Salon pampers clients in cosmopolitan setting

And Harem employees are ready to serve, providing their clients with anything they ask for: wine, mimosas, beer, soda, iced tea, juices and an array of snacks, all free of charge.

Salon owner Steve Arvizu said his philosophy for the salon is to give clients “an experience, not just a haircut.”

“I think we try to look outside of the Springfield box,” he said. “We’re going for a more cosmopolitan, metropolitan idea of how to treat a client.”

Harem stylists also hold consultations with their clients to help them create hairstyles or hair colors that best fit their age, face shape, body structure and profession.

“We always do a consultation with a new client to get to know their lifestyle and what would fit them best in the way of a haircut,” Arvizu said.

The salon has eclectic décor and a friendly atmosphere, and employees greet each client by name. The salon hours are not set and are determined by clients’ needs, Arvizu said.

“We’re very flexible with our hours,” he said. “We are not locked in 9 to 5 – we stay as late as 8:30 p.m. or come in as early as 8 a.m. We are about our clients.”

Harem Salon receptionist LuAnne Post said the staff of five is a unified group of people that work well together.

“It’s really strange that we should have such a team feeling here, because the stylists are their own bosses,” she said.

Arvizu agreed that the team approach is essential.

“We leave our egos at the door,” he said. “We make sure that we’re about the clients. We want their comfort and their needs to be fulfilled before ours.”

The salon was founded about 30 years ago in conjunction with The Harem Boutique, but the two businesses were later sold separately. Arvizu said around 1980, the boutique was sold to Kathi Cryderman, who owns it today and continues to operate it next to the salon.

“We have an open door policy between the two of us, and that works well between the salon and the boutique,” Post said.

“The boutique will often have a trunk showing where models will come through here to preview fashions. It’s a real treat for our clients.”

The salon had several different owners before Arvizu purchased the business in May 2003. He said the salon then went through four months of renovation that completely changed its look and atmosphere. The salon now has state-of-the-art lighting and updated styling stations, he said.

The salon employs three hair stylists including Arvizu, Brook Wright and Jackie Richardson. The staff also includes two receptionists: Post and Misty Potter.

“I really enjoy getting to know people here,” Post said. “I’m the first one (clients) see when they come in and the last one they see when they leave.”

Arvizu said keeping the staff small ensures a level of intimacy between employees and clients, but he is interested in hiring additional stylists in the future.

“We have the potential now to accommodate nine stylists. I am approaching it in that our growth has been steady, and we are not looking for warm bodies to fill our stations – we’re looking for talent and a team player.”

The salon offers hair services including cuts, colors, permanents, weaves and straightening. Other services include make-up and facial waxing. The salon also carries several product lines for sale and specializes in wedding parties.

Arvizu would not disclose revenues for the salon, but said business is good and always growing.

“We’re all busy and getting busier all the time,” he said. “We don’t do a lot of advertising because we don’t have to. We rely mostly on referrals, which has been a tremendous success. Each stylist has recently enjoyed an increase in revenue with our increased clientele.”

The average age of clients at the salon is 35, and many are working professional women, Arvizu said. But, the salon services men, women and children of any age.

“I just cut the hair of a 6-month-old boy,” Wright said. “I get a lot of family clients.”

Arvizu said the hairstyling business is one of the few professions that pay well without requiring a college degree. The business does require, however, that stylists constantly update their education.

“That’s the backbone of this industry,” Wright said. “You have to continue your education before you’re left behind, because it’s constantly changing.”

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