F8 Quickcut

Great haircut for the price, short wait. Only cut men’s hair though, so don’t come here if you’re not looking to get a men’s haircut.

The next time I came to get my hair cut here after the bad experience I described in my previous review, the stylist (Diem Nguyen) actually turned me away. She saw me walk in, frowned at me, and said, «Sorry, I can’t cut your hair.» At first I misunderstood her — I thought she was too busy, then I realized there were no other customers in the shop. «Why can’t you cut my hair?» I asked. «I can’t make you happy,» she said. «I’m not going to do it.» Uhh… well. OK. Guess I won’t be coming here again, then.

I went here because the good reviews on Unilocal.I truly wanted to make this my go-​to place, since I just moved to Mountain View and their price was affordable at $ 10 per haircut. Unfortunately, my experience was horrible.
My hair was cut by some guy (I didn’t get his name). I gave him clear and simple directions:
1. Fade the side with a 1″ clipper
2. Don’t cut the hair on top because I am growing it out.
3. Re-​do the «hard part» that was already created on the left side of my hair.
I even showed him a picture of how I wanted my hair via phone. He quickly glanced at it for maybe one second (I’m not sure if he even paid attention to it).
He began fading the sides very quickly (I had no problem with that), but then ended up cutting the hair from the top of my head that was overhanging the sides, the hairs that I specifically told him NOT to cut. Normally, stylist/​barbers either comb or clip it out of the way. Then, after he finished, he asked if I wanted to cut the hair on the top (which he had already shortened while he was doing the fade). I clearly specified «no,» and to NOT EVEN trim it, as I was growing it out. So he began combing my hair. He then quickly reached for his scissors and proceeded to cut that hair anyways! I quickly stopped him, but not before he already cut some of it off.
I’m giving one star because the guy cutting my hair refused to follow directions. Furthermore, his attitude gave the impression that he did not want to be there, which made me feel pretty unwelcome as a customer.
I definitely will not be coming here again!

I have been coming to this place for at least 3 years. The lady that cuts the hair is nice and friendly. They guy that joined her I would say about a year ago not so much (you tip him and he acts as if he doesn’t care … maybe I should stop tipping him). I’m not a demanding customer when it comes to haircuts, the place is conveniently close to my apartment and I typically do not wait in line when I go right after the business opens. The parking lot is shared between two other business so it can get crowded but I typically find parking. When you get it there is a kiosk. You click on the screen and buy a ticket. Initially, haircuts used to cost $ 8. They just recently went up to $ 10. I don’t blame the increase or the business but rather the outrageous cost of living in Mountain View and the Silicon Valley which is the result of the greed of politicians. I guess the business adjusted pricing to follow to the trend in higher and higher cost of living. The folks at F8 Quickcut work from 10AM to 7PM so be nice to them.

My hair is not easy to cut, as it’s getting very thin in places. I’ve paid a lot more for very poor cuts, but here, I’m always pleased. I’ve only ever had the original lady stylist, so can’t comment on the others. The price is excellent for, what has always been, a much better cut than elsewhere (where I was charged 2 – 3 times the price here).

If you want a shitty, spherical haircut, go here.
The kiosk is too close to the door. It’s difficult when more than 1 person is ordering a ticket.
Asked for a crew cut. This is only my second time getting one. They don’t speak necessarily in terms of the haircut styles, but rather in numbers on the cutter.
For crew cuts, they don’t taper all the way down to 0 in the back. I guess you gotta ask for that.
They’re fast and cheap. I guess that’s a plus. I gave a large tip because I’m used to paying 13 bucks anyway.
The hair cutting isn’t bad. It’s consistent and even. It’s not like an amateur did it and they didn’t mess up any cuts. I just wish they were more true to the style. I feel like I can’t go back and ask for a cleanup, so I’m just gonna go somewhere else.

They don’t care about you.

3 Star for the haircut, 5 Star for the value!
I just relocated back to the Bay Area and have been looking for a low-​cost hair cut. In Asia, there is an awesome place to get haircuts called QB House from Japan. It’s awesome — it’s about $ 10 and your hair is cut in 10 mins. It’s awesome for someone like me. F8 Quickcut does a nice job of replicating it.
Here are the things I look for:
1. Low cost — I have a simple hair style and cut (see #2), so I don’t need anything fancy. I’ve gotten my hair cut at fancy places that charge $ 25 ($ 30 including tip) and I can’t tell the difference. F8 is $ 8 + $ 3 tip. Done.
2. No fuss; just cut — I don’t need a stylist, I just need you to follow my directions. I’ve got Asian Male hair and I know exactly what I want. #4 on the sides, 1 inch off the top. Don’t get cute, just cut. Don’t need product, I got it at home/​car/​bag. Don’t need shampoo, I’ll wash my hair when I get home/​work/​gym. Don’t need chit chat, that’s what my family/​friends are for. Just cut baby, just cut.
3. Clean and efficient — F8 is pretty clean (although not as clean as the ones in Asia which offer a similar service, but passes the bar). It is very efficient. I went on a weekday and there was a 5 min wait and the hair cut took about 10 mins. Perfect.
So, in short, if you’re looking for a stylist who will take 30 – 45 mins to style and cut your hair, talk to you, shampoo and massage your head, and then charge you $ 30 out the door, then this is not the place for you.
If you know exactly what you want and looking for great value and efficiency, then this place is great!

Mediocre or miss.
Go here if you’re trying to:
–get a haircut under $ 10
–the cut is really simple, and
–you know the ideal clipper/​trimmer numbers.
TL;DR – A haircut by Diana is mediocre, while a haircut by someone else is probably going to suck.
Mediocre:
I’ve been here three times. The first two times it was Diana and it was fine. Quick payment, quick haircut that met my request (more or less), followed by a modest tip.
Crappy (aka, «The Rant»):
The third time I visited, the place was busy and there was Diana and this other guy. This dude looked like he was called in 10 minutes before to cover for someone who didn’t show up — he looked angry, barely said anything, and seemed like he was in a hurry. I decided to take a chance anyway and told him how I wanted my hair cut. 5 minutes later he said he was done. WTF? Yes, it’s «quick cut», but no, you can’t be done that quickly. I pointed that it was uneven one one side and that I wanted it more blended/​faded. He said nothing, just started cutting. Again, within a few minutes, he was apparently done. It seemed better than before and I thought I could even out the little things at home, on my own. Reached home, realized the haircut was still pretty uneven — it looked like I let a 4^th grader cut my hair for fun.
Anyway, I went back, insisted that Diana fix my hair. She obliged, but only after implying that it was my fault: «You should tell us clipper number, not how many inches you want off.» First of all, Idk which clipper # I need — I don’t think this should be required knowledge as a customer. Secondly, if I was told to specify clipper number before my hair was cut, that would be fine. Or if my request to take X inches off didn’t work the first two times with Diana, then yes, I should have to specify clipper #.
In conclusion, expect a mediocre experience, at best.

$ 8, you can’t ask for too much.

This place used to be good until the new guy showed up.
The new guy there (I’ll call him The Butcher) is a total bust.
1. He pokes and prods you in the head and neck. You come out feeling assaulted.
2. He has a lousy sullen look, like he’s a 14 year old being kept back after school.
3. Don’t bother tipping him because he won’t even THINK of saying thank you.
Not going back here.

They did a good job for a men’s haircut for $ 8!
The barber was a bit rude but followed instructions. This place is cash only+tips.

Yep. Very very irresponsible barber, a mid age Asian woman gave me a most uneven hair cut ever. And her unprofessional skill left a hollow gap on the back of my head, when I questioned her what is it several times, she pretend that she didn’t hear it, and keep moving the mirror just like I won’t see the gap anymore if she keep doing it. I wish I can show u the picture. Srsly I don’t know how the fuk this place get good grade from most Unilocalers

Come here only if you want a bowl haircut. The owner didn’t like it when I asked her to fix a certain part of my hair. Regret paying so much tips.

I am writing this on behalf of my boyfriend who came here for a quick fix and came out with the most uneven haircut I have ever seen. For the price of $ 8 it may not seem so bad but this haircut looked like it was cut by someone in blindfolds. Utterly ridiculous. Not to mention waiting almost an hour because there is only one person working.
Avoid at all costs!

You get what you pay for. $ 8 is super cheap for a haircut that isn’t too complicated. I wouldn’t go here if you want some intricate design or style, but if you want to get cleaned up or a simple cut, this place is really good for that. I had Diem, she was nice to me, if you come off friendly, she will reciprocate it. I was in and out very quickly and happy with my cut.

I have been taking my 2.5-year-old son here since Spring 2014. We have been here for 3 – 4 since May, and we’ve always gotten the haircuts from Diem, the lady using the middle seat (there are three seats in total). We like her, and she does a really good job with my son’s hair.
Before finding this place, I’d taken my son to some of the high star review, high dollar sign barbershops in Palo Alto and Los Altos including the fancy places for kids only. Our experiences in those places involved lots of crying on my boy’s part, and financial and emotional dissatisfaction on my part.
I can’t be happier with F8 Quickcuts. It is on our way home from preschool. In most cases, I took my son there after a school day. He doesn’t resist the idea of getting a haircut anymore. The whole experience is simple and straightforward. Diem is kind and friendly, and doesn’t push hard to make conversations, which I appreciate. Good positive energy, not fake friendliness.
As for the haircut, she is really good at using the electric razor hair clipper as well as the scissors. She cuts my toddler’s hair according to my instructions, and she always leaves me satisfied. I sit on the chair first. My toddler sits on my lap. (There are also toddler booster seats available.) Both of us wear nylon haircut capes. Childrens’ cape is colorful with some cartoon characters on it, which nicely distracts my kid. At the end, Diem gives a lollipop to my toddler with my permission.
The haircuts we got at F8 get a lot of compliments. She not only listen to my cues but also uses her experience to give the most flattering cut to my son so that his head shape looks its best. After seeing my son’s good haircuts one after another, finally my husband gave in, and stopped going to his expensive (~$ 30 – 35 + tip) barbershop, and started using F8 Quickcuts as well.
To sum, it’s a good place for guys to get a haircut. Take your kids there with confidence, or go there if you are a guy who simply wants to get decent, good quality haircuts. Don’t go there if you are a woman (even with very short hair. If you have short hair and want great hair cut, go to L salon in San Mateo and ask for Leann.) or if you are a man with very specific demands and high expectations (such as precision haircut and styling etc.) Serving to really demanding customers is against their business model, and they indirectly tell you that. I got a haircut there (I have a ton of shoulder length hair) to get my broken ends trimmed, and it wasn’t great. But I was warned. So, it’s not their fault. As a woman, you can’t expect to pay $ 8 and get an overall trim with great razor cut layers. Setting the expectations wrong and then giving bad reviews to them is not fair.

My brother and I have been getting our hair cuts here for almost a year now.
My brother stays mostly at home while I’m at work, and he’s pretty frugal. This place is great for him because:
a) he can walk there himself during the day so I don’t have to drive him
b) it’s only 8 bucks!
This place is great for me because:
a) it’s quick enough to not have to plan for it; I literally decided to get a haircut today while waiting at a traffic light 2 min from home
b) it’s only 8 bucks!
There’s usually only one barber when I go, and she always remembers me and how I want my hair cut. She’s relatively quiet but friendly enough. After the initial «how do you want your hair cut?» she just gets right to it and doesn’t proactively check-​in to see what you think until she’s done. Like I said — fast. It’s not always done to my exact liking, but it’s good enough. If I were a more vocal person I would just be more specific from the start, but since I’m more timid I just sort of let things be.
Some people claim «horrible service» but I’ve never witnessed this. More often, I’ve witnessed customers with an unwarranted sense of entitlement. Maybe they expect/​demand more accommodations and waiting on their every thought/​opinion, but to them I say:
You’re only paying 8 bucks! Let’s see how excessively enthusiastic and obliging you are for 8 dollars.
Anyways. In summary, if you don’t want to deal with blocking out time for a haircut, this place fits the bill. It’s cash only but that shouldn’t be a complaint. It’s only 8 bucks!
If you’re still on the fence about giving this place a try, to you I say:
It’s only 8 bucks!

Not much to say. Where can one go for a quality simple $ 8 hair cut. It’s a cash only business run by Chinese. Not sure what goes on in back, but the hair cut is good value, unless you need some special styling. UPDATE: Price increase to $ 10.

Brought both my boys here today for their haircuts, ages 13 and 11. Great experience. I read all the past reviews so I knew what to expect.
We were a little disappointed when the ticket machine returned my $ 12 in change. It held in the change slot and didn’t spew all over the floor, so not as exciting as in the reviews.
I prepped both boys to tell their barbers how they wanted their hair cut and both were able to communicate clearly and both barbers seemed to be very competent, using razors and scissors. No talking, just very focused and efficient, taking about 10 – 15 min each. No line and minimal wait on a Sat morning around 11:30am.
We’ll be back!