'Shear' delight as hairdressers and barbers are back in business
Barbers transformed into sheep shearers while beauticians contended with hair length normally confined to heads as Galwegians returned in their droves for an appearance recalibration following the lockdown.
Simon O’Hora of Leigh’s Barber Shop in Clifden said the biggest eye-opener since returning to work after 15 weeks was how well his older clients have adjusted to booking online for an appointment.
And the booking system is proving so successful they hope to continue with it permanently.
“It’s a much easier way for us to operate. Men haven’t been used to that and on a given day there could be six or eight waiting for an hour or more to get into the chair and then nobody for us to work on for an hour,” Simon explains.
“Now we have three 20-minute slots an hour, with cuts lasting 15 minutes and five minutes for cleaning and sanitizing and it’s been working fine – we have no more than three customers in the room at any one time.”
Phone bookings can also be made and Simon has been leaving a slot free every second hour to cater to gentlemen who have not made a booking. Those unable to wait were given an alternative appointment. Slots are currently being booked out four days in advance.
“About 80 per cent of the clients last week were over 65 and none of them had any issue. They were happy to come in, wear the masks, they were happy there was no waiting around,” recalled the Dublin native who set up the barber shop 16 years ago.
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