John Marshall Barber Shop

Rude, curt, and not willing to give information. I called at 8:30 AM to schedule an appointment. I received a lady on the phone that was just downright unwilling to provide me with any information. I simple asked, what appointment times are available for today for a haircut? She was curt and annoyed in her response with: I can’t cut your hair right now. i’m the only one here. i’ve got my own appointments from now until whenever someone else comes in. someone is coming in at 10.’ so i asked if i can have an appointment at 10, to which the rude woman sounded more annoyed and said ‘no you can’t. she’s coming in at 10. 1030, is that what you want?’ i said sure if that’s the earliest available. how much does it cost? ‘it’s 20 dollars.’ ok that sounds great, can i also have a shave? ‘what? no if you want a shave you can’t come at 10:30. and it’s 20 dollars. so it’s 40 dollars and you can’t come at 10:30. it’ll take too long.’ umm ok so then are there other times i can come in for that? ’ wait so you don’t want the 10:30?’ no, i don’t, because i can’t get a shave at that time you said. ‘ok alright.’ AND THEN SHE HUNG UP
what an embarrassment of customer service and I had never even step foot in the shop.

I have visited on a regular basis, however, I’ve recently made the decision to go elsewhere. The haircuts have always been wonderful and I really enjoy Mara and the congenial demeanor of the owner, however, there is another woman that has been fairly rude to me on at least two occasions and is the reason why I no longer plan to bring service to the establishment.
I recently called to see if there was availability for a walk-​in, and this woman curtly announced to me that it was Friday, with a tone implying that I was some sort of dolt for even asking the question. This is not the first time that she’s done this. Several months ago, I was walking past and figured I’d stop in to see if there was availability for a walk-​in. A simple «I’m sorry, we’re booked up today, but I’d be glad to schedule an appointment for you,» would have sufficed, but this kind of response seemed as though it would be too difficult for this person. She, instead, snapped back saying that they were unavailable and that they take appointments. I replied by drawing attention to the sign about Walk-​ins, to which she shrugged off in a condescending manner.
Overall, I’m offering up a solid two stars because I really think highly of the gentleman that owns the shop and Mara, but must admit that I’m quite disappointed by the manner by which the other woman conducts herself in a customer-​facing position.

Victor is amazing. His attention to detail is outstanding. Truly cannot say enough good things about him!

Had a great experience today. Found the shop on Unilocal and was not disappointed. Recommend getting an appt didn’t know but got lucky Kim had an opening.

Very disappointed with my first visit here. Waited nearly an hour on a Saturday and was not even greeted by either of the barbers on duty. Then I walk up to one of the barbers after she is done and she tells me they are «appointment only» when they are busy. Thanks for nothing, John Marshall Barber Shop.

If you are looking for a traditional shave, this it. Neck shave with hot shaving cream and hot towel massage. Best ever!

Victor Victor Victor. This guy is the man. I hate haircuts. I can never find a barber that actually listens to and follows through on what I want. People always tell me, «it’s because you go on Friday and in the afternoon, that they are tired and ready to go home.» I’m sure they’re right but I refuse to accept this as an excuse for a bad haircut. If you are in the business of altering someone’s appearance based on their requests you SHOULD go home if «being tired and ready to go home» results in your production of a poor haircut. Well guess what, I called to schedule my haircut this Friday morning for 5 or 5:30. All they had was a 3:30, and so I took it. When I showed up, the remaining staff were in the process of leaving and quickly left. I didn’t think much of it, it did seem a bit early but I was consumed by my usual «pre-​cut jitters». The «pre-​cut jitters» are a result of a sequence of bad experiences, bad haircuts, by different sized scissors and various brands of electric razors always in the hand of a «barber». So there was Victor. As always, in the beginning, I was nervous. I made suggestions and reiterated concerns. He seemed to be having none of it and with the confidence of a man who is a master of his trade, he abruptly silenced me. 10 minutes in and that confidence transcended. Then it hit me. Maybe the staff had left early because it was Friday, they were tired, and wanted to go home. Maybe they did their job for the week but MAYBE just MAYBE they knew they should head home because they didn’t WANT to give haircuts anymore and when you don’t want to give a cut and do, it’s not going to be a good one. I’d like to think this was the case. Why? I got exactly what I wanted with the man that stayed behind. After trying 3 or 4 barbers in Richmond since my move, I am finally confident I have found one that I want to cut my hair and one that wants to cut hair even on Friday at 4. Victor’s $ 20 haircut took a good 25 to 30 minutes just like a good old $ 20 haircut should. He did an excellent short fade primarily with scissors, rarely seen. I will be back next cut. Thank you!

This shop had a potential of five stars, heck, Marielle gets five stars for her service, unfortunately, the woman sitting in the first chair, when you walk into the shop, looked like nothing short of a miserable mess. The look on her face, from the time I walked in till the time I left was like «…just shoot me and get this over with…» She was dressed very unprofessionally (in a hat and with very uninviting body posture. As for my service, I got a great welcome by Marielle, who gave me a fantastic haircut. She made me feel welcome and even engage in a kind conversation although I was a bit tired. The other two barbers, both male, were also welcoming. Had it not been for the miserable woman in the first chair, I would have given this shop five stars, and I will be back for another haircut, I just hope the miserable woman actually shows that she A: Wants to work. B: Can have a much better attitude and professional look than I saw at the shop today.

Called a few hours before I needed my haircut and they were able to take me in as a new customer right away. Came in and didn’t really know what I wanted done, having not had my hair cut for a few months during moving and getting situated with jobs and school, but they helped me figure out what I wanted and did an excellent job getting me exactly what I wanted done. Very friendly and quick without rushing.

Today I walked-​in to the John Marshall Barber Shop without an appointment. It had been too long since my last cut, which had been a horrible cut while traveling.
Kim, impressively so, knew right away how I preferred my cut and after a brief review of my preference she set out on the task. The trim was completed promptly, but not hurried, and was done perfectly. The precision was obvious while she worked.
The shop itself is clean, friendly, charming and deep with the distinct character that is typical of a proper barber shop.
This is a great shop for professional men get cleaned and shaped. I will return many times.

Victor! He is your guy. If you are a guy that cares about getting a great haircut, then he is the man for the job. One of the smartest guys I have got my hair cut from. We talked about international culture, politics, food, and some other things.
Great conversations, Great hair cut. Great service. I drive 70+ miles from Norfolk, VA to get my haircut here every chance that I get.

I took my 13 yoa son to see Linda at The John Marshall Barber Shop, he thought it was so «cool» to see a real shoe shiner! Linda would not let him leave the chair until she got the cut perfect and he loves it. Loved the shirt and tie that one of the barbers was sporting too! Great place on Franklin Street!

If you want a great hair cut that’s consistently great every time you go, then definitely start coming here.
Victor has been cutting my hair since they re-​opened and he does an incredible job! He’s also a really funny guy to talk to.
I was so tired of going to your $ 13-​$ 15/​hair cut place and having to monitor my barber/​hair cutter just to make sure I received a semi-​OK haircut. Every time I went to one of those places, I could never get a consistent hair cut.
For $ 18 at John Marshall, I can sit back and relax while Victor works his «masterpiece». They have TVs there but for some reason, I’m more entertained by people watching the people walking the sidewalks.
I will never go to another cheap hair cut place again.

Oh, how I love this place. It struck me as old-​school RVA. I got a routine haircut, and was wowed by the experience. $ 18 for full lather, half-​hour cut, scalp massage, more of a haircut than I’ve ever had. This is coming from a guy who previously was reluctant to let anyone who wasn’t a gay male cut his hair. (Miss) Linda did an excellent job, and I highly recommend her.

EXPERIENCE:
The John Marshall Barber Shop is probably as good as it gets for those interested in quality service, classic cuts, and a fair price. The shop itself is located on the ground floor of the newly renovated John Marshall Hotel and can be accessed from the street.
Your typical haircut will run $ 18; which can ad up, but unlike bargain «hair salons» it includes a hot lather, straight razor neck shave, eucalyptus face towel, and-​above all-​a consistent haircut. They also have the built in wall vacuum units and a shoeshine… so there’s that too.
The John Marshall is frequented by politicians and city leaders of all sorts, so I wouldn’t go in asking for a Chelsea cut; however, they are more than capable of executing a more modern «GQ» hairstyle and definitely anything from the 50’s.
PROS:
— Service, these people love what they do
— Quality
— Charm/​Atmosphere
— Street parking usually available right in front of the entrance (have change)
CONS:
— They’re typically open 8AM-​4PM, a pain for out-​of-​towners and those with strict work hours.
BOTTOMLINE: Classic haircuts in a historic landmark by legendary Richmond barbers.
OTHER DETAILS:
— They accept walk-​ins, but your best bet is setting up an appointment. You can usually get in the day you call if you’re flexible.
— Don’t be a dick, leave’m a tip.