Bournemouth hair salons 'overwhelmed' by customer support

Hairdressers and barbers on the high street have been rushed off their feet, some even working 12-hour days, since reopening on 12 April.

Determined to fit all of their adoring clients in for a cut and colour, salons in the town centre have been busier than ever - and boy aren't they pleased about it. 

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After almost a year of uncertainty and pressure, salons were finally allowed to reopen last month. 

As people desperate to tame their tressels booked in at their favourite salons, booking sites crashed and websites had to be temporarily closed to keep up with demand.

Ryan Batholomew, owner of HAUS. Male Grooming, said: "Going back has been really good, the response from customers has been literally amazing."

Ryan Bartholomew, owner of Haus

After opening just three-days before the first lockdown, Ryan explained that business since reopening in April has been better than ever.

He said:

"We've literally had the busiest period that we've had since we've existed.

"I'm potentially one of the only people that my clients have spoken to since lockdown so it's really nice being able to rebuild those relationships and welcome in new people too - it's been really overwhelming."

Customer loyalty is the bread and butter of the hairdressing world and keen clients across Bournemouth were even sending in postcards and letters before the salons reopened, trying to be the first to get booked in.

Vinnie Ribeiro, owner of V Salon at The Triangle, said: "During lockdown we even had postcards and letters through the door with people getting booked in for when we reopened. 

"It's quite overwhelming the amount of people trying to book in and we're trying to catch-up but it's going to take a few weeks."

Vinnie Ribeiro owner of V Design Salon (centre) and his team at the Dorset Minority Awards.

After receiving countless bookings through their website, V Design Salon - which was crowned the best salon in Bournemouth in 2019 - has implemented a six-week advance for all new clients to ensure they can fit everyone in.

Vinnie said: 

"It's an amazing feeling - but we're starting to feel a little bit tired now."

Salons are looking positively towards the future and have implemented a range of covid-safe changes to ensure customers feel comfortable being back in the hairdressers chair. 

Vicki and Terry Steventon have been delighted to welcome the return of their customers - the couple at the Tigi Awards.

Vicki Steventon, from award-winning Terry Steventon Hairdressing on Old Christchurch Road, said: "We're really chilled and we want to make sure its a relaxing experience for our customers so they feel safe.

"We are very on the ball with health and safety, we've signed up to BCP's alerts so we keep up to date with everything that's going on. We're chilled but we always remain professional."

Across the board, our high street salons were kept busy over lockdown with various hairdressing education platforms to ensure they were on the top of their game once they reopened.

"We had a lot of online education that we could sink out teeth into, so I got a plastic head and cracked on with it," said Ali Trickett, manager of Toni and Guy on Old Christchurch Road.

From summery blondes and balayage to mullets and 70s shags, hairdressers are being tasked with creating our dream re-styles since lockdown.

Toni and Guy had a complete re-fit during lockdown.

But going to the hairdressers is more than just a task for personal maintenance, it has a profound effect on our self-worth and mental health. 

Ryan at HAUS said: "Our customers feel really comfortable to have difficult conversations with us and to just be really honest about how difficult lockdown has been and that's a privileged position for us to be in.

"We don't just work on hair, we work on minds as well."

Do you visit a brilliant salon that deserves a shout-out? Let us know in the comments.