Steve Hilliard Hairdressing

System: Shortcuts
Types:
Shortcuts Xpress, for walk-in salons
Shortcuts Salon, for appointment based salons
Shortcuts Spa, for spas and full service salons
Shortcuts Enterprise, for multi-site salons and spas

Main features:
Client management
Loyalty programmes
Employee management
Marketing
Reporting
Stock management

Steve Hilliard owns Steve Hilliard Hairdressing, a chain of salons in Bedfordshire. He’s been using Shortcuts for three years. “I went with Shortcuts purely because it was sold to us as a system designed by hairdressers for hairdressers”.

“The texting has cut no-shows to near enough 1%. People love the personalised messages, and a lot of guys rely on it to let them know when their next appointment is. It’s so easy: say you’ve got 60 clients coming in the next day, you press one button and that’s it, it automatically reminds them. We send out birthday cards and if people don’t return after six to eight weeks, it tells you that, so we write a letter and offer them an incentive to rebook, such as 20% off retail”.

“We pull off reports each week to go through with staff at the weekly meeting, looking at the number of clients, services etc. I opened another salon in February, which was expensive, but putting in Shortcuts was a no brainer. It’s been fantastic on stock control – we’re down to 5% of our turnover, whereas before it was 10-15%. It’s all about cash flow – you don’t want thousands of pounds worth of stock sitting around.”

Steve Hilliard Hairdressing, which offers affordable designer hairdressing for women and men, with salons in Ampthill and Luton, has been shortlisted for the category of Customer Care Excellence in the Luton and Bedfordshire Business Excellence Awards: Rising Stars 2008.

The Bedfordshire and Luton 2008 Business Excellence Awards recognise the achievements of leading edge employers…and is the premier showcase for the county's rising stars.

“The judges were looking for exemplary customer service, over and above usual expectations,” says owner and director, Steve Hilliard. “We are delighted to have been shortlisted for such a prestigious award; and for both our salons under the Steve Hilliard Hairdressing brand to be recognised for our commitment to customer care - through the tracking of customer satisfaction levels - and by how our staff are trained and motivated to meet client needs.”

New client? To receive a 10 per cent discount off your first appointment, telephone 01582 598028 (Luton salon) or 01525 406369 (Ampthill salon) and quote ‘Excellence’.

When Steve Hilliard Hairdressing, which offers affordable designer hairdressing, decided to find out what their customers thought of its service, they carried out a detailed customer satisfaction survey to 10 per cent of their 2,000 strong client base, throughout August and September.

The success of the salon has been due to maintaining a consistency of excellence in customer service across two salons in both Ampthill and Luton – and clients agree – 80 per cent of respondents are extremely happy with the level of service they receive, joined by a further 20 per cent who are very satisfied.

The results reveal that over 76 per cent of respondents have been a client of Steve Hilliard Hairdressing for an average of five years and that 73 per cent of clients live within a two mile radius of the Ampthill salon, based in Bedford Street. “The large majority of our customer base is over 35 years of age”, says Steve, “and many of our customers have grown up with us, and we have built this salon to cater for the needs of the local Ampthill community and surrounding areas.”

New client, Bev Holbrooke says, “Steve Hilliard Hairdressing is the friendliest salon I've been into for a good while.” Long-term client, Lynn Grigg, says, “Compliments only! I enjoy the friendliness of the salon - everyone is very welcoming, not just the person cutting your hair. I really enjoy my time at the salon!" Valerie Clark, agrees, "I find all the staff polite, friendly and professional. Nothing is too much trouble and you know you are getting a high class service - which is worth the money."

Owner and Director, Steve Hilliard, who has been running the Luton salon for over 12 years, says, “We used an independent marketing consultant, to offer a third party view. The results have been impressive; we value the feedback, and our clients’ responses will help to focus the business strategy and may also have a bearing on wider operations, including our second salon in Ampthill.

“With the cost of living going up this year, our clients still want to look and feel their best,” says Steve, “so we are looking at launching a loyalty card scheme to offer even higher value to our existing and new clients.”

New client? To receive a 10% discount off your first booking at the Luton or Ampthill salon, telephone 01582 598028 or 01525 406369 respectively and quote ‘Excellence’.

For immediate release: 18 July 2008
Learn how to create ‘salon perfect’ hair at home

Steve Hilliard Hairdressing, which offers affordable designer hairdressing for women, celebrated the first six months of the opening of their new salon in Bedford Street, Ampthill by launching ‘An Evening with the Professionals’ celebration for clients and guests – an evening of fun-packed learning, a free prize draw – and great discounts on a variety of branded professional hair products. Over 20 new clients attended the event [on Thursday 17 July] to learn the art of creating salon perfect hair at home.
Ampthill manageress, Caroline Rolph says, “Our professionally trained staff demonstrated and explained the art of adding texture and volume to hair, how to achieve perfect straightening at home and how to give your hair that ‘just stepped out of the salon’ polished finish, using the most suitable products and tools for your particular hair type.”

“With the cost of living going up this year, our clients still want to look and feel their best,” says Caroline, “so this event is something that can help our clients to get the latest hair trends, and try them out at home, between salon visits.”

Founder and director, Steve Hilliard, who already has one successful salon in Luton, opened the doors to its Ampthill salon in January, which is going from strength to strength. “This event is an interactive experience where we involve our audience members as much as possible, by opening the demonstration up to those present to field questions or ask advice,” says Steve. “We are also more than happy to have one-on-one discussions with clients afterwards. We always carry a selection of our products with us, so that clients may purchase these immediately, at a special discounted rate if they wish.

“We regularly take our ‘An Evening with the Professionals’ to local schools and halls too. We demonstrate two models - one short and funky, the other very straight. These styles demonstrate the quality of some of the products we carry and also the high standard of our cutting, styling and finishing. We are also available for hire as a team for your hair/beauty-related or fund-raising event.”

Steve Hilliard Hairdressing, which prides itself on its excellence in customer service, has received many written testimonials. One Ampthill client, Jenny, says, “Whilst my hair was being washed, I read a sign on the wall about Steve Hilliard's commitment to customer service… and suspected it was just there to look good. In fact, all the staff are absolutely committed to providing excellent customer service.
“They take time to consult you, to understand exactly what you're after. The hair washing massage was really relaxing, the colour and cut were great; and they telephone you afterwards to check that you're satisfied. When I was in Ampthill a few days later, I bumped into Caroline, the manageress, who remembered my name and even the event I'd been going to the night of my haircut. That's customer service!”

Anyone (not just existing clients) interested in achieving ‘salon perfect’ hair at home, should contact Steve Hilliard Hairdressing, for details of ‘An Evening with the Professionals’ event to be run in August 2008. Come along and join the team for light refreshments, and find out more about salon perfecting techniques. The ticket value for this event is just £2.50 per person. Book your place by telephoning 01582 406369 / 841758 – and bring a friend for free by quoting SHH EWP. Quote the same reference and receive a 10 per cent discount off your first booking at the salon.