Ultimate client experience in manchester

At David Rozman's new salon in Queen Street, Manchester, client experience is everything - from the hand massages offered on arrival to the VIP room for those in need of an extra degree of pampering and privacy. But the salon's luxurious atmosphere and quality of service is underpinned by one important concept - David's unswerving commitment to working in harmony with the environment. The salon is partnered with Aveda, a fitting choice given its philosophy to care for the earth in creating products whose potency relies largely on natural ingredients. It's a stance that David has embraced and extended, running the salon on renewable electricity, minimising water output and recycling daily.David, a former senior stylist at Vidal Sassoon, wanted to create a unique experience for clients that combined cutting-edge style and luxury with an ecological conscience. "We aim to fuse together the quality of bigger brands with excellent service and green energy values, without any compromise to the client," he explains. "There's an old-fashioned idea that having environmental awareness means being rustic, but we are far-removed from that concept. The salon is both sleek and opulent, combining marble counters and clean lines with boutique-style chandeliers. But we are also dedicated to giving something back." As a result, David sourced energy-efficient light fittings and air-conditioning units that cost more than standard models, but were significantly less draining on the environment. He also approached Ecotricity, a renewable energy company that provides the salon with electricity largely powered from wind turbines. "Where possible, we try to use one towel per client instead of three or four," says David. "And when it comes to hair-washing, we use discretion. If a client's hair needs to be washed twice then that's what we'll do, otherwise we'll wash it once. And we never keep the water running between shampoos. That alone saves thousands of litres of water a year." But being more environmentally aware comes with a price tag and it's not always easy to reconcile good ecological practices with a thriving business. However, David believes that as long as a salon offers an exceptional level of service and skill, its clients will extend their support. "Becoming an energy-efficient salon will not change your business overnight and it's important that your core service is renowned before making any other changes. But if you are doing a great job in the first place, it's an additional responsible touch that many clients will appreciate." It's this principle of excellence in all fields that enables David to offset the extra costs incurred. "We take the time to explain to our clients why they are paying a little bit more," says David. "In a typical salon, an average haircut might cost £40, but that may need to increase to £42.50 to cover the costs of being energy-efficient. I've found that clients are more than happy to pay the extra - what's important is that the service you provide is valued." Although environmental awareness is not a new concept, it's a principle that's innovative in practice largely due to a lack of easily accessible information in the marketplace. But David was not put off by this and made sure that any additional costs were absorbed where possible. Although Government grants to support his initiative were lacking, he found that the air-conditioning units he installed were 100% tax deductible during the salon's first year of trading due to their high energy efficiency. And he feels certain that the Government, and in turn, local councils, will soon catch up and provide greater support to businesses wishing to reduce their carbon imprint. David believes that sound energy awareness policies have to spring from a genuine commitment to the cause, and he advises salons against tapping into this trend purely as a shortcut to getting noticed. "You have to be naturally interested in the first place, which is why we enjoy working in synergy with Aveda," he explains. "Clients know about our environmental awareness through word of mouth, it's not a marketing-driven strategy. I am ecologically conscious because I want to be more responsible, and everything that we have achieved derives from that decision." The biggest challenge David faced in achieving his vision was simply having the determination and perseverance to make it a reality. "Green energy suppliers tend to be smaller companies, and it definitely takes more phone calls to get set up. We are also prepared to go that extra mile; not only do we recycle all our retail packaging, but we offer the same service to clients wishing to return their empty plastics to us so that we can do it for them." The eco-luxe salon is already attracting positive feedback from clients and David is looking forward to rolling the brand out further. And for other salons wanting to follow suit, he suggests sticking to an achievable vision. "Of course I am biased, but I believe that our salon stands out in Manchester. A combination of the quality of our work and our environmental stance is what really distinguishes us in the market."