Another one of our Hair Academy (Melbourne) clients tells the story with a glowing testimonial. Pavlos Divitaris, the Founder and Director of Biba
Pavlos Divitaris, the Founder and Director of Biba’s Hairdressing Academy in Melbourne, has been the inspiration for many young hairdressers who’ve worked and trained alongside him. He set out to make an enormous impact by delivering hairdresser and barber courses in Melbourne that would be exciting, motivating and challenging, and that would make our graduates feel proud and incredibly encouraged to become industry leaders as hairdressers in their own right.
Pavlos (now with the support and developmental leadership of the next generation of his family) thoroughly enjoys watching our Biba Academy students evolve during their hairdressing school journeys, and feels immense pride when he is rewarded by hearing the feedback of those who regularly travel through the Biba Fitzroy front door as clients. For it is our diverse range of clients who measure the success of his vision every single day.
So, we asked our independent writer to interview another of our clients, Irene Mele, and find out what she feels is part of our recipe for becoming the best hairdresser trainers in Melbourne.
Irene’s response was as follows:
“I once went to one of the other hairdressing schools in Melbourne to have my hair done, and I was taken aback. It was like a factory production line, with all of the clients sitting in chairs in a row. The atmosphere was very uninviting and I didn’t enjoy the experience at all. However, at Biba, it’s a completely different story.
When anyone walks into Biba Academy (and I’m there as a client twice a week), I watch people come through the door and they’re instantly welcomed. There’s such a sense of professionalism in the way everyone is treated and made to feel comfortable and cared about. Whether it’s a student or a staff member passing by, there’s a smile and an air of respect and honour that’s given to all. The building, itself, is eclectic in design and full of natural charm. Everyone is busy, and down-to-earth, but never too busy to notice the little things that keep customers coming back to their hair academy establishment for the lovely service they deliver.
I come to Biba to be pampered, and I’m always attended to by someone new and fresh. The students are obviously well-training in their skill development, and the Educators are always in close proximity to what’s going on, but you could be forgiven for thinking that it’s not a hairdressing school at all, but rather a blend of people who are there to serve, make you feel at home, and all with the same desire to see you walk out at the end of your session feeling fabulous. It’s also refreshing to see that the Educators all have their own sense of style, and that transpires to the way they train their students (who are all acknowledged for having different ways in which they learn). They’re obviously not trained using a cookie-cutter approach. They learn and grow as individuals.
I love seeing Pavlos, Carmel and Simon in the salon, too. It shows how much they care about how things run and the quality of the training that’s being given. They’re not sitting in an office. They’re hands-on with their team and committed to being present. That’s really admirable. And that’s probably why the bubbly and friendly atmosphere is ever-present, because the management, the students and the Educators all see themselves as being integral to maintaining an inviting atmosphere. I’m really not interested in going to glossy salons where there’s more of a focus on the interior décor and shiny brand image. More often than not, that image-focused approach is viewed as being more important than customer service – with a price tag to match.
At Biba Hair Academy in Melbourne, I have my hair washed and blow waved, and occasionally dabble in some colour, all the while knowing that I can trust them to be honest about what will suit me, and they’ll encourage me to be brave and suggest some ideas, but never push for changes to my appearance that I’m not comfortable with. It’s the perfect place for me. I’ve also recommended them highly to my friends and family, and now they’re all starting to follow me to Biba for a hairdressing necessity or treat.
And finally, what I love most about Biba is that when I’m in the salon, the focus is on me – and it always feels so good to be there!” Irene Mele, Client (2017)
WOW! We were so excited to hear Irene’s kind words about us. We can’t thank her enough for being so gracious. We never take it for granted that we’re the ‘ant’s pants’ as hairdressing course providers in Melbourne. That’s just not us. Every day we strive harder and higher to make sure our clients, students, and educators are special, and that’s another reason why we’re driven to ensure that the growth and success of our company will change the mindset of those who just can’t find the hairdresser experience they’ve been looking for.
We hope you’ll come and visit us and see for yourself that our focus is always on you as a customer, AND that our vision is always to provide the best hairdresser training in Melbourne.
