Local business becoming notorious for their customer care
Is there more to a business than simply selling a product?
Tiecoria Myles, 46, has owned Jazzy Hair Styles, located in Virginia Beach, Va., for 23 years. Myles started business 1994 because she wanted to work with nails, but later found an interest in doing hair. “I had a nail sale at first,” said Myles, “and when the dynamics of the business changed, I switched over to hair. Myles said she can make more money doing hair than she can as a nail technician. “I also enjoy making people feel good about themselves,” she said.
While running her business, Myles knows how important it is for her employees to care for people who stop by her shop. She says, “Customer service is key.”
Her brother-in-law, Darrell McDonald, 44, has been a barber for the business for 11 years. McDonald says that he is committed to his job for all their customers. “In the world today, people don’t value time and quality,” he says, “I am a stickler for time and I love being dedicated to my work. The feeling of seeing your work out and about, is a great thing. We call it keeping the community clean… Grooming at its best.”
The customers who come throughout the week enjoy their services and are pleased to pay the prices. Evan Carrington, 22, a regular customer, has been going to Jazzy Hair Styles for the last four years while living in the area. “When I started my undergraduate program at Regent, I knew that I would have to find someone down here in Virginia Beach that could cut my hair,” says Carrington. “I remember stumbling upon Jazzy Hair Salon one day after… Some friends and I went to a pizza place that used to be next door and I decided to give them a try and I’ve been going there pretty much ever since.” Carrington also says he never worries about how his hair is going to look. He says the haircut he pays for there is a “solid return on my investment.”
Austen Owens, 21, another regular customer, enjoys the environment of Jazzy Hair Styles and how it compares to other shops. “It’s peaceful,” says Owens. “Most African-American barbershops are known for noise, profane conversations, and cursing.” Owens says that McDonald takes the time to talk with his customers while doing his job. “He also works with his wife so it’s encouraging to see their dynamic with one another and healthy communication on display.”
Tiecoria Myles has proven that anyone can be a great business owner even when starting from scratch, creating a vision, establishing financial stability, and knowing the significance of building good working relationships among staff and customers. To Myles, her staff is considered more than just employees in her work place. “We are pretty much family and the others that have not been around so long, that they become family,” says Myles. “We understand each other and work well together as a team. Communication is necessary to have a business run smooth.”
