For the team at Rodney Wayne Whangaparaoa, success is seeing clients leave the salon glowing with confidence.
“When your hair looks good, you feel great,” says Retail Manager Vachelle Heron.
The company moto is “Look and Feel Fabulous.”
Rodney Wayne has a long history at Coast – the salon has been owned by Marie and Russell Keast for eight years and has been part of the town centre for around 15 years. Marie is a hairdresser by trade but currently works in tertiary education, developing and writing new hairdressing courses.
Whangaparaoa was one of the first Rodney Wayne branches to offer a V.I.P loyalty programme which has now rolled out to all Rodney Wayne salons. By joining the rewards program, clients earn points that will generate a voucher that can be spent on retail products or salon services.
Three years ago, the salon was named Business of the Year for its group in the National Rodney Wayne Business Awards.
Vachelle looks after the front desk operations and manages Shampoo N Things, the retail hub within Rodney Wayne that offers leading salon-quality professional haircare brands.
She works alongside Salon Floor Manager Michelle Kidwai, the technical expert who runs the salon with the talented team of stylists.
“People want to look and feel fabulous when they walk out of the salon,” says Michelle.
“One of the benefits of having the retail hub is that clients can recreate whatever we do in the salon at home,” she says. “It can take up to eight different products to create a look. People can slowly build up a selection of professional haircare products at home.”
Shampoo N Things stocks haircare products and tools from 16 different professional ranges including hairdryers, straighteners, curling tongs, and brushes.
The consultation at the beginning of all appointments is another key to ensure clients are getting a look that is right for them.
“You have to consider your hair type, what suits you and what your lifestyle is like. You don’t want a style that’s difficult to achieve,” says Michelle.
And while Coasties might enjoy a laidback beach lifestyle, people still want to stay on trend, and use products that will keep their hair healthy.
Many clients get inspiration from photos on social media. “It’s great to be able to help them recreate those.” The Rodney Wayne team post latest trends and promotions on Instagram and Facebook pages to give clients ideas.
As well as discussing a client’s hair goals and what is realistic, the stylist analyses their hair and scalp as part of the consultation and can recommend professional treatments if needed, as well as advising which products the client should be using at home and giving styling advice.
For many clients, especially women, coming to the salon is time out. “They might want to chill reading the latest magazines or have a chat,” says Vachelle.
“The basin area is people’s favourite place to be. They have a relaxing scalp massage and their stress levels come right down. Then they get offered coffee or tea and special sweet treat.
Michelle says a visit to the salon can turn into a bit of a counselling session although the team has been careful to avoid too much Covid-19 talk in recent months. “We want this to be a place where they can switch off,” she says.
The lockdowns put in place to prevent the spread of the virus in 2020 created a new appreciation for what hairdressers do, Michelle says, and a few challenges for the stylists.
“We had a few home fringe cuts to fix up,” she laughs.
The team was very active on social media when the salon was closed, reminding people to stay away from home hair colours. “A $20 box of colour can cost up to $400 to fix if it goes wrong,” says Michelle.
Team members also shared photos on social media of their own lockdown bad hair days and grey roots to remind clients even the professionals were suffering alongside them.
Covid-19 has caused people extra stress this year and one of the first places this shows is in your hair, Michelle says. Eczema can flare up and people start to see hair fall, excessive hair loss from all over the head.
“Our haircare range includes products that can support people with these scalp issues,” she says.
Michelle, who moved to New Zealand from the United Kingdom 18 months ago, has been a hairdresser for 31 years and has owned her own salon in the past. In that time, she has seen some interesting hair trends come and go, including the ‘footballers hairstyle’, which had a perm at the back, straight locks on top and a middle parting with hair flicked on either side.
Although she is pleased to see that particular style has not come back, Michelle says men are becoming more fashion conscious, with perms back in demand with some of the younger clients.
“It’s interesting because most women still want a smooth look.”
Vachelle began her career in hospitality but has worked with haircare products for the past 12 years.
Both women say one of the great benefits of working for Rodney Wayne is the ongoing training for the whole team.
A L’Oreal technical expert visits the salon regularly keeping the team up to date with latest colour techniques. The team is also able to access training to improve their colour and product knowledge. Managers get specialised training in areas ranging from salon business skills to managing mental health for clients and the team.
The salon is open six days a week (closed on Sundays) and Shampoo N Things is open seven days a week.
“The Coast is a small, friendly community and we work hard to create a warm environment where everyone feels welcome,” says Michelle.
It’s also great working with the other retailers at Coast”, says Vachelle.
“We all know and support each other, and we have loved seeing the changes to the centre and look forward to seeing Coast Plaza thriving again.”
