WHEN DREAMS
Become Reality! By Louise May
In the world of hair salons, recognition is often elusive, reserved for the extraordinary few who transcend the boundaries of exceptional customer care and cuttingedge salon design. Samantha Jones, the owner of Ms Monaco Hair Society, has not only breached these boundaries but has set an unprecedented standard. In September, her salon emerged as the shining star, clinching two coveted accolades at the 2023 Australian Hair Industry Awards: Best Customer Care and Best Salon Design. This momentous achievement has brought well-deserved acclaim to her establishment, and it’s a dream realised after seven years of relentless dedication. Editor Louise May chats with owner Samantha Jones, to explore the secrets behind her salon’s remarkable success in customer care and salon design.
Congratulations on winning the Australian Hair Industry Awards for Best Customer Care and Best Salon Design in 2023! How does it feel to be recognised for your salon’s excellence in these important categories?
I have been a finalist throughout the years 7 times. It has been my dream to build something special enough that it deserves industry recognition and to win 2 categories in the one year was such a magnificent surprise!
Customer care is a crucial aspect of any successful salon. Can you share some key strategies and practices that have contributed to your salon’s exceptional level of customer care, and can you share with us how your previous career as an international flight attendant has influenced your client experience? Customer care and client experience is the very essence of Ms Monaco. When I came to Australia 12 years ago, I could really feel a gap in the level of service offered by business. Thankfully over the years this has improved, and I feel I have been a leader in helping many design a great client experience. 40
Hair Biz Year 17 Issue 6
As an ex first class flight attendant and purser for a UK airline, my training in customer service is second to none - offering great service and sensing a guests needs, before they need to ask, comes naturally to me. I now spend a lot of time training my team and helping them to selector that same sense.
Creating an aesthetically pleasing and functional salon design is an art. Could you describe the inspiration and thought process behind the design of your awardwinning salon?
After opening 5 self-built salons I have always had so many missing links. Never quite being able to afford to go the whole way. It didn’t feel it at the time, but luckily due to COVID, building supply delays and rising costs, I had 18 months
