A south London salon has claimed a prestigious award for their exemplary customer experience and innovative business model.
Jacks of London, which offers a modern day take on the traditional barber shop, won ‘Male Grooming Salon of the Year’ at the British Hairdressing Business Hairdressing Awards (BHBA) last month.
The BHBA awards recognise excellence in the industry and is a prestigious achievement for the company, who have just recently opened their Clapham location.
Sue Whitehead, founder of Jacks, said: “I’m so happy for this win, the team have worked so hard and it drives us all to innovate, to mix the traditional with the new and deliver it all in a truly man-friendly space.”
The company, which also has shops in Wimbledon, Guildford, Kingston and Southampton, has received a warm welcome from the locals since opening, but it can be difficult for a barbershop to stand out from its competitors in such a competitive industry.
Sue said: “At Jack’s we like to create a comfortable space for customers to come in have a chat and not feel embarrassed about getting a man-mask after their haircut.”
The process of getting to this point has been a long journey for Sue, who started offering men’s haircuts in a portion of a ladies salon and as the demand grew, so did her ideas.
She said, “I noticed men would come in to the salon and once being told they would have to come back, they never would.
“So I started off offering haircuts at the back of the store and then slowly started bringing it to the front, then I purchased my first shop next door.”
It was only when Sue moved her company to Wimbledon that she established the Jack’s brand.
“I noticed that men would go from the station to the pub and that’s how I got the idea of offering free beer.
“This then evolved over the years to offer more features for customers whilst they wait, including PlayStation console, phone chargers or TV channels for customers.”
The team are continuing to expand, with more locations opening up in Richmond and Camberley later this year.
