Fast and friendly service. Miss Lynn did a fabulous job on our baby's first haircut. Will be going back.

This review is for the older woman- I didn't get her name. This is the fourth time I've been to this salon there, mostly out of a lack of not knowing where else to go, and after this time, I'm officially not going back. Other cuts have been less than good, but this one was just bad. They can do a trim straight enough at the bottom, but anything around the face is something they don't have the skills to do. When kids are little, it's easier to get away with it, but the older they get, the more apparent the lack of skill becomes. My daughter has very fine hair that takes a long time to grow, andTthey read more

Lin at SC is the only person that will cut my 3 kids' hair! We have tried a number of other places over the years, but no one does as good a job an Lin. She is especially fabulous with little boys haircuts - careful and meticulous, always asks what we want and then really delivers it. She asks about the shape of the sideburns, and if it's short enough for us (and we have said no, so she happily goes back over it). She'll even ask them if they want a little gel for spiky hair, or smooth. She also cuts our daughter's hair, and does a great job as well. The kids all love her, too! I know some people really like Bobbi, and she is very nice. We've had her a couple of times, and maybe it's the chatty thing, but I feel like she doesn't pay attention to detail the same way, especially with the boys' hair. Their sideburns have come away uneven, the fade of a short layered cut isn't quite right. She's fine - but not as good as Lin. read more

I went here for my son's first hair-cut back in October. A fine job was done trimming his hair and making him go from a 15 month old scraggle-muffin to a fine looking toddler. I was personally impressed at how quickly my son's hair was cut and how great the hairdresser was at distracting him while the cut was happening. The clippers even came out (they are really not that bad and are actually quite quiet unlike what I had imagined reading many other posts) without him making a fuss. Now, they didn't make a whole production over his first ever hair-cut, but I was completely fine with that, so maybe if you want to have a song and dance performed while your child is having his/her precious locks cut, then this might not be the place for you. I have since been back and have had a second positive hair-cutting experience. read more

I just moved here late last year and I have had Lin cut my kids hair because I have seen many reviews saying she was great. She was. I had to go to Bobbiejo because Lin was too hard to get into one weekend. My son LOVED Bobbiejo yeah she talked a bit more than Lin but she was so good with my son. And did a great job as well. I was there the other day and a mom was really out of line and was saying rude things to her about not letting her children play with the for sale toys. Bobbiejo was polite and didn't let it get to her. I felt that she was grace under pressure. Now the guy at the front desk when he is there is very hard to deal with I work at only making time to go in when he isn't there. The negatives are that the toys for sale make a big problem and the guy that answers the phone is not nice read more

We were in and out of there quickly. Our son's hair looks great considering the state it was in after I attempted to cut it. All good!

We've been going to Linh for years. As long as I take a photo or give specific directions for what we want, we're always happy. We've tried trendier, more expensive salons but returned to Snippety Crickets. read more

I took my son (5yo) here for the 3rd time today, and for his first ever buzz-cut. When we parked the car outside he was already super excited because he remembers the train tracks inside that he loves playing with. My son was very disturbed by the noise of the machine and was being squirmy but the stylist handled it pretty well and we're all happy with the result (although I should mention we jumped in too, to help relax and distract him). Until today he had long hair and this was a pretty big deal for us, so when she was done and he looked in the mirror, I was so relieved to see a huge smile on his face. Before coming you should be aware that the place sells toys as well. In previous visits, we did not buy anything so leaving was a bit of a drama, but today we decided to get him a "prize" because the trimming machine was a bit difficult for him, and I was surprised to see that actually the toys are very reasonably priced. All in all, definitely recommend! read more

Have been coming here for 5 years.. my son got how first hair cut her and ever since.. we used to drive from SF for this place.

What used to be a family friendly, kid oriented establishment has gone way down hill! I have gone here before with my oldest child and was moderately satisfied, but today I took my 16 month old son for his very first haircut. I expected a special experience, as they used to make it. Boy....times have changed. His hair was cut by Kim (older Asian woman). His hair was intentionally long all around, below his shoulders. I repeatedly stated I loved it long, and just wanted his bangs evened out slightly above his eyes, and cleaned up near ears. I told her NOT to touch the length in the back or elsewhere. I explained he was having his first baby portraits taken in a few weeks (he has endured 16 months of medical issues which have prevented it before), and we needed/wanted it long. Well, while I was taking pics, Kim cut off the ENTIRE length in the back, up to his ears. When I expressed shock and upset, she told me "oh, it's ok." Ummmm....NO it's not! When I complained at the front desk, the woman rudely told me "I don't know what to tell ya....you owe us 17.00." Complete insensitvity to my upset, and acknowledgement that as his parent, I have the right to say how I want his hair. You (Kim) do not get to do what you want. My son has endured 17 months of medical issues, and his hair was long for a reason! I told you that!!! I will NEVER go here again, and DO NOT recommend it to anyone else. read more

The only reason I'm giving 2 stars is because of our many prior positive experiences going to Linh. However, that said, I don't think we're ever going back to good 'ol Snippety because the last time just ruined it for my 8 year old son. Both my kids have always liked getting haircuts (lollipops and, in earlier days, the train table enticed them) but this new woman (didn't catch her name, but she's the older Asian woman w/ glasses at the first chair) was horrible. After looking at a magazine for about 8 minutes, I looked up and noticed my son's face was red and he looked as if he was going to cry. When I asked, he said that he was super itchy. It was then that I noticed that the cape had about a 1 inch gap where the hair was going all the way down his back and into his shirt. I pointed it out and started removing the tissue-like white thingy where his neck was getting red & irritated. She argued that he needed it, but it wasn't actually doing anything and neither was the cape. Seems like those were things you'd learn on day 1 of Hair 101 class! After brushing his neck w/ a little baby powder, she promised that she was almost done, so I let her continue. But she wasn't even at the halfway point and every time my son started squirming his shoulders out of serious discomfort (prob 3 times within a 25 min period), she would just push his shoulder back down and tell him to hold still and she was almost done. He's NEVER been squirmy like that - even when he was a baby. She was so insensitive and it was very difficult for me to watch. The only reason I let her go on so long is because I knew I can't cut hair and he had school pictures the following day. I finally just told her to stop and I'd deal w/ whatever needed to be touched up on my own. But even after I told her to stop, she kept going until I started making movements toward taking off his cape. Upon leaving, a mom outside overheard me promising that I'd never make him go back to her again, and she told me that her son had a bad experience w/ the same woman and she now takes him elsewhere. Then I remembered that while I was paying for parking before going in, I saw another mom dusting off her son in front of the store w/ his shirt that they'd taken off. And to top it off, the cut was totally off. I showed her a photo of how he usually has it and said NOT short like this. It looked almost identical to that photo. We'll miss Linh - she's a gem, but we're done. I won't miss the hair that's everywhere and the grumpy owner who acts like he hates kids and only refrains from his worst scowl long enough to take my $17 +tip. read more

this place is a crappy toystore. They cut hair I guess.... but not my kid's. Go to Cool Tops in Rockridge instead if you want an actual haircut. read more

Love the service! The women who cut my son's hair (under age of two) do a FANTASTIC job every time! They are quick, courteous, and don't upset my son. I drive a 45 minutes to get there because I haven't found a better place! Keep up the good work! read more

I want to put in a good word for Kim. Based on the reviews here, we had been taking our son to Linh from the time he was one year old. The haircuts were decent, but nothing amazing. Then one day we really needed to get my son's hair cut, but Linh wasn't available. So we went with Kim -- and she did a great job. We've been going to Kim ever since. Our 2.5-year-old daughter now sees Kim, too. It's true that Kim may not introduce herself to the kids or go out of her way to win them over. But she's nice and patient and has done a good job with our kids' hair. As for Snippety Crickets overall, the benefit of going there is that it's clearly a place for kids -- toys to look at in the front, train table in the back, other kids getting their hair cut, lollipops and stickers on the way out. If I took my kids to Supercuts, where there's nothing for them to do while they wait, and where all the other patrons are adults, and the hairdressers come back from their breaks reaking of smoke -- my kids would never want to get their hair cut. read more

So first the good -- my toddler's hair looks fine. It's no longer in her eyes. They were fast, and I was able to get a same-day appointment. BUT ... the reason you pick a kid-focused place for a haircut is that you think the people will be good with kids. did not even introduce herself to our daughter, or say a single word to her during the haircut. She also cut hair off the back when we specifically requested that she not do that. We won't be going back. read more

My daughter has had her haircut by both Linh and the super chatty Bobbi. Both did a good job, but I have to admit Bobbi's haircut was the better of the two. We now go exclusively to Bobbi. She is quick and really great with my daughter. It is fairly easy to get an appointment the day of. Warning, there are toys for sale that you do have to pass through, which can be difficult. Overall it is a great place to get your child's haircut. read more

Snippety Crickets is notorious for giving me the most regretful haircut of my childhood (or of my LIFE, rather) that I have EVER had (we've all gone through this at one point or another)--it was basically a shoulder-length pageboy with very heavy, blunt bangs that I was first given when I was about 6 years old and took until I was about 10 years old to finally grow out. As a kid, I was severely resistant to change and never wanted to have hair that was too short to tie back, so the quality of the work didn't matter much to me at the time provided I could still tie it back (I guess the quality of the work dawns on you once you're an adult and you look back at pictures of yourself as a 6-year-old with that ever-so-regretful 'do). The only things I liked about the place were getting a lollipop when I was done and looking for pictures of my friends on the wall (apparently back when I was a youngin' they'd take pictures of first-time clients and post them on the wall; not sure if they still do that though). For a kids' salon, I'd say it was a good starter (even when I was younger I used to wonder why the place was always so quiet because there would only be one or two stylists working there every time my mom would take me there)...but from other reviews it looks like things have changed over the past decade. However, on a totally unrelated note, when I was 8 years old and the Beanie Baby craze brainwashed the youth of America, Snippety Crickets was the first place that I heard sold Beanie Babies, so after begging my mom to get me a Beanie Baby, she promised me one Beanie Baby and ONLY one, so she took me there to get ONE and ONLY one Beanie Baby and I settled on Snip the Siamese cat (which I still have, by the way, in a 20-gallon bucket of Beanie Babies that lives in my bedroom). read more

Amazing! I had THE best experience with my two year olds first haircut. The lady was quick and efficient and well worth any price. She knew exactly what I wanted and carried it out to exceed my expectations. My daughter did not cry she didn't wiggle or anything. The staff was very nice. My daughters hair looks so amazing I wish I could get mine done there too. They let me take pictures while they did her hair and they gave her a lollypop when she was done! GREAT, AMAZING, WONDERFUL experience I highly recommend! I am so thankful! read more

We took my 15-month-old for his first hair cut. He was not happy about it, but Linh was amazingly fast and did the whole hair cut in about 5 minutes so the misery was not prolonged. And getting to play with the awesome train set after made it all better! Considering she had to work with a squirming, screaming baby, I thought Linh gave him as good a haircut as we could possibly expect. We're definitely coming back! (Next time, we'll get there early, so our son can play with the train and get used to the place beforehand; I think part of the problem was putting him right in the chair.) read more

They are really really nice here and I wanted to love it, but my son got a pretty bad haircut. He was squirming around so he didn't help matters, but it was just not that good. read more

Took my 17mo old for his first haircut today - disaster. His hair was long and getting in his eyes, so I told the stylist I'd like it trimmed, nothing dramatic. She offered a picture of a pretty standard little boy's haircut, I said sure, but perhaps a bit longer. My son now has extremely short, uneven bangs; a mushroom-cut style layer running around his head; a baby mullet; and a patch on the side of his head where the hair is all but missing. It's so bad, I'm hoping it just looks hipster-intentionally-ugly. In the stylist's defense, my toddler was only willing to sit patiently for the first 5 minutes or so -- after that, there was definitely wiggling and screaming. But I knew that was likely to be the case, and deliberately took him to a place specializing in children's cuts in hopes that the stylists would be able to work quickly and under less-than-ideal conditions. I didn't expect it be perfect, but I also didn't expect the comically-awful results. read more

Very nice staff and they do great work. I have two boys so they were very accommodating and scheduled them both for side by side haircuts. We were in and out of there. read more

I understand the criticisms about all of the toys and grumpy owner. However, Lihn has been doing a FANTASTIC job on my son's hair for 9 years now. He has never had a bad haircut, and he goes probably 8 times per year. She always trims, and thins, my son's hair just right, and she is friendly and courteous. My son is very comfortable there and we are always in and out quickly. Ask for Lihn and you will not be disappointed. read more

I used to take my kids here before I knew better. I hate that I have to pass by a bunch of toys for sale before we get to the actual cutting station. That means my kids pestering me about buying toys. If you come here ask for the quiet one to cut your hair, she is fast and good. There's another large lady that talks way too much and she takes much longer than the quiet one. read more

Linh is great! It's amazing that she can deliver a quality cut when my toddler son's head is a moving target! She's always friendly, quick, and listens to what you're looking for in a cut. My son has been coming here for his cuts with Linh since he was 18 months old, and we wouldn't go anywhere else. There's also a train table that he looks forward to playing with at each visit. A sticker at the end of his cut sweetens the deal! read more

The kid wasn't really having it and the approach from the stylist was to force the haircut. I appreciate that approach but not for this family. We said thank you but no thank you and cut her hair at home. read more

I echo other people's reviews about Linh - she is awesome. She is quick and precise with the scissors, especially with my squirmy toddler. There are also tons of toys to keep the kids occupied while they get their haircut. This is why I keep coming back. I recommend making an appointment especially in afternoons because it can get pretty busy. read more

Linh did a great job on my toddler's knotted curls yesterday. My daughter cried A LOT and Linh didn't bat an eye, just said "it's okay sweet girl" and calmly and efficiently cut her hair. I also didn't really know how to describe what I wanted for her, just that the ends were unhealthy and I wanted it out of her face. Linh asked me a couple of questions that were pretty much right on in terms of how I wanted my daughter's hair. My daughter ended up calming down after about 7 minutes, and got a quite nice haircut. My only complaint is that it's a little bit uneven in the back but...that is nothing compared to what a disaster it would have been if we tried to cut it. They also offer to save a little hair for you if it's your kid's first haircut. read more

Going to Snipetty Crickets, or even better, having the hair cut by Linh is a family affair. It started in 2002 with a non-stop crying baby. To have a calmer experience, dad also had his hair cut by Linh, so the baby could see that a haircut didn't hurt. Then, another baby came to the picture, and he also went to Linh. The toddlerhood years are well over, but my three guys still go to Linh. She's reliable, fast, and careful. We call in advance, so we can get the 3 appointments back to back. read more

Brought in my 2.5 year old son for a haircut fully expecting a meltdown. And, he did not disappoint. The woman who cut his hair was a champ, though. As I held on to him, she was 110% "solution-oriented" - finding every which way to get the job done. At the end of the day, solid haircut for the situation - and they were friendly to boot. read more

We have been going with our now 3-year old son to Snippety Crickets since his baby-shave. We always book with Linh, because she cuts great and is very friendly and gentle. Our son immediately climbs on the chair when it is his turn and he is very comfortable and cooperative with Linh. She always asks how we want his hair and does an excellent job. Once we tried Cool Tops in Oakland, because it is closer to our house, but we returned quickly to Snippety Crickets to have it fixed with a good cut. After the haircut our son loves to play with the trainset. By the way, ignore the grumpy guy at the reception. read more

There seem to be so many negative reviews about this place. I've taken my daughter for a bangs trim twice, at about 12 mos and 14 mos and it was just fine. Nothing to get excited about, but certainly adequate, not too expensive, and they did what they needed to do. My daughter sat in my lap and it was quick and easy and not remotely traumatic. She enjoyed the train table while we were waiting. The woman who cut her hair was pleasant. We had an appointment and got in right on time. The place may not be fancy, but I can't complain. I guess I would give a word of caution about the toy store in the front part of the salon. Be forewarned if you have a kid who is going to whine, beg and request to go toy shopping! read more

We have been getting our kids' haircuts done here since they were babies. We moved away 7 years ago and still drive the 1+ hour it takes to get here because we've never gotten a haircut that remotely compares to the job Lin does. If you have a child with special needs, Lin is excellent...fast, meticulous, and calm regardless of the child's mood/squirminess etc. read more

My daughter received the most uneven haircut I have ever seen. the left side of her bob was about 2 inches shorter than the right. The back is really long for some reason. Her bangs are now diagonal across her forehead. read more

I am not sure where the russian woman is but the Berkeley/Albany store doesn't have one that I could tell. A rude older guy is all I have seen when I go in. He is almost enough to make me leave. I just go there when he isn't around. My kids LOVE Bobbiejo and Lin We have been there a few time now and I can say that Bobbiejo DOES know how to cut little ones hair. my little guy is 15 months old and she is wonderful with him. Lin has cut my daughters hair and she is so nice to her. read more

worst Albany hairdresser for kids! -rushed into the chair to cut ASAP my 5years old -I said that I was worry that my daughter wanted bangs because she has curly hair and that I don't want her to cut if she is not sure. She answered "if I fail, it will grow back". Really? I answered next time you go to the restaurant and the waiter says "if I fail the meal, you'll poop it anyway!" Will you be reassured? -she made A HOLE in the bangs. A hole! I felt like she just wants her 10$ in 5mjnutes and hav another client. Really bad experience. Don't recommend it unless you want to have kids with a medieval haircut. read more

What a disappointment. Took my daughter last week on friday, the hair cut is so so bad that the next day i went back and get my money back, showed the hair dresser how poor the haircut was, long hair not cut correctly, i could have done a better job. I do not recommend this place. read more

I'm super upset after taking my toddler son here for his first haircut. I was really wary because of the reviews (although, unfortunately, I hadn't read the most recent one from a few days ago), but I thought if I were really specific about what I wanted it should be ok. After all, this is a kid's haircut place and what I wanted was really basic. I just wanted them to clean up his hair and even things out, but I specifically said I didn't want them to take off much length or cut it short. The hairdresser (Kimberly) assured me that she understood what I wanted. When she began to cut I got super worried, and totally hovered and kept saying it seemed really short and I was concerned. I felt completely helpless, because she was basically ignoring me and not addressing me at all or responding to my concerns. She never stopped or spoke to me, until she finally said, "it's a boy's haircut!" Then I realized that she hadn't paid any attention at all to what I'd said, and was just giving her standard "boy haircut" no matter what. She even brought out the clippers to shave his neck before we stopped her when my son freaked out. She literally couldn't have cut it any shorter without using the clippers. My husband is not nearly as upset as I am (I knew it would be sad to see all the baby curls disappear anyway), but agrees that it's not the haircut we asked for and Kimberly didn't listen to us at all, even once we tried to voice concerns. For $17 plus tip for a fifteen minute haircut, I feel as though you should get exactly what you ask for (especially if it's not something unreasonable or complicated). And, if a place says they cater to young children, they should understand how big a deal a "first haircut" is and really try to give you want you want. I probably could have done a better job for free at home, but I wanted him to have a nice first haircut. One other note -- the main reason I wanted to go to a kid's haircut place was because I thought they'd be really good with kids. Kimberly didn't introduce herself to us or my son (I had to ask her what her name was, and introduce her to my toddler) and made no effort to make him feel comfortable or connect with him other than giving him a toy to play with. I called later and have been told I can get a refund, and will follow up with this review if that occurs. read more

NEVER AGAIN!!! First, the lady hands my son a toy and says, "This toy doesn't work but, oh well." Then, she asks what kind of cut we would like and we tell her just a trim, and what does she do but bring out the clippers and buzz the whole back side of his head, FORGET IT just cut my kid's hair how ever you like at this point. My poor 16 month old son ended up getting a bruise on his ear from this insensitive lady that was trying way too hard to act kid friendly. All of the toys were covered in hair and didn't work. It seems like this is a toy store more than a kid friendly salon. Need I say more? read more

A friend told me she takes her 3 yr old here so I thought we would try it for our 19 month old's first cut. HUGE mistake. First, as soon as you walk in you see walls of cheap plastic toys - total trap for peddling garbage. Second, I assumed, as this place caters to children, that the stylist would have experience working with toddlers and make some attempt to build rapport and trust, but no. She insisted I put him in the chair by himself, and when he started crying she agreed to let me hold him. Then she went straight to spraying his hair with cold water and combing, and then to the bangs. He was terrified and I had to hold his head still to avoid injury. She didn't stop and say, oh this isn't working, let's take it slow. She just tried to do it as quickly as possible. Then she pulled out electric clippers, which made it worse. And, to top it off, a blow dryer (more scary stuff) to blow off the hair, which was all over us because she never put a bib on him. It was a traumatizing event for all of us. I realize I shouldn't have taken for granted that they would be gentle and use humor or distraction to do the cut, but I never would have expected it to be that bad. read more