You Don't Own a Salon. You Own A Business.
In his latest blog, Leon Alexander Ph.D., challenges industry conventional thinking to help owners add more to their bottom lines.
When Maintaining Consistency Across the Brand Means Addressing Water Flow
With 35 barbershops open and another 60 in the works, V's Barbershop strives to maintain a consistent service at every location. That proves tough when water quality and water pressure varies greatly from location to location, so Emily Brown, director of operations, sought some help from Ecoheads.
by Staff
June 29, 2018
Emily Brown, director of operations, V's Barbershops.
1/4
3 min to read
Achieving continuity of service across multiple locations can be tricky when the most fundamental and, often, favorite part of any client’s visit is the shampooing at the basin, yet each salon’s water pressure and quality varies hugely. In one salon the water might gush out, while at another identically branded salon, the water will dribble embarrassingly.
Continuity of service was one of the key motivators for burgeoning barber chain V’s Barbershop to adopt Ecoheads in all its future fit-outs. With 35 units open and 60 sold, V’s is growing month by month, making it more of a challenge to guarantee the same experience clients have come to expect at every location.
"Our patrons are guys, and most don’t take advantage of our shampoo experience. However, for those who do want a shampoo, we needed to make sure it was the same whether it was happening in California, Texas, or New Jersey," says Emily Brown, V’s director of operations.
It’s an issue facing all business with multiple locations spread across states. But Brown found that with Ecoheads the unique design of the showerhead ensures the pressure is the same in every shop. V’s can also be confident that the quality of water is the same – free of sediment and chlorine.
"And they cut costs," adds Brown. Less heated water is used even though the pressure is increased, saving energy and water.
"They cost the same as an old-fashioned showerhead, so why wouldn’t any salon or barbershop fit them," she says. "It was an easy decision. Why wouldn’t you take advantage of more consistent, cleaner water that helps the environment?"
Design was a crucial consideration as the look and feel of each barbershop is a fundamental part of the brand. V’s is famous for its barbershop authenticity, achieved through its décor and its enviable selection of beautiful refurbished antique chairs. Every location has a complete set of heavy, leather-bound chairs, oozing reassurance and quality.
"Ecoheads also look cool, with the clear head and filter filled with tiny stones. V’s has always been an amalgam of classic and modern, so the showerheads fit right," adds Brown. "Guys love tech and innovation, so they love Ecoheads."
V’s will now roll out Ecoheads across all new openings while encouraging, but not insisting, all existing shops consider fitting them retrospectively
About Ecoheads: Ecoheads is a hugely innovative company that uses the latest technology to develop environmentally-safe solutions to some of the most intractable problems facing salons. Its debut product, the Ecoheads showerhead is a highly effective yet aesthetic product for the professional hair market that fits easily onto any salon’s existing backwash basin. Its environmentally friendly and easy-to-fit design doubles water pressure while saving water and energy. Regardless of a salon’s water pressure, each installed Ecoheads will deliver a high-pressure flow using less than 1.5 gallons a minute that gently massages clients’ scalps to stimulate blood flow, while unique sub-micron filters remove all sediment, rust and solids from the water. Based on an average daily use of 156 gallons per basin, that means a saving of more than 100 gallons of water a day for each chair, or 65% less expensively heated water than traditional shower heads.
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