We’ve got the Green Light

We’ve got the Green Light

We’re open but ask that you #Stay Alert

Yes, we’re now officially back in business with effect from July 4th 2020. We hope you’re all safe and well and looking forward to a nice fresh trim.

Following the Government’s recent announcement of further lockdown easing and publication of COVID-safe guidelines for close contact businesses, we have now been given green light to re-open on Saturday 4th July at 10:00 am. There will be three phases for booking appointments.

Phase 1

For those of you that already had an appointment booked prior to lockdown and those who are on our standby list, please keep an ear out for that call, as we’ll be contacting you in within the next 24 hours to get those appointments re-booked.

Phase 2

Online booking will re-open this (Sunday 28th June) at 10:00 am. If you haven’t already registered click here to access our appointment book or alternatively get our app below. Please note we will be also accepting booking requests via our contact us page.

Phase 3

Our telephone lines will reopen for bookings on Friday 3rd July between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm.

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 to the T.

Please note that 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 we will not be able to offer our usual services, such as the use of steam or other facial treatments, due to the risk of aerosols spreading. We would expect our full services offering to resume within a months time, providing the R number and growth rate suggests it safe to do so.

You will notice that the online booking system will only provide the option to book for an Esquire dry cut or a GQ Restyle and for beard treatments; a Lumberjack service only. Whilst we will be carrying out beard treatments, this will only be limited to a trimming service and not any razor or cleaning procedures that would normally carry an application of lotion and steam. Likewise, all hot towel shave treatments have been suspended for the time being. Neck stubble will be removed with a sanitised balding machine.

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 that these temporary changes impact on you as little as possible.

Do the right thing, respect our NHS and those whom we have lost.

Customers supporting their Barbershop

We have received a number of emails from customers asking how they could support the Valet to stay afloat during these testing times, possibly feeling anxious that they might lose their local barbershop. Not only were we extremely touched by these gestures, but it also confirmed what we have developed over the years; something a little more than just a shop, but more of a club based on a strong community.

Gift vouchers are still available to purchase online and will automatically be assigned to your client account, you will also be able to log in to your online account book an appointment and pay for your service upfront. 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.

In order to fully implement the guidelines during the ‘Stay Alert’ period, we will need to make certain adjustments to our services which will reduce the level of service that you would normally receive from us. We hope that we will be able to re-introduce our service offering in full, just as soon as confidence levels have been resumed. We all know things are going to be different for a while for all of us.

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 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 still provide cold beverages to clients in disposable containers, where they will be required to dispose of these safely.
• Clients will be offered a face-covering/mask for their own peace of mind on entry but are not required by the current guidelines to wear one.
• Clients will be required to wear disposable capes when in our Barber chairs.
• Clients will be asked during the alert period to refrain from unnecessary conversation, 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 to avoid close contact or 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.
• We ask that clients do not request to make further appointments in the shop after their appointment has ended but to instead make this online or by calling on the telephone.

Shop

• Staff to wear surgical gloves during all facial treatments, including hot towel treatments, as and when permitted.
• Staff will wear visors 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 temporarily withdrawn from our service offering.
• 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 first month of opening.
• Barber chairs will be position back to back where possible in order 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 10 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 and ‘Stay Alert’, the quicker we will hopefully be able to resume our normal lives.

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 50 – 60 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 Re-style option and not the Esquire option, as this will only cause further delays for other customers and will result with you being charged more than you expected 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 for one 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.