Asia''s first ISO certified saloon in Chennai
Venkatachari
Jagannath
27 January 2004
Chennai: What is the common strand that runs between giant industrial groups like TVS, Tatas, Birlas and the humbler Ramesh Gents' Hair Stylist on the upmarket Nungambakkam High Road in Chennai?
A coveted ISO quality certification, of course. The saloon is the first such personal care establishment in Asia to be awarded this prestigious quality certification in this service category. The saloon was certified by the Mumbai-based ISO auditors, International Certification Services (Asia).
Says ISO consultant, Ayyan Thiruvalluvar, CEO, IQ International Consultancy Services "It took us three months to map and systematise the entire process involved in running the saloon."
Proprietor G Ramesh, who entered the hair-care profession at the age of 12, clearly articulates the reason of becoming ISO certified, "We want to go global and set up our business overseas and also meet competitive threats at home." While the personal products company, CavinKare notched a milestone when it started its unisex saloon in this southern metro, the Chennai hair-stylist has finalised plans to start operations in Malaysia with a local partner.
In
addition, Ramesh plans to strengthen his branding in India
by establishing a presence in other Indian metros and
covert his sole proprietorship into a private limited
company. Though planning to corporatise, Ramesh emphatically
rules out the franchising route to prevent his standards
from being diluted.
"Prior to the certification, we didn't fix prior
appointments. Service was on a first come, first served
basis," says Ramesh and adds, "with the ISO
certification, the saloon has systematised all its operations.
Every time a customer comes to the saloon, a job card
is prepared listing details like personal preferences
and allergies to products." Records of visits are
maintained and reminders about the next appointment are
sent to customers.
The saloon uses disposable equipment, sterilised grooming kits, neck capes, imported disposable shaving kits and offers shower facilities. A health club with sauna, jacuzzi, ayurvedic massage and a gym are on the cards.