Aveda Experience Center

I’m giving this location two stars, rather than one, bc it’s Aveda and it is a solid brand. This location is obviously convenient and easy, but snap, they’re customer service leaves much to be desired. The saleswoman was on the phone when I entered and stayed on the phone, obviously talking to a friend, for the majority of the time. Not a very friendly attitude and seemed disinterested in helping when I did finally ask her for help. If you are just popping in for something you know you need, it is a great spot but otherwise stay away.

After visiting an Aveda store at Columbus Circle and receiving stellar customer services (and a free hand massage!), I am quite disappointed with this location.
The person helping me must have been having a bad day or something, because she obviously didn’t seem like she wanted to help me and had a stink face the entire time I was there. Every question I asked, I got some attitude back, and I was being nicer than I usually am :)

Love the fact that this place is so conveniently located in the beautiful Grand Central.
This store is small, smells good, serves the most delicious complementary herbal tea, the staffs and friendly and helpful and most importantly it carries the all natural invati shampoo and conditioner that I can’t replace with anything else.
They provide free hair consultation and also give out some great samples.

The staff is generally courteous and always helpful. This, however, is not the Aveda to spend 45 minutes talking about Shampoo. It’s Grand Central!!! The staff probably has insane sales goals and are conditioned to quickly cater to executive types that need to fix scalp problems and catch a train in 5 mins. I have had a service (hair styling) there and once again the staff is helpful but they can’t help the frantic metaphysical energy there. It is a conveniently placed grab n go high end boutique. So, don’t mistreat the employees if they are busy. They are nice and have a lot of work to do.

I love Aveda products, and they made me a lifer when they started up their rewards program. It’s relatively inexpensive to join (maybe $ 20?) and then you get 10 points for each dollar you spend, at any location. You also get invites for special «double points» weekends and you get double points on your birthday. All of which is to say that you rack up points pretty quickly — I joined about two years ago and have cashed in points twice; first on an Aveda spa robe, which is to-​die-​for comfortable, and then on a Patagonia rolling duffle bag. I’d be spending my money here anyway, so it’s super-​cool to get stuff in return. This location is small but almost always has everything I need in stock. The staff is friendly and knows you are probably running to catch a train. The products are excellent for sensitive-​skin types (i.e. me).

Located deep in the bowels of the beast (Grand Central) is one of Aveda’s «Experience Centers,» another laughable moniker from the elite hair product manufacturer/​salon.
Call me a metrosexual but I do require product, though I don’t go around blabbing about it. So it was an amusing rapport between myself and the employee (a straight male like myself) there who helped me, as we danced the I’m straight but talking about hair products tango. He was very helpful and friendly as was the other employee, a young, pretty, and very serene asian girl with an impressively arty haircut. I was served a little cup of very delicious tea as I rapped with my helper about the nuances of paste, waxes, and putties.
It’s funny but with the soothing music, the excellent tea, the benzodiazapine chill of the employees… maybe I DID have an Aveda experience.
Hmph.