Cathy McLean from Altitude Hair Studio has a passion for hair.
AS Altitude Hair Studio in Yarra Junction celebrates its seventh anniversary this year, client satisfaction remains fundamental to the success of the business.
One of the first things clients see when they walk into Altitude, is its mission statement.
It reflects owner Cathy McLean’s passion for the industry, a passion she instills in everyone who comes on board at Altitude.
“Times change, fashions change, people do, too” – the statement says, promoting confidence that Altitude can offer the latest in hair and beauty techniques.
“Keeping you happy and helping you look your best are our priorities,” the Mission statement continues.
That statement is very much what Altitude is about according to Cathy who has had her own salons for 17 years and previously managed salons in Melbourne, Toorak, South Yarra and St Kilda.
“Our main focus is service. That’s a priority,” she said.
“I want clients to come here and experience a real sense of service; I want them to go home feeling great and really feeling how much better their visit was for the whole experience.”
While Altitude has established a reputation for excellent service, Cathy says their claim to fame is what hairdressing is all about – colour work with advanced techniques, colour correction work and skilful fashion/razor cutting and styling.
That attention to details includes individual assessment on each client’s needs – lots of talking and even more listening.
“I look at the eyes, skin, the hair type and texture, I ask questions about lifestyle and how the person wants to manage their hair at home,” Cathy explained.
“I take all those things into consideration before offering an idea or selecting a style and colour I think will suit.”
Using quality products is also important.
“We are here to provide a quality service and have shown that PPS products do ensure our results are perfect every time,” she added.
The Altitude team consists of senior stylists Cathy, Jody, Kyra, Kylie, and Danni.
Keeping up with current trends and products is something Cathy and the team not only take seriously but enjoy.
“We up-skill constantly,” Cathy said.
“We have training in-house each Friday night, we out-source training several times during the year including Hair Expo Sydney every June, to keep our skills honed and appropriate for today.”
Cathy’s enthusiasm and professionalism is shared by the Altitude team and reflected in every aspect of their work. Cathy said hairdressing remains as exciting to her today as it was 29 years ago when she started out.
“I’ve never gotten over it,” she said.
“It is my passion, my life and still gives me a huge buzz.”
Cathy is currently teaching hairdressing two days a week for Upper Yarra Community House (UYCH) in Yarra Junction, and says she is thoroughly enjoying passing on all her knowledge and skills to the next generation of stylists.
Altitude Hair Studio at Shop 3, 2454 Warburton Highway, Yarra Junction, is open from Tuesday to Saturday and late on Thursday nights.
