Northampton hairdressers wins national customer service award as owners back ‘Save our Salon’ campaign

A Northampton salon has been recognised for its continued high standard of customer service throughout the pandemic with a national hairdressing award.

G&E McIntyre’s in The Ridings, beat off competition from across the country to win the top customer service gong at The British Hairdressing Business Awards 2020, which was announced at a virtual ceremony last month.

The salon was also a finalist for Salon of the Year awards at the same ceremony after winning the prize in 2019. A member of staff was also shortlisted for the Stylist of the Year 2020.

Gavin McIntyre, who owns the town centre salon with wife Ella, says the team are thrilled to have been recognised for their hard work and the award is a 'light moment' on the back of a difficult year.

He said: “From our point of view, it is a great win as it was a bit of a long shot, but it’s nice when you get a surprise like that.

“Customer service is a great category to be honoured for as it’s what we do. It’s the core of our business to make sure our customers are looked after.

“Within the category, all the shortlisted salons are excellent and we look up to them all.

“I think it must have been a different judging process this year and I think we were chosen because of the measures we have taken in terms of being in touch with clients throughout lockdown.

“We have kept in touch with our clients to see how they are with spot calls, as well as engaging on social media, keeping people updated and hosting lives.”

The salon was shut for a number of months during the first lockdown last year, then had to shut again during the four-week November lockdown, before reopening for just three weeks and closing once again at the start of this year.

With no confirmed date as to when the business will be allowed to reopen, the owners are backing the national, industry-wide ‘Save our Salon’ campaign, which urges local hair and beauty salons to write to their local MPs in a bid to ask the Government to reduce VAT to five percent when personal service businesses are allowed to reopen.

Gavin added: “We want the Government support to be in line with other industries.

“Hospitality has been hit really hard and they have had the Eat Out to Help Out scheme as well as their VAT cut to five percent.

“We have had the standard business support from the Government and council which we are grateful for, but VAT being cut to five percent would be life saving for some many salons, so we want to make some noise.

“We are managing to keep our head above water, but a lot of businesses are struggling to know where to look.

“It is worrying and this campaign could help a lot of businesses and people.”

Gavin has shared information about the campaign about the salon’s social media channels as well as his own, and he has had clients asking how they can help.

A petition has been set up relating to the campaign, which members of the public can sign here.

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