the finger.
He told the parent, "Take the phone, put it away."
But he thinks like Starbucks,
you know, add some vanilla, add some this. This or that.
But a simple haircut. You say which one and we do it.
For sure.
The chairs are comfortable so you
don't have to sit in those other salons.
Not a kid, huh?
Yeah, number 20.
Make you feel like, chilled out, you know?
For sure.
I was definitely off to a rocky
start when showing up at Alex Barbershop.
I asked him about some of the
negative reviews, which he
deflected as if they were all
positive.
Perhaps he is living in his own
world, where all he is here to do
is cut hair and not worry about
pleasing anyone.
Understandable.
I was there to get my hair cut
and that is what he did, and a
hell of a job at it.
The fade is on point, and the V in
the back was a nice added 2018
flare, according to Alex that is.
However, I was extremely
uncomfortable the entire time, as
the sharp head rest dug in the
back of my neck.
At the end,
I got to chat with his son, who
gave me more insight on the
negative reviews.
People definitely do overreact
and take things to heart when
sometimes the barber is not to blame.
Alex's dedication of barber
tradition and attention to
details was definitely impressive.
Even though I felt as
if I could be kicked out at any
given moment,
I do not regret the experience
because I got an awesome haircut.
Hey, maybe barbers are not
supposed to be nice.
If you do go there,
keep your mouth shut,
don't complain about the prices,
don't take out your cell phone,
and you'll get a good cut.
Easy to find a nice Chinese girlfriend.
Maybe.
Chinese girl is good.
Don't lose money too much.
Is this the kind of haircut, you
think, potentially a Chinese girl could like?
Yeah.