Award Winning Style... In Wokingham?! (Zappas Hair Salons)

Member Name: louiseypees

Product:	Zappas Hair Salons
Date:	05/10/08 (584 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great salons

Disadvantages: A little pricey

I'm a tricky customer when it comes to my hair. As a lot of people my age will no doubt have found themselves, being around in the 80s and the 90s has meant that, in my time, I've had some bad hair cuts. I remember the long frizzy layers and pillar box red highlights with particular horror, and as for the almost-mullet... I have no suitable words.

My natural hair is not my friend. Dull and mousy in colour, dry and frizzy in texture and uninspiring and wavy in style, we really don't see eye to eye.

The man-made hair disasters in my past and the ongoing natural disaster that is my hair in general both mean that having a reliable hair salon is very important for me.

This is where Zappas comes in. Zappas was founded in Bean Oak Road in Wokingham, Berkshire in 1989. Locally the salon grew in popularity and within a few years they became a small chain. There are now five branches of Zappas: the original salon in Bean Oak Road, Wokingham; one in Wokingham town centre; one in Crowthorne; one in Twyford; one in Caversham; and they are about to open another new branch in Fleet. Zappas have also become more and more recognised in the hairdressing industry, winning awards and participating in shows. It's also pretty tough to buy a hair magazine in the UK and not to see a photo from Zappas on the pages. From a small start, this chain has become very well-regarded and successful - not only with the people who use them for everyday haircuts, but also on an industry-wide level.

I first went to a Zappas salon about ten years ago, when my mum paid for me to go as part of my birthday present. Ever since then, I've been a big fan and even though I lived in Leeds for around five years, I've been pretty loyal to Zappas.

The salons are all beautifully designed to be sleek and modern without being intimidating. Everything is immaculately kept and welcoming. My regular salon is the Bean Oak Road branch, which is still really the chain's flagship location. There are two separate rooms with seats and mirrors as well as an entrace area and a hair washing room, complete with massage chairs. There is a lot of floor space, but it is carefully laid out so that it doesn't feel bleak, instead feeling modern and interesting - just spacious.

The Bean Oak branch is also the hub of the Zappas training centre. Zappas is renowned for its training schemes, and this means that there is always new talent on the rise in their branches. As a chain they really seem to favour training stylists up from scratch rather than bringing people in higher up the ladder. This has ensured that the chain has a very dedicated and loyal staff, who are happy and well treated at work. This really shows in the salon's atmosphere, with hard working and talented staff all getting along together on the salon floor, but all whilst staying professional.

Prices at Zappas are very varied. Because of their in-house training programmes, there are stylists available at all levels, and you will pay more money for the more experienced staff. That isn't to say that you won't get a great service from picking one of the more junior stylists - all have been very well trained, in my experience, and I can say I've never had a bad cut or colour from any level of staff I've been to. Cut and finish prices vary from £40 to £70; a full head of highlights from £67 to £99 and men's cuts from £27 to £48. These aren't budget salons, but the prices are pretty much standard for a good salon. Zappas also offer training appointments, where one of the pre-graduate stylists will do your hair whilst being supervised as part of their training. Prices are much lower for these appointments. Contact Zappas directly for further details.

I have been going to these salons for a long time and I can't see myself changing any time soon, even though I no longer live in the Wokingham area. You can take a look at Zappas online at www.zappas.co.uk - their website contains contact details and addresses of the salons, as well as some photos of some cuts the team have done on models for publicity work. If you live around the area, I would definitely recommend that you give Zappas a try.

Summary: Small chain of salons around Wokingham