Drumcondra Road, Dublin 9 ph: 01 8376265

4 Vernon Avenue, Clontarf, Dublin 3 ph: 01 833 0110

www.hessionhairdressing.ie

HESSION HAIRDRESSINGSALON OF THE YEAR 2010

a name that instantly evokes images of elite glamour, individual style and impossibly beautiful hair

Focusing on effective leadership and communication maintains solid relationships with our staff and our customers and therefore we ensure that we remain a leader in our chosen field. At Hession Hairdressing we are focused on perfecting our existing product and ensuring consistent customer satisfaction. It is our intention to remain a boutique salon whilst maintaining and building on our reputation of being customer centric.

Year on year Hession Hairdressing delivers what we believe to be a consistently brilliant level of service; this is proven by the number of repeat customers and the increasing client base that we have experienced. Our team always give 100% and it is in appreciation of their efforts and acknowledgement of their achievements that we feel we deserve this award.

Why do you feel your salonis worthy of this award?

Commun

icatio

ns St

ruct

ure

Since 1982, Hession Hairdressing has developed a set of core values to deliver its award-winning service to its extensive client base. Our Code of Business Ethics reinforces our standards and drives our culture of compliance, ethical decision-making and accountability. Our principles shape the culture and define the character of our company. These simple, yet powerful ethics have continually guided our decision making and how we interact with our clients, the communities in which we work and each other, in pursuit of our vision:

To become one of the world’s leading hair salons and continue to raise the bar for standards in the hair and beauty industry.

Following on from our main core ideals such as teamwork, passion, dedication and pride, Hession Hairdressing has expanded its horizon to compliment the above mentioned and include; effective leadership and communication.

Effective communication is crucial at every level of Hession Hairdressing. However, the ability to communicate effectively does not come easily to many people, so therefore Hession Hairdressing adopts a clear communication structure and method.

At Hession Hairdressing, we are perceived as being stylish, creative and aspirational. Although our clients predominantly fall into the female ABC 25-55, we have a broad and diverse client base, made up of loyal and established customers as well as the constantly growing flow of young urban professionals. Synonymous with quality and a brilliant standard of work, this is intricately linked as to how the Hession Hairdressing name has evolved over time. We may have changed our techniques but the formula and basic standards set out haven’t changed. We remain extremely customer focused in dealing with our existing and potential customers. As well as our regular customers, Hession Hairdressing also style the hair of many high-profile personalities such as, Anna Daly, Victoria Smurfit, Tara Blaize, Samantha Mumba, Pat Kenny, The Seoige sisters, Kathryn Thomas and Mark Little.

What is the annual turnover of the salon for the last two financial years?

2007- 2008 €1,583,0002008- 2009 €1,624,000

How many staff do you have? 32 people

What percentage of your trading turnover in 2009 was on retail products?

13.2 %

What is your client base?

List the criteria you have in place to ensure good customer relations?One of the ongoing challenges Hession Hairdressing face is optimizing customer satisfaction and developing a strong customer relationship and we do this through a focused Customer Relationship Management (CRM) plan. Raising customer satisfaction levels is an integral part of our business which requires a comprehensive approach which we manage via a 5 step system.

- An understanding of the overall salon’s vision and mission

- Definition of the salons customer service direction, slogan and values

- Ensuring customer service is defined as a key responsibility throughout the salon.

- Sharing the customer experience strategy via a comprehensive communications program both internally and externally

No matter how effective the service delivery processes, or well-trained our staff maybe, things go wrong. Our customer relations programme is built around managing the customer experience and being able to resolve these issues effectively. We adopt a process known as “recovery” it is an important differentiator in building customer loyalty.

When recruiting at Hession Hairdressing we concentrate on functional expertise and knowledge as well as interpersonal skills. We feel that a lack of the right attitude can drastically impact client satisfaction levels. Research has in fact shown that attitude is the most important requirement: skills and functional expertise can be taught - we recruit in equal importance.

Even though we have hired the right people, there is still a need to orientate them into our customer relationship culture and educate our team with regards to how we expect them to manage their communication skills.

We understand the importance of effective processes and procedures which provide the foundation for a good experience at our salons. Efficient service delivery systems appear transparent to the customer. Poor systems create those ‘speed bumps’ that necessitate personal intervention in order to satisfy the customer requirements. We pride ourselves on offering the personal touch but like to think we run a ‘well oiled machine’ in terms of our customer procedures which include small touches such as weekly customer call backs to see how the customer service was at our salon.

Selecting the correct team:

Developing, motivating and managing our team:

Establishing effective service delivery processes:

Building in continuous improvement:

In order for Hession Hairdressing to deliver outstanding service, it is essential to build a customer relationship focused culture. The time investment is high, but the pay-off as we’ve seen is enormous building long-term customer loyalty and business profitability.

Key practices required in creating a clear customer experience include:

Briefly outline your policy on dealing with customer complaints?As seen from the above response we are dedicated to providing a 100% level of service to our clients every time and we strive to ensure complaints are, kept at an absolute minimum and dealt with efficiently. As a team, we focus on proactive as well as reactive problem solving.

We feel we have a system that works very well and as such we have not altered our customer complaints procedure dramatically in recent times. However we do constantly review the procedures in place to ensure we remain current in our methods of responding. We train staff on how to handle customer complaints effectively using the correct mix of empathy and understanding while ensuring the real problem is solved, not just the symptom.

Although complaints are rare, we have a number of systems in place to stop problems escalating. Should best attempts fail, there is a service recovery policy (as mentioned in question 5) in which the customer must be called back within six hours by the general manager. Ultimately, our aim is to reconciliate an

upset customer, not to assign blame. When the customer has been notified that the problem is being addressed, we endeavour to fully investigate all angles of the complaint and address them to the satisfaction of the customer. Within 48 hours of steps being taken to solve the problem, we always call and issue a letter to the customer. This allows us to ensure that the problem has been completely resolved and that no further attention is required.

How do you promote /advertise your business?Our marketing philosophy is to strive to be a magnet for new customers and maintain the high profile we currently attract. We currently employ a three strand system in promoting our image; the strategies currently include marketing, public relations and advertising to support the overall Hession Hairdressing brand whilst supporting both our Drumcondra and Clontarf salons individually.

It is our policy as a company generally not to use print advertising through national media, although all opportunities are evaluated on an individual basis. However we pay significant attention to our outdoor advertising campaigns and online advertising initiatives as we feel this is the most appropriate route for our brand.

It has also been our policy to date to put our resources into strong PR editorial through the use of print, radio, TV and online media consistently in our PR strand. In addition, we have developed our presence through technology such as an SMS club, Bluetooth proximity campaigns, Hession TV and intranet usage in our marketing and PR campaigns. We retain the services of a PR and marketing agency and seek to develop partnerships based on the compatibility with the objectives of each of our campaigns.

A selection of the promotional materials used in communicating with our public include; use of smart cars, billboard advertising, 6 sheet placement, radio campaign, outside broadcasting facilities and ad mobiles.

Supply a brief outline of your marketing and promotional strategy for the past two years?

We pride ourselves in conducting a consistently strong marketing strategy and this is something we have employed for many years.

In looking at the past 2 years our aims have been to:

Highlight the Hession Hairdressing name and profile through existing clients and reaching potential customers

Increase demand for Hession Hairdressing services at both our Drumcondra and Clontarf salons

Focus on raising awareness of the salons area of expertise, continuing the standards that the salon has become so renowned for.

Correctly communicate the overall image of the salons, this is key to maintaining the brand awareness and making sure it is appropriately positioned.

Establish and develop suitable partnerships for Hession Hairdressing in terms of sponsorship and charity association

Convert media opportunities to maximise public exposure through the correct channels such as print, radio, TV and online

Develop a number of concepts that will underpin our marketing and PR objectives

Drive sales on services and products that are available to us exclusively and create awareness in a way that will make us stand out from our competitors

Educate the Irish public on who we are and what we do

This has been done via calculated initiatives on an ongoing basis. In particular last year saw the opening of our Clontarf salon and as such it was extremely important to us that we managed the Drumcondra publicity and marketing clearly so that we maintained the level of awareness previously enjoyed while not being overshadowed by the ‘newness’ of a second salon.

Our strategy over the past 2 years was formulated by looking at; who we are trying to target, what results are we looking for and from this we created a specific plan that would ultimately bring about measurable results. Our approach has always been to have a 12 month strategy in place for the overall business and work 3 months in detail at any given time so we can coordinate our PR magazine campaigns with getting the best placement possible when booking in e.g. outdoor advertising locations and booking promotional crew for distribution. This means that we always know what is happening for the next 3 months and as such have time to plan strong campaigns and execute them with precision and maximize all opportunities. It has been our policy to date to put our resources into strong PR editorial as opposed to direct print advertising; however we employ the use of extensive advertising campaigns through the use of outdoor media and online campaigns when advertising our Drumcondra salon.

Our 3 month plans include • PRactivityplan • Charityassociation • Promotionalactivity • Marketingmaterialsrequired

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Hession Hairdressing is located at 4 Vernon Avenue, Clontarf, Dublin 3 Tel: 01 883 0110

or 108 Upper Drumcondra Road, Drumcondra, Dublin 9 Tel: 01 837 62 65* While stocks last

There are

and then there are, well,

this year Hession Hairdressing

for

so

is on our list

of elite glamour, individual style anda name that instantly evokes images

impossibly beautiful hair and we want it

Provide evidence and include photographs of the interior and exterior of the salon?

As part of the ongoing development of individual team members we conduct quarterly assessments. Assessments are carried out by the Artistic Director and General Manager.

The areas assessed include:

- Performance Monitoring

- Evaluating the individual’s

performance against a set of data that include;

Another area of assessment is staff are given the opportunity to asses their own skills. This is conducted via a monthly mystery shopper experience. This allows the team member to experience how other salons perform and identify areas of weakness in their own abilities which require work. In addition, it also allows them to realize valuable attributes they possess that are invaluable to them.

In our staff assessment process, we incorporate a combination of target-setting, performance monitoring and staff reviews to ensure each member of the team reaches their full potential with the support and guidance of salon management. Clear targets are set for measuring performance, which are monitored and updated regularly. In our experience habitual staff assessment and feedback is essential in maintaining the high standards that we have set for ourselves. In addition to above, bi annual performance reviews are conducted with all members of staff and we focus on the following areas;

1. Review of the quality of work

2. Review of the quality of service

3. Discussion around the level of product knowledge

We also use a performance evaluation which we work on with each individual staff member. (please see examples on following pages)

Describe how you assess your staff. Supply samples of any paperwork used?

- Average amount of commissions achieved

- Number of service dockets received

- Retail dockets

- Percentage of ritual sales was achieved

- Client retention

- Quality of work produced

- Quality of service given

Drumcondra Team

Clontarf Team

Describe your staff training policyAt Hession Hairdressing we work extremely hard on our education policy and as such we invest heavily in our staff training which in turn increases our team retention. We currently offer a four year in-house training programme structured as follows:

Year 1 - Communication Skills, Product Knowledge, Finishing and Colouring

Year 2 - Finishing, Highlighting and Colouring

Year 3 - Fashion Colour, Cutting/Finishing and Hi-Lighting

Year 4 - Cutting/Finishing, Up-Styling, Perming, Hi-Lighting and Hair Extensions

- Orientation

- Practical Classes with different class tutors

- Model and mood board presentations

- Opportunities to join artistic teams

- Expert speakers such as L’Oreal technicians, Kerastase ambassadors.

- Attendance of L’Oreal academy

- Advanced technical courses

- Attendance of hair exhibitions in Europe

- Attendance of seminars such as with VIDAL SASSOON in London

- Inclusion in work exchange program – L’Oreal Celtic exchange.

A combination of the apprenticeship training and the further education for our qualified staff ensure a level of constant support is provided to staff.

The training is supported using the following initiatives;

Year 1

Crea

tive

Hig

hlig

htin

g

Cutt

ing

/Fi

nish

ing

Up-

styl

ing/

Perm

ing

Hai

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ensi

ons

Fash

ion

Colo

ur

Fini

shin

g |

Hig

hlig

htin

g

Com

mun

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ion

Skill

sCo

lour

ing

| F

inis

hing

Prod

uct

Know

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Colo

urin

g

Year 2 Year 3 Year 4

Hig

hlig

htin

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ttin

g |

Fin

ishi

ng

The secret to our success is our team and therefore we strive to always keep our core team intact and ensure that they are always highly motivated to create a pleasant and rewarding work environment. Some of the methods we use to motivate our staff are as follows:

Describe how you motivate/reward your staff.

Recognition is one of the key points in effectively managing people. Hession Hairdressing wants employees to know that our business values their place and hard work within our organisation.

We create a clear vision of the companies’ mission and goals, and we make sure that everyone understands the rationale behind them and how they contribute toward achieving them. We make employee development and retention a primary objective within our salons.

We encourage employee participation in all aspects of the business.

We involve everyone at all levels in the goal-setting and planning processes, particularly if they are responsible for particular results.

We show courage to let employees learn from their mistakes.

We meet individually with staff on a regular basis; help them clarify their personal goals and values; and assist them in identifying the skills they need to achieve their goals.

At Hession Hairdressing we find ways to enrich the jobs of our employees by increasing their authority and encourage staff to expand outside their comfort zone.

We have a social club at our salons that organise team building days and nights out to encourage staff interaction outside the pressures of the day work environment.

It takes work to recognize and properly reward staff. However throughout the years we have seen the huge payoff in a highly motivated and loyal team that enjoys their work enough to become long-term employees that represent Hession Hairdressing to the best standards in the industry. Hession Hairdressing has created and will continue to create a culture where staff are eager to apply themselves to work for Hession Hair-dressing because of our reputation of treating employees well. A highly motivated team allows us to retain our competitive edge and uphold our customer focused approach.

Staff members are also rewarded through additional benefits which act as incentives for employees and encourage excellent productivity; these include items such as gift vouchers, travel vouchers or general shopping vouchers. In encouraging the staff team members we regularly introduce schemes that would be unavailable to staff ordinarily such as the group car insurance scheme currently offered. This scheme of-fers reduced rates; this is something that our staff likes to receive as premiums in Ireland remain extremely high for young drivers. We are also participating in the Irish ‘bike to work’ scheme while also cutting down on carbon emissions.

Retention at Hession Hairdressing is excellent with senior staff remaining with the salon an average length of 15 years. Also being a family run business, it has passed hands from founder Frank Hession over 25 years ago to son Paul and daughter Susan, both directors.

Staff are encouraged by the profile of the salon and activities that the salon participates in e.g. with only one 4 member Mondial Intercoiffure team in Ireland, Paul Hession was honored to be invited to join the Irish contingent, reflecting his status in the country; Frank Hession has been made a Bord Failte Global ambassador for his services to the tourist industry in Ireland and is key in bringing the European Hairdressing championship to the new convention centre in Ireland next year. Sharon Delee as the salon colour specialist has been invited to join the L’Oreal colour ID team, one of only 4 members in Ireland. Our staff has the opportunity to experience and participate in all of this in addition to their day job with us. It is the balance between team work, individual encouragement and recognition that makes our leadership style exceptional and offers wonderful opportunities within the hairdressing industry to our staff.

We are involved in an In-House career development center programme (CDC). The CDC boosts workplace morale by honing employees’ skill sets to improve performance in their current positions and prepare them for their next move within the company (as can see from the abovementioned four years cycle for hairdressers) It provides an opportunity for our company to strengthen skills that support our key company objectives.

Team members are encouraged to specify the area in which they would most like to gain experience. On completion of their apprenticeship every team member is provided the opportunity to experience their chosen field an example of this is our head receptionist in our salon trained with us as a hairdresser and has chosen to move across to work in admin and service side. We encourage the team to set and attain their goals within the hairdressing industry and we facilitate this through our regular contribution in editorial shoots, fashion shows and national and international competitions.

What career opportunities are offered to your staff?

Hession Hairdressing allows our employees to work outside their areas of expertise. Staff can gain knowledge on the administration side of business, team training, social committees and client relations. As part of our ongoing staff development plan we have an artistic team and staff can experience hairdressing outside of the salon whilst remaining in their team environment. At Hession Hairdressing we make a point of knowing what our employees’ professional interests and aspirations are and how they intersect with our organisation’s projected growth that will help prepare staff for future advancement. This has proven to be a key point in encouraging and nurturing new talent within the salon.

At Hession Hairdressing we know the importance and fragility of raw talent and it is with this in mind that we strive to foster and develop our team.