Their commitment to quality makes Wattz an international success
Christine Watts runs a luxury hair spa and hair loss clinic in the picturesque village of Biddenden in Kent. Her commitment to quality ensures she has an international clientele.
The High Street in Biddenden has timber beamed cottages, a village green, church, pub and tea room. It’s also home to Wattz International, owned and run by Christine and her husband Martin, with 5 stylists and 2 juniors.
Christine has decades of experience in the business: “I started by sweeping the floor of a local salon when I was 12,” says Christine. Their hair spa is set in an old textile mill dating back to the 17th century. She and her husband designed the interior themselves: “I wanted to create a salon that I would love to visit, and where I would be treated the way I’d want to be treated.”
They’ve created a ‘timeless’ salon interior, shampoo lounge, massage chairs, and inside and outside sitting and refreshment areas. There’s also a private consultation room for clients who are seeking advice and treatment for hair loss. Christine herself had cosmetic surgery following a serious car crash and so she can empathise with clients who are sensitive about their appearance. “Client care is our number one priority,” says Christine, “our clients may have alopecia or have had chemotherapy, and so for them privacy can be really important.”
Christine has an established reputation for her work with clients who have suffered hair loss. Using the internet allows her to reach out to a client base across the UK and beyond (hence the ‘International’ in the business’s name!). “I can make an initial assessment and recommendation through seeing photographs online, and then I invite clients to visit us for a full consultation.”
One passionately-held principle guides Christine in her business. She doesn’t offer any service that she can’t carry out herself. “It means I can personally control and, if necessary rectify, all the services we offer our clients, from colour to hair extensions.” It’s a principle derived from her commitment to the health of both her clients and her staff: “We use natural products, we always skin or strand test before applying colour, and our computerised colour selector means our staff are not exposed to excessive amounts of ammonia.”
Christine still cleans the floor each evening before leaving the salon. She and her husband live above the business, and their daughter works alongside them. The family’s commitment to delivering quality in all they do has seen them build a successful international business based in a small, country village.
