I've gone to this place multiple times and have found it to be just "meh" at best. The front desk staff are almost always rude and dismissive. On two occasions I've called to make an appointment and have been rudely told that they have no record of me in the system and "are you SURE you've been here before?" Um yes, I've been there multiple times and I'm pretty sure I didn't dream it. As far as stylists go, I've only ever had one who wasn't cold and rude (Lacey), but unfortunately she works limited hours, so it's hard to get an appointment with her. Otherwise, everyone I've had has been generally unfriendly. They've done an ok job on my hair- not spectacular, but at least ok, but for the high prices you pay to go there, I feel like you should at least be treated with a smile and a great haircut. read more

I went there on a Friday to get a perm, they had told me it wouldn't last very long due to the nature of my hair and that it would be around $140. Just to give you some perspective, my hair is almost 3 ft. long, there's a lot of it, has natural beach waves, and is very thick. I've always taken care of it, and have had long hair all my life. I had been told that it would last around 2-3 months at most, but decided to go in anyway. When I arrived at my appointment, they said that it would be $180-$200, which I thought was quite a bit more than I was told, but ok. The process took a total of 5 hrs. and I was pretty happy with how it looked right after. I didn't use any product or wash my hair at all during the weekend, like I was told, but by Monday the perm had already faded quite a bit. I went back Thursday to talk with someone and ended up talking to the manager. I tried to explain how my hair had only gotten frizzier, more damaged, and did not look like the picture I had shown them. She told me that I would never have curls because my hair was too heavy, and continued to interrupt me, ask me why I wanted so much hair in the first place, and tell me that my hair was the problem. My mom also got a haircut while we were there, and wasn't too impressed to say the least. I will say that the staff seemed nice however, and the place was very well taken care of. I don't blame my stylist, however I do blame the manager. I don't think she knows how to deal with unhappy customers, and frankly didn't know anything about my hair before or after, yet continued to pretend like she did. read more

Last time I went there for haircut, it was uneven from back, when I went back next day to make it correct the stylist was very rude and declined to correct it stating nothing is wrong. Still after so many months it's Un even. Today when I went there to book an appointment for hair color they couldn't adjust me in my given date , when I asked for the old color code they used on me 3 times now, they refused me stating the stylist didn't make a note of it. Were as she saved it last time and told me about it. Very poor customer service. read more

I've been dragging my feet on writing this review because I wanted to give Hair Excellence a chance to call me and apologize, maybe offer me a free service, but it has been over 3 weeks, and not a peep. Where to begin? First, I used their online system to book an appointment on a Wednesday after work. On the day of the appointment I wasn't feeling well and called to reschedule. The woman who answered the phone said that I did not have an appointment scheduled for that day but the next week at 1:45pm. I certainly did not choose this appointment with their online booking system because I woudn't have been able to make it. I thought, alright, this may have just been an electronic glitch, not human error, so I'll overlook it. On the phone with the woman, I cancelled the incorrect appointment and rescheduled for the following Saturday at 10am. *deep breath* When I arrived on Saturday at 10am, the salon was buzzing with people. When I checked in at the front desk, the woman blandly asked for my name and typed for a minute without saying anything to me, so I assumed I could sit down. Sitting down about 10 feet away she yelled over her computer, "I can't find a Johnson in my system!!!" I yelled back, "That is not my name!" The yelling went on for about another minute until I walked up the counter. When my correct name was finally understood, they searched and could not find my appointment. Apparently the woman I spoke to over the phone had the same glitch as the computer system and did not schedule me correctly. My original (incorrect) appointment that I had cancelled was still listed. Okay. *deep breath* Realizing they had made a mistake, they apologized and tried to get me in with the next available stylist. They even offered to give me a free shampoo. Alright, I'm less mad now. They said they could get me in for a 10:45 appointment. Being that it was already 10:30, I said I would be happy to wait. 10:45 rolled around and nothing happened. I thought, okay, they must just be busy, no big deal. 11:00...still nothing. 11:15...still nothing. Alright, now I'm mad. I went up to the desk and asked if there was a problem and a different girl than the one that made my 10:45 appointment looked it up and said, "Oh, well I see you scheduled for 11:30." WHAT? I told her I had an appointment and couldn't wait any longer and just left. Later, my friend who had an appointment there that same day complained to her stylist for me, and her stylist said that the owner had my name and would be calling me to apologize and offer free service. As I said earlier, I never got the call. This is an unfortunate review to write because the friend I mentioned loves her stylist and wouldn't go anywhere else. The stylists that work there are apparently wonderful, though I didn't get a chance to find out for myself. Whoever (or in the case of the computer, "whatever") is scheduling these appointments need to get retrained in customer service. read more

After moving to the Madison area I needed to find a reliable hair salon. Hair Excellence is located in my neighborhood and I thought...why not give it a try. It was a gamble that paid off. I have not been so lucky in the past. :) Hair Excellence was able to fit me in for a haircut that day. Something I really appreciate as a mom of two. Sometimes planning ahead for a haircut doesn't happen until day of. I was given a choice of hairstylists and informed of their price range on the phone so I could make an educated decision. Marc did an excellent job. I learned more about my hair in the 60 minutes I spent with him then I had found out in thirty(cough) years. I would highly highly recommend him as a stylist. I will be back to Hair Excellence and not just because Marc gave me a half off coupon for my return visit. read more

The stylists are great. The front desk people however need some tips on customer service. They are not happy to see you and they seem to be.

I love Hair Excellence in Sun Prairie. I used to always go to Hair on Monroe St. in Madison (which is also a top-notch place that I highly recommend!) but with two small kids and a busy schedule, I was sick of making the trek from Sun Prairie to the west side of Madison to get my hair done (especially if I wanted an evening appointment and had to depend on the gods smiling down on my husband and making rush hour traffic move more quickly than usual so that he could be home in time to watch the kids). So I decided to try out Hair Excellence (a mere five-minute drive from my home, if that) and I am so glad I did. I've had a couple of different stylists, since I often don't have a lot of flexibility in terms of appointment times, so I need to take whoever is available. Luckily, all of the stylists seem to be highly trained and proficient at their jobs, so this is never a problem. I've never had a bad experience at Hair Excellence, and I always leave feeling a million times better than I did when I walked in. Most recently, I've had Marc (who did a fantastic job of lightening up my brown hair for summer, without making me look like I was trying to rock a color unsuited for my olive complexion!) and Lucas, who did a phenomenal job of darkening my hair again for fall. Although I like every stylist I've seen, I think I will try to book Lucas every time, since the cut and color was EXACTLY what I wanted. My only (very slight) complaint is that you are not able to add gratuity to your receipt when paying with credit card, so the first time I visited I was a little thrown off (luckily, I was able to visit a nearby ATM and make it back before closing in order to deliver my tip). It would be nice if you were able to add the tip on the credit card, but this is honestly such a minor complaint in the face of such a great experience, that it's almost not worth mentioning (I just remember now to carry cash with me whenever I come in for an appointment). Hair Excellence definitely isn't an inexpensive place (although it's certainly not exorbitant, either), but the service and treatment I receive is one of the best values around. I highly recommend! read more

Leah is my the best! She always makes my hair look perfect. Took a chance after moving out to Sun Prairie. I was going to my last stylist for about 10 years. I have no regrets with Leah! read more

Extremely disappointed the women that did my hair rushed through it and then I was over charged, nobody caught it until I called. I was not told why I was overcharged and nobody apologized for the inconvenience.I did get the amount back that I should not have been charged However the price I paid was NOT worth the services I got. I will not be going back read more

Great products, however, the stylist was very inexperienced and immature. My color was a disaster, which needed to be fixed by a seasoned stylist at the salon the next day. Thankfully, the issue was solved and I was provided with a discount. I have not returned to this salon for any service again. read more

Loved my hair cut by shauna!!! She was so nice, and so were the receptionists! The one I talked to (Hannah) was the sweetest. Will definitely be coming back. read more

Been coming here for a few years now. Don't necessarily see any one stylist in particular due to my schedule being so crazy & many times it's a last minute appointment, & more times then not I'm able to get in. I feel they are more on the high side for pricing but their products are amazing. My hair has never looked to good & healthy. Before I started coming here I felt my hair was thin, mousy and lifeless, now my hair has more shine, fullness and growth. The atmosphere is warm, inviting and very spa like. If you have time, try a pedicure for an extra special treat. This is a one stop spa type salon that is certainly worth the money. Come and splurge and pamper yourself, you deserve it and won't be disappointed. read more

I have had my hair cut here by several stylists. When you sit down in the chair the first thing they do is give you a scalp massage. SUPER AWESOME! Then, you basically get another one when they shampoo your hair. The salon is locally owned and they have several different stylists. After your hair cut they give you free touch ups. So, if you want to clean up your neckline they will do it free of charge. SUPER NICE! Check This Place Out! read more

I will give the stylists a 5 star review but the owner of the salon is the worst. She quite often answers the phone and "greets" customers. I have never met a more rude woman in my life. She is extremely curt on the phone and she is snippy when greeting clients when they walk through the door. She should be behind the scenes and not out front - she is a complete turn off. read more

I am sort of mixed on my review. The quality of the work down my the staff was outstanding the 3 times I have gone. They took their time and cut my hair the way I wanted. If only it was that simple. Their customer service is horrible. The front desk staff and owner are extremely rude. I have never once felt like the appreciated their customers but rather it was our privilege that they let us pay them. On top of that they do not allow you to use a credit or debit card to tip. I have to use cash. I haven't carried cash on me in almost 10 years, am not going to start now for a business run with such disrespect. If you don't care about how they treat you, only that you get a good cut, then by all means go here. Otherwise avoid at all costs. read more

I love this salon! It's prices are a bit high, $30 for a kid's trim and bang cut and but they are very friendly and they have coffee, tea and water read more

I have been going to Hair Excellence for well over 10 years. The staff is absolutely amazing. Very professional, tops in their field. There isn't one time I have gone and been disappointed with my hair. I would recommend to anyone! read more

Will never do business there. Was chased out of the parking lot by some old man who said if I wasn't going to the hair salon, then I'd have to leave the parking lot--even though there were many parking spaces available. If that's how they treat you if you're just in their lot, kinda sucks if you try to make it up to the door. If the man was the owner or the landlord, he did a pretty good job of chasing away any future potential business. I will pretty much tell as many people as I know not to patronize this establishment. It's not like there's a shortage of salons in the Dane County area. read more

I've been coming here for 10 years or so (since they were at a diff location before). The prices have gone up considerably but you get what you pay for. They are well trained and knowledgeable. Have not always gotten a consistant cut and color but they are always more than willing to correct any perfectionist tendencies I have! read more

LOVED the service I received there. I was unsure of what color I wanted to go with and wanted to try something new and the stylist whipped up a mixture of different colors to create one that was absolutely perfect for me. That showed me that she listened to me and knew what she was doing. She was at the Associate level, and I would absolutely go to her again in a heart beat! Not only did she create a great color for me, she also answered all my questions and gave advice without being pushy about what I needed to decide. She was so easy to talk to throughout the whole appointment and I couldn't believe how quickly the time went by! Very pleased with the whole process. read more

First time in. I loved it. they took time to give me the hair i wanted. Lucas truly listened to me. I will be back!

After reading the great reviews online, I thought I would try this place out. I booked the appointment online, which was easy to do AND I got a coupon for $20 off my first service, so things were off to a great start! I arrived 10 minutes before my appointment and got checked in. The receptionist at the desk shouted to my hairdresser "Kari, Eleanor's here." I thought that was incredibly unprofessional. The receptionists (there were two) then sat and talked to a customer who they knew rather well and loud enough for the entire waiting room to listen in. I waited for about 15 minutes before I was seen. Then Kari came out and greeted me, brought me to her station, and did the interview. Her head massages are great and she was professional. The haircut was fine at best. Afterwards, I was checking out and I asked to add gratuity on the card. They said they could not do that, so I would have to have cash or make out a personal check to Kari. Thankfully I had cash, otherwise I would not have been able to tip her. I have had a lot better. It was the receptionists who were really off-putting. read more

I visited the salon for a haircut. I told the stylist that I did not want layers. They pointed out that there were already layers in my hair. Yes, there were layers in my hair, and part of why I wanted it cut was to even it out so the layers could go away. They suggested cleaning them up some since I was not getting enough cut off for the layers to be completely gone. Fine. Whatever. A quarter of an inch on them isn't going to make a difference, right? Apparently cleaning them up meant making them worse than they were the last time I had a haircut and struggled for four months to grow them out to this point. This is ridiculous. I've had my hair my whole life, and I'm pretty sure I've figured out what my hair does when it's layered. And it's really really bad. It has never looked good with layers. I didn't even realize the dramatic layers of the cut when it was done because they flat ironed it. Do you know what I don't have to use if I don't have layers in my hair? I should've known. Why is it such a difficult concept to omit layers from someone's head? Why? Shouldn't it be easy? Like less work for the stylist? I'm so upset and frustrated I want to cry. read more

Update Review... Went into to get my color redone and Gilbert did an amazing job! He tried to fix as much of the color that the last stylist had done and he was very polite and professional. I would recommend Gilbert to anyone that is a new client because he's a great listener and asks questions to ensure you're on the same page! read more

Worst experience ever. Stylist was not nice to my 2 kids. She spent not even 5 minutes on one of my kids' hair and it looked very uneven. On top of that, she didn't even dry their hair and in fact when my daughter mentioned it she said she wasn't doing that. It was a cold, damp day so obviously not good for taking kids out with sopping wet hair. I got to the front desk, and even though the service was awful, I still felt that obligatory sense to tip. When I asked the man at the front very rudely said we don't take tips on cards here. You'll have to get cash. Told him I'd be back with cash. Not so much as a thank you when we left. In fact no acknowledgement when we walked out the door. I called the salon when we left hoping we could find a fix. The owner got on the phone. Where do I even start with this woman? How she's kept a business open acting like she has with her customers is beyond me. I've never been talked to so rudely. She tells me I can bring the kids back in and for another charge each they'll attempt to "fix" and dry their hair. Are you kidding me? She expects me to shell out more money here on top of the close to 50 bucks for kids cuts? To top it off, she had the audacity to hang up on me. Worst service ever and I will spread the word to my friends so no one winds up in this mess like we did. read more

I've been getting my haircut at Hair Excellence for over 10 years, off and on. I chose this salon initially since the customer service was outstanding. The cuts were usually good but the last two experiences have been so poor. The last visit I realized 3 hair stylists had 2 customers at the same time. I took notice since my stylist had a customer next to me and saw other stylists working on 2 customers also. When I questioned this, I was told there were assistants helping the stylists. However, this was not the case with any of the woman I saw working at that time. I was rushed to get my hair washed... water spraying everywhere. I was ready to just leave but I waited for that appointment for weeks. I was long overdue. My cut was done quickly and I was out within a half hour at most. I asked for the same cut as last time... Which didn't turn out that way at all. Usually the stylist checks records of past haircuts which she didn't do. I don't mind paying 50.00 for a cut if it looks good and is what I asked for but this was not the case. I spoke with the salon and they will fix my hair but this is the second time this has happened. I don't want to spend any more unnecessary time getting my hair "fixed". Never again. So frustrated. read more

I was really excited about my cut/highlight appointment with Lucas; he came highly recommended from a trusted colleague who routinely gets amazing hair services from him. He put all kinds of treatments (that cost extra) and toners and things into my hair and explained them as he was putting them in...the same time he mentioned their additional cost. I never had the choice to turn down the products or opt out of them. One of the products turned my newly highlighted blonde hair neon orange. I had to go out of town for a few weeks after my appointment so I called the salon repeatedly to try to speak with him and figure out what he put in my hair so I could try to get it fixed while away; he refused to call me back, and no one seemed to care how disappointed I was to have spent $150 for neon hair. Needless to say I will not be going back. read more

I have lived in Madison for 4 years and have yet to find a salon with reasonable prices and great skills. I went to Hair Excellence to get a pretty substantial hair cut. The stylist was not overly friendly, but I can overlook that if you do great hair. She did a great job the first time. But the second time I wanted the same cut refreshed and she did terrible. There were long and short chunks that were really hard to have fixed. I never went back. I am willing to spend good money on a good hair stylist, but she did not earn it. read more

So, let me start by saying that I rarely ever write reviews for anything. With that being said I am extremely saddened to be writing this one. I spent over a year going from almost black hair (naturally very very dark brown) to an icy ash blonde. I decided I wanted to go back to being a brunette but a light one. I have a reference photo in which her roots are darker and the rest is a beautiful light warm brown. My roots are almost exactly what was in the photo but the rest of my hair is extremely dark, the swatch that was brought out to me was more of a "caramel" shade and yet I'm more of a deep dark mahogany. Mind you I had extensions in as well and now those are the same deep dark mahogany and rendered useless unless I stick with this extremely dark brown. I spent a lot of money getting extensions and almost $200 going from a bright blonde to this and that is very unsettling and extremely aggravating. I even left the salon with still damp hair that didn't even get styled. If I were you I would re-think going to this salon or make sure you're being extremely vocal with your wishes. I get that hair can be finicky but this has left me in tears and a perfectly good set of salon extensions useless so be advised. read more

I've been there a couple times, and while my hair stylists have been friendly, the rest of the staff (receptionists specifically) are always incredibly rude. I won't be headed back. read more

I'd been having Heather do my hair for years until a few years ago. I'd had a bad week and was looking forward to getting my hair trimmed and cut. I've always had long hair and had told her that I still wanted to be able to put it in a pony tail. She cut it so short that I couldn't put it in a pony tail. To add insult to injury the receptionist told me it looked cute and get over it when I told her that I thought it was too short. I came home and cried. It took all summer until I could at least pull it back. I got over it by never returning nor do I plan to. read more

I would give it zero stars if I could. Businesses cannot afford to give poor customer service. This is the second time I have tried the salon for convenience in terms of location and they have failed for the last time. My pedicurist was wonderful- BUT- My hair stylist couldn't wait to get me out of the chair- not only was my haircut done in record time (9 minutes), I was booted out of there without a style. The next day I went in for color and was bullied into buying product. After purchase- I realized what a mistake it is to spend over $30 on shampoo that I did not need. Not only would they NOT refund the product- I could only use the "store credit" towards their other outrageously expensive hair products and useless "creams". Store credit cannot be used towards the next hair cut or color. Basically- whatever you buy- you are stuck with or they 'll exchange it for some other worthless crap packaged in gold. Today they saved $30.00- in the future they have lost hundreds. I'll be sure to share this with anyone who asks. This was a rude reminder as to why I do not do business in Sun Prairie and drive to Madison. I feel awful for giving my business to this place when I should have just driven to my favorite place- Blues Hair on Willy St. NEVER AGAIN. I still cannot believe how unfriendly and cold some of those women are! Just who do they think they are? read more

Let me begin by saying I would NOT recommend this salon to anyone. I contacted the salon in late January in order to book hair and make up appointments for myself and the seven other members of my wedding party for mid-August. At that time, I wanted to put down the (outrageous $385) deposit and confirm the appointments and time slots. The salon's event coordinator, Emily, told me that this was not an option as they typically do not start booking until five months in advance. She said that she would contact me in early March (five months prior to the wedding) to confirm and book the appointments and assured me that no one else would be able to book an appointment in my place. She contacted me as promised and I booked all of the appointments. She called me back not ten minutes later to tell me that another bride had booked with the stylist I wanted (the one who specializes in bridal hair) and my only options were to book with another stylist (who did not specialize in brial hair) or move mine and my seven other girls' appointments to 8AM. The best part about it was that the other bride who double booked in my place had booked online only five days ago (even though I had been in contact with the salon for over a month and was not allowed to officially book). Instead of giving the other bride the bad news, Emily told me that she was not willing to move her time, so I would have to move my EIGHT appointments to a different time (in order to accomodate the bride and her ONE other appointment). I ended up having to rush to book with a different salon (who let me book and confirm my appointments immediately). However, since it was closer to the wedding date, I could still only get a time slot of 8AM at the other place. This whole debackle has been frustrating and dissapointing to say the least. My suggestion to any bride and her wedding party is to BOOK WITH A DIFFERENT SALON. Either that or insist on putting down the deposit and confirming when YOU want to...not when Emily feels like getting around to it. read more