New Man at Hairdirect!

Yesterday we added eight very cool looking products from New Man to our store. Though I haven't heard anything good or bad about the products themselves they certainly look very cool. These products are, for the most part, designed especially for hair wearers. Breifly, the products we added are:

• New Man Cleaner Concentrate - is a heavy duty residue cleaner for synthetic hair. Cleaner Concentrate is for off the head use only.
• New Man Deep Cleansing Shampoo - for deep cleaning of synthetic hair, off the head use only.
• New Man Volumizing Shampoo - creates Volume in all types of hair.
• New Man Light Conditioner - adds body and luster as it conditions all types of hair.
• New Man Fiberguard with Lusterizer - the ultimate in protection for synthetic and human hair from the sun’s rays and dry climate.
• New Man Finishing Spray - retains hairstyle while adding protection from sun’s rays.
• New Man Scalp Freshener - provides cooling, tingling conditioning of the scalp.
• New Man Deep Conditioner - specially designed deep conditioning treatment for all types of hair.

Oh and I did notice that the prices are pretty reasonable! Check them out and let your Hair Tech know what you think of them - we always like to know what clients think of the products we sell. Have a great weekend everybody!

It's Friday!

Hi Everyone- It's pretty quiet on the home front today, which is very unusual for a Friday especially with a 3 day weekend ahead of us because of the Labor Day holiday.

It could be because the weather here in PA is pretty dreary. I hear it's been raining a lot but I don't look out the windows too often when I'm busy typing away. Things got a little stirred up this morning when Kathy, yes Kathy again, discovered we're out of Kit Kat bars but it was short lived, she quickly found a replacement.

Other than that Bruno's busy adding new hair replacment products to our store and all the techs are answering phones and placing orders.

Oh, Cait, my sidekick here (she does a variety of office support duties) came in from the rain earlier displaying her wet pantlegs, ooooh I hate when that happens.But it didn't bother her much she's on cloud 9 lately because of her new boyfried and we're all happy for her too!

I imagine you'll be hearing from Bruno real soon, he's usually full of interesting inforamtion. See you all later!

Meet Babe! Eat Stromboli!

WOW! Today was a great day at Hair Direct HQ!

Babe with a Mane came in today to make a new "meet video". Babe has her own blog on the Hair Direct website.

The Bills bought Stromboli for the office staff. They do this every once and a while and it's always fun... or sometimes confusing (as you'll see on this new slide show).

Enjoy!

Female African American Styles at Hair Direct

A project that I've recently been heading up here (and loving) at the Hair Direct offices are scanning and organizing a brand new batch of female African American hairstyles.

It's always important that we are up-to-date with modern styles. Of course I doubt that once we have a style we would ever take it down. We just add more and more!

These styles were handpicked by Bill Sr. after he visited a hair show in Atlanta, Georgia. In the photo above you'll see 30 of the over 100 new hairstyles we should have up within the next week. This will bring our hairstyle gallery to well over 200 female hairstyle options for you to choose from.

If you happen to be more interested in full cap hairstyles for men, we have plenty to choose from as well.

Kathy's Cryin'

Kathy was crying today because we were out of Poptarts! She didn't know what to do without breakfast!

As soon as Bruno got here she expressed her concern and he joyfully noted he would make his biweekly run to BJ's Wholesale Club to pick up the goodies. Which he did!

We are lucky enough to have a small "store" to purchase things like mac 'n' cheese, candy bars, granola bars, soda, water, juice etc. at a very small price.

So hopefully Bruno learned his lesson and will stop making Kathy cry! Keep those Poptarts stocked man!

Some of our HD snacks!
Kathy's smiling once again!

Ordering Hair Direct Can Be Noisy...

I thought that it would be interesting if you could see and hear the inside of Hair Direct. This is a small snippet of the sights and sounds in the middle of the Hair Replacement Tech area. I hope you enjoy it.

The Dark, The Dymo, The Day.

Today was really quite interesting, productive and at times frustrating.

Before I arrived at the office I learned that the power was out. I tried to get in early enough to get pictures... But it was restored in short order. By the time I arrived the florescent ceiling panels were beaming.

Several of the Hair Replacement Techs had issues printing labels on their Dymo printers. The issue really had to do with Microsoft Office not being installed completely. I reinstalled MS Office 2003 and from there I reinstalled the Dymo software. At least I tried to.

On both computers I had problems either installing or getting the Dymo software to interact correctly with MS Office.

I need to say this... Dymo has GREAT customer service! Both times I called Dymo today I spoke with Heidi and each time she easily guided me to the root of the problem and the issue was resolved.

Today actually was the 2nd and 3rd time I called Dymo Customer Service. I didn't have to push a bunch of buttons, (only once) nor did I have to talk to a voice guided machine that never quite gets me where I want be, nor did I have to be frustrated by someone I didn't understand. All three experiences were great and though no one ever wants to contact technical support, I'm glad to know Dymo will at least make it a good experience.

Today, as I sat amongst the Hair Techs fixing computers, I really got to hear a dose of what they have to go through. Giving great customer service is never easy and in fact takes an extra dose of care. I'm glad to know that though our Hair Techs at times suffer through the day they work hard to continue to bring our customers the best service they know how.

Thanks Techs!

HOPin' Around!

One thing I have noticed about Hair Direct since I’ve been working with them is they never get comfortable with where they are amongst others in the industry. When they do something that raises the bar they don’t sit proudly waiting for others to catch up. Instead, they raise it a bit further. After another level has been reached they go do something else that inches them even a bit higher. I’m not sure if others in the company have really noticed it, but it’s a neat thing to see from my position within the company.

The latest and greatest bar raiser around here is called HOP. We’re hoping to get a “cooler” name at some point, but the name isn’t the really coolest thing about HOP. HOP (Hair Order Program) is a completely new kind of software. In fact Hair Direct has engineered it vertically from the ground up. Nothing in the hair replacement industry has existed like it before and it has come at a considerable investment.

The software has had many generations and has come a long way from where it started. It also isn’t completely being utilized to it’s potential yet but still I think you’ll find the overall aspects to be something really amazing.

Here is what makes HOP so wonderful:

• Connectivity: HOP is connected by the front end (you), back end (us), accounting (your wallet) and factory (your hair), all at once and in real-time.

• Streamlined SOP (Standing Order Program): This will be really great for standing order program customers. You’ll see why in a bit.

• Accurate Ordering: It will be much easier for your Hair Tech to vary the lead time, if need be, for more accurate ordering time. Also all specs about your hair unit are in the automated process.
  

• Track Your Order: It’s a completely automated system that allows you to know where in the ordering, manufacture, shipment, and delivery your hair system is at any given time.

• Real Time Communication: Any changes to a unit can be seen by the factory immediately after you make them online. In fact, if you want to make any change from hair to credit card to address, it’s all done immediately and you would never need to talk to a Hair Tech to do any of this. Of course they never mind hearing from you.

• Visual Timeline: A future (10-12 weeks) web interface will give a visual depiction allowing you to pin-point where your hair system is at any point of the process right from inside your account.

• In The Know: You will be given automated responses via email that will alert you to new orders placed, when your system has started manufacture, when it is being shipped to us, and when it is being delivered to your door.

Basically, this list means less redundancy (or mistakes), and more responsiveness (better service). Hopefully, you won't notice a thing more than your receiving your hair systems and with exceptional service.

P.S…

I spoke with Bill, who’s in charge of day-to-day operations here and he said that HOP was built to be completely flexible and customizable. Though he didn’t want to tell me just yet what the future holds, he did mention a secret list of future features that they will be building into HOP.

See, as soon as they reach one plateau, they're on to the next!

Happy Birthday Mary!

Every time one of us here at Hair Direct turns a year older we always have a company sponsered Birthday Bash! It's really never a surprise... though we act like it is.

Yesterday was Mary's Birthday! She turned... Ahhh, ouch, ohhh, ehhh, thud! She just slapped me across the back of the head and made me swear to not tell everyone! Not really but if she were behind me she might slap the back of the head. Your secret is safe with us Mary.

I took a few pictures (which was difficult because Mary hates modeling for the camera). The party was a bit scarse due to the fact that sometimes techs just can't get away from their desks, vacations, accounting is going through software updates, etc.

But your welcome to join the party by viewing the images below!

Surprise!

Mary only took one breath to blow out the candles.

As usual, Nikki is in charge of serving.

I just want a "small" slice, Nikki.

The pies were great! They came from Country Table Resturant in Mt. Joy. The ice cream is from Kreiders! They were a fantastic combo!

8 Months (we're still good)!

It’s been just under 8 months since the last post. I’ll give you a run down of what has happened since that time.

• Hair Tech Tori was hired in December.
• HD-O’Neill left for a good opportunity in Florida. (the warm weather played into the decision)
  
• I was brought on board in February to cover O’Neill’s vacancy for 2 months.
• Hair Tech Tori left the company – she didn’t feel it was a good fit.
• Hair Techs Julie and Terri were hired soon after that.
• We started working with a video team to produce regular web videos.
• Hair Tech Terri left the company – there were some scheduling conflicts or something.
• We’re looking for a new Hair Tech.
• We sponsored a technically-challenged web cast.
  
• I’m still here.
• Now I’m blogging.

I’m planning on posting a few times a week to give you a real “insiders” look at what happens here at the office and continue what HD-O’Neill started.

I think you’ll be amused – Stay tuned.