Customers are first, second and Fifth at caring salon

If the numerous awards won over the years by Fifth Avenue Hair and Beauty Spa are anything to go by, a visit there to profile the business was nailed on to be a pleasure, so I jumped at the chance.

Fifth Avenue, opened by salon director Kerry Cash in December 1997, won the customer care excellence category at the Rising Stars Bedfordshire and Luton Business Excellence Awards.

The award category was sponsored by Premier Newspapers, publishers of the Luton News, Dunstable Gazette and a stable of websites and papers across Bedfordshire.

Fifth Avenue, nestled in Howard Street, Bedford, is neat and tidy from the outside. Inside it is buzzing with activity even on what others might call a quiet trading day.

Salon director Kerry Cash explained her business philosophy. “I think looking after our customers is extremely important.

“It’s really good to see your clients walking out of the door with a smile on their faces, happy with the service they have had.”

Ensuring that members of staff put customers first and second through training sessions is an essential part of the business strategy.

“We do a lot of training in the salon and make sure that the customer focus is there,” she added. “We will try to go the extra mile if we possibly can.”

Staying in touch with people through the salon’s website at www.5thavenuespa.co.uk is one way of doing that, as is sending out newsletters and marketing information to the database of 5,000 clients.

Customers are given all the latest information on what’s happening with the salon’s staff and the various new offers.

The salon even sends out birthday messages to clients who are celebrating their big day.

During December the salon entered all its clients into a raffle, as a little extra way of keeping in touch.

The salon is also open until 9pm on many nights of the week and at weekends to give customers the best possible choice.

And, according to Kerry, more and more men are catching on to the beauty business.

She said: “More men are coming in, not for a short back and sides but to be pampered, with a hair wash and a scalp massage.”

As very much a short back and sides type, I thought I’d put the team to the test. Well, somebody’s got to do it!

After a tough morning of slaving away over a hot computer, the relaxing massage given by beauty team member Katherine Moore was just the job.

Then Jo Picton, who has been working at Fifth Avenue for seven years, gave me a scalp massage, a hair cut and colouring.

Although greying and thinning a tad now, I was amazed that after a few choice questions, Jo was able to identify my hair colour as it was at least 10 years ago.

Jo rightly identified that my new hair colouring was so subtle that only those people closest to me would notice the difference. Although I’m happy with my grey, it does the ego no harm to have people say ‘you look 10 years younger’.

And while the whole process of beautifying an ageing hack does take a while longer than a short back and sides would, the cups of coffee and attention to detail supplied by the team made it all a relaxing experience.

From the smiles on the faces of other clients, I guess the awards are well deserved.

> See a video report of my trip to Fifth Avenue at www.lutontoday.co.uk/news/business