Tabatha’s Salon Takeover
Yep, I watch Tabatha’s Salon Takeover on Bravo (Tuesday nights at 9PM). Host Tabatha Coffey takes over a failing hair salon for a week, then does a return visit weeks later to assess the improvement. What I really enjoy is the back-to-basics business model she advocates – the cursing, not so much…
Tabatha begins by watching hidden camera video with the salon owner, interviewing the owner, meeting the employees, and touring the shop as a group. This is usually disgusting, revolting, and appalling - especially the tours of bathrooms and storage areas. Then she takes the keys to the salon. She spends a day observing the stylist’s technical skills and customer service – then she, um, counsels the employees.
Tabatha does a makeover of the salon and reopens it with a newly motivated team. She observes the owner / stylists again, then makes final recommendations and gives the keys back to the owner. Tabatha follows through with a return visit, so we can see if her recommendations are helpful.
This is a business case study on TV (where was this when I was in school?). Cleanliness, technical proficiency, professionalism, customer service, and management: all the basics that have somehow been forgotten. It’s also capitalism at it’s finest – Tabatha expects the salon owner to make money…
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On a personal note, I’ve worked in restaurants so I pay attention when I’m eating out. Recently, I visited our Restauranteur / State Senator’s place and saw Paul Sanford as he arrived at Little Paul’s. The first thing he did was check out the bathrooms. Tabatha would’ve been proud…
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I’ve always been of the opinion that if bathrooms aren’t clean in a restaurant that they ought to be given a failing grade on their health score even if they get every other point for kitchen and building.
Sounds interesting, but interferes with episodes of Property Virgins, so I’ll have to take your word for it.