Update: 10/17/2012 Not all branches of QB House are created equal. QB house at Wanchai is pretty good, hubby has never gotten a bad haircut over there. The Sheung Wan QB House is another story. But because it was so close we kept giving it many chances. Let’s just say that out of the 6 times he went, I had to fix his hair 4 of the times.
There are mainly 3 types of salons in Hong Kong. Ghetto, mid-range, high-end. When we started shopping around for a barber for hubby, we tried several mid-range salons which ranged from $15-$40USD for a men’s haircut. While the salons looked trendy and the stylists hip, they failed in the basics. (1) Scissors / razors/ hair brushes were not sterilized. (2) It took 40 minutes just to do a simple male hair cut. (3) They do not honor appointments, so if there are people ahead of you, be prepared for a long wait. (4) They suck at giving a basic male haircut as HK males tend to be more fashion forward with their hairstyle.
I encouraged hubby to try out the Mandarin Oriental as their salon is fabulous…but he balked at the $70USD price tag. He said it is fine for me as I cut my hair twice a year, but since he gets a haircut every 3 weeks, he would like something more reasonable. He tasked me with finding it, and that is how we discovered QB house.
QB house started in Japan, and quickly spread into many Asian countries. In Hong Kong it is a favorite among expats as it is clean, quick, and cheap. The barbers also speak basic English. Notice the red/yellow/green lights outside tells you the estimated wait time. Additionally you can also pay for your haircut by octopus card.
Basic booth at QB House. The mirror opens to be a storage closet where you can put away your coat and bag. The tools and sterilizer is on the right.
After the barber finishes cutting, he will use a vacuum to suck the hair off of you.
For $7USD, this is the best deal for men’s haircut in Hong Kong. Plus hubby says the quality is better than the mid-range salons because the QB barbers has many more clients on average. With the money saved by using QB House, hubby can splurge at the Mandarin Oriental salon a couple of times a year. Win-Win.
I urge male visitors to get their hair cut at the QB house while visiting HK. It really is quite an experience to get your head vacuumed.
QB House Wanchai:
I think that their tip pocily is not standard. I looked on their idea site, and some people complain about their local Starbucks having a tip jar.I bet employees would like it if they knew they automatically got a tip from Starbucks for every purchase over $5. Hey, there’s a new idea right there!