We’re back in the driving seat

Boris’s 4 step Roadmap will potentially allow us to open under step 2 on Monday 12th April, subject to data assessments being satisfactory. We’re looking forward to getting you freshly trimmed in time for Spring.

Implementing this plan requires the Government to be guided by data, not dates, so that they do not risk a surge in infections that would put unsustainable pressure on the NHS. For that reason, all the dates in the roadmap are indicative and subject to change. There will be a minimum of five weeks between each step: four weeks for the scientific data to reflect the changes in restrictions and to be analysed; followed by one week’s advance notice of the restrictions that will be eased.

Step 2 is currently booked marked to take effect no earlier than the 12th April, and will be subject to an assessment of the data against the four tests. If Step 2 is delayed, subsequent steps will need to be pushed back in order to maintain the necessary five week period to assess the impact of each step and to provide notice. We will keep you posted in the event that we are notified of any change in date.

We have provided a link covering steps 1- 4 here Publication of the Roadmap  As we move through each of these phases in the roadmap, we must all remember that COVID-19 remains a part of our lives. For the moment we are going to have to keep living our lives differently for the next few months to keep ourselves and others safe. As such our PPE and social distancing policies will remain in place at the Valet until the data indicates otherwise, so we will carry on with ‘hands, face, space’ and comply with the COVID-Secure measures that we previously had in place at the salon. Staff will wear full PPE and customers will need to wear a face masks whilst in the salon and also sanitize their hands on entry. If we all continue to play our part, we will be that bit closer to a future that is more familiar and hopefully we can achieve this by the 21st June by all doing the right thing, please see COVID-safe guidelines for close contact businesses,

How we plan to manage the booking process

Phase 1

We are currently in the process of calling all of our clients that are on the standby list to get you booked in as close to our opening date as possible, which will be no earlier than the 12th April. If we don’t reach you by telephone we will book you an appointment and will send confirmation of this by email and text message. If the time and date offered is not convenient for you, then please respond to the email and we will make alternative arrangements to suit your schedule.

Phase 2

Online booking will re-open on (Wednesday 24th February) at 11:00 am. If you haven’t already registered click here to access our appointment book or alternatively download our app from the app store or googleplay and search for the Valet Barbershop. Please note we will be also accepting booking requests via our contact us page. Our online booking facility also allows you to pay for your appointment upfront, which will help minimise a build up of customers at our point of sale and will also allow you to exit the salon strait after we have completed your treatment.

Phase 3

Our telephone lines will open to the public on Monday 12th April at 8:30 am

It is important that we all remain patient and do the right thing. A Barbershop environment is a very difficult place to properly self distance within, so hence the need to follow the Government’s guidelines correctly.

Please note in the first phase of reopening, our service offering will be limited in order to fully comply with the Government guidelines safe zone. As such our Deluxe facial treatments will not be accompanied with the use of steam due to the risk of aerosols spreading. We are hoping that we will be able to resume a full service offering by 21st June 2021, providing the data suggests it’s safe to do so.

Note the Artic Explorer, Captain Valet and all Deluxe treatments will still carry the usual product applications and processes, but we will replace the steam process with hot towels for the time being. Please also note for those of you that have had a major hair growth since the lockdown and want to return to your normal style, then please be sure to book a GQ Restyle as this will give your Barber the extra time that’s needed and will extend the appointment time to 55 minutes. We will be working on strict time slots whilst maintaining social distancing measures, and there’s a limit on the number of people allowed in the salon at any one time. For this reason it is important you book the correct service, as if we find you need a longer appointment than what you have booked, we may have to re-schedule your appointment in order to keep other customers bookings on schedule. If you’re already a customer, you will appreciate that our business model is to provide quality over quantity.

We have provided below a synopsis of our COVID-safe customer guidelines and would ask that you fully adhere to these, as they are for your wellbeing, as much as for our own. We will work closely with you so these temporary measures have as little impact on you as possible.

Making your life easier

Gift vouchers purchases are still a feature with our online booking platform where any purchases of this type will automatically be assigned to your client account. You will also be able to log in to your online account and pay for your service upfront when booking an appointment. This will avoid unnecessary close contact with our reception staff, as when you have finished with your Barber you can just leave the shop.

How are we going to protect you and other clients?

We will fully implement and comply with the Government’s recommended COVID-19 secure safety practices and guidelines. The health and safety of our customers and staff is paramount, so please do keep this in mind. We guarantee that we will be the borough’s salon that leads by example, acting responsibly and taking the best possible precautions to protect you.

Our COVID-safe practices will be a follows:

Clients

• All clients will be required to book an appointment online or by calling the salon.
• No ‘walk-ins’ will be permitted as the shop will be secured for customers with appointments only.
• If you arrive at the shop without an appointment, you will be able to ring a video doorbell where we will book your appointment with you whilst you are at the door. Please do not expect access or for us to open the door, as this will not be possible in order to keep other customers who are in the shop safe.
• You will only be permitted access to the shop as soon as your chair is ready or if we have space available in our waiting area, provided this does not exceed the total waiting number of 2 clients at any one time. In the event we are not quite ready to let you in, we will call you as soon as your chair is ready. Please note we will have indoor and outside seating spaced 2 metres apart and with the good weather, this should not prove too much of an inconvenience. We would also suggest that if you happen to drive to us that you stay in your car and call us to let us know that you have arrived, this way we can call you when your Barber is ready. Please note appointment times will be strict in order for us to properly manage risks and to minimise the flow of traffic, so whilst we don’t want anyone arriving early we will not be able to let you in if you are late for your appointment.
• All clients will be expected to use the provided hand sanitiser on arrival to the shop.
• Any clients displaying a cough or cold-like symptoms, or with a temperature will be refused entry.
• Clients will not be permitted access with friends or other family members unless they also have an appointment with us at the same time.
• Clients will not be permitted to bring or consume their own food or drinks onto the premises. We will serve hot and cold beverages to clients in disposable containers, where they will be required to dispose of these responsibly.
• Clients will be required by the current guidelines to wear a face-covering/mask.
• Clients will be required to wear disposable capes when in our Barber chairs.
• Clients will be asked to refrain from unnecessary conversation, and to converse at a level that prevents excessive aerosols and to leave the shop as soon as their appointment has ended.
• All payments should be made by contactless or through your online booking account where possible to avoid close contact and the exchange of money with the reception desk. Contactless payments will be taken before your appointment whilst you are waiting for your chair to become available so that we can minimise and properly control the flow of customers from point A to point B.

Shop

• Staff to wear surgical gloves during all facial treatments, including hot towel treatments, as and when permitted.
• Staff will wear visors and masks for all treatments.
• Towels and gowns will be washed on a high heat and changed throughout the day.
• Regular and thorough cleaning of the salon using an anti-bacterial spray, with particular attention to areas of multiple contact, such as door handles, handrails, toilet flushes, taps, credit card machine etc.
• Barber stations and chairs to be cleaned with anti-bacterial spray during each client changeover.
• All equipment, such as clippers, combs and scissors will be sanitised on each client changeover.
• Complimentary hot beverages will be served in a disposable cup.
• The removal of newspapers and magazines from within the salon.
• All staff will work to the highest hygiene standards and follow Government and NHS guidelines.
• There will be a dedicated space for over 70s, and people with underlying health conditions.
• Waiting areas will be limited to a maximum of two people at any one time.
• The shop will only be accessible to people with an appointment.
• Services that include facial steam will be temporarily removed from our service offering until further notice.
• Shifts will be rotated in order to minimise the number of staff members on the premises.
• We will operate shorter hours in the opening months up to step 4.
• Barber chairs will be positioned 1 metre apart to maximise the distance between clients.
• Staff will change into their uniform on arrival at the premises
• Audio and visual volume will be kept to a minimum level to prevent people from raising their voice, preventing unnecessary airborne aerosol particles.
• The shop will be well ventilated at all times.
• All appointment times will have a 5 minute processing time attached so the Barber can carry out the necessary cleaning of their stations at the point of a client changeover.
• A sneeze screen has been erected at the point of sale.
• All steam machine and other forms of equipment that create humidity have been temporarily removed from the shop.

We trust that you’ll appreciate these adjustments are only temporary so we can provide a ‘COVID secure’ environment for you. The more we all co-operate, the quicker we will hopefully be able to reach the goal on the 21st June 2021.

Why you may need a consultation

We will be offering a free consultation via Facetime or WhatsApp so you can let your barber know what your requirements will be prior to your appointment. This will also allow us to properly allocate the correct appointment length for you. Please note that a re-style appointment will be booked for 55 minutes and will carry an appropriate price adjustment.

If you believe your hair will be requiring a restyle and are planning on booking your next appointment online then please be sure to book the correct service by selecting the GQ re-style option and not the Esquire option, as this will only cause delays for other customers and will result with you being charged more or possibly turned away on the day.

Please let us know if you will require a video consultation when we book your appointment or simply send us a request by email with your mobile number and we will arrange for one of our senior barbers or stylists to call you.

We look forward to seeing you very soon to get you looking fresh for the Spring.