KUALA LUMPUR: The salon business is back in full swing in the Klang Valley, with staffers at these establishments carrying out full checks to ensure each patron who walks through their doors has been fully vaccinated.
Shawn Loong, founder and director of Shawn Cutler, has been swamped with requests since the outlet first reopened last Monday.
He said on the first day alone, there were about 100 phone calls from clients.
However, half of them had to be turned down as the callers were not fully vaccinated or had not yet passed the two-week post-second dose period requirement.
Keeping everyone safe: Yap (left) and Loong say only those who are fully vaccinated are allowed into their premises.
“We very clearly let our customers know how strict we are about the rules and we don’t allow anyone who is sick or has flu-like symptoms in. Also, no children under 17 years of age are permitted in the salon.
“We get our clients to show us that their Covid-19 status has been refreshed on the app and we check each profile for the digital certificate,” explained the L’oreal artistic ambassador when asked how his outlet checked for authenticity of the vaccination digital certificate.
Similarly, Shaun Yap, salon director of Hairplay, said his staff members would check their clients’ vaccination status even before they arrive at the salon.
“Since most of our appointments are made over the phone, this eases our checking processes by allowing us to check on their vaccination status verbally via phone call when they call in to make their appointments,” he explained.
On the day of the appointment, a client’s vaccination status will be verified again through a thorough check of their MySejahtera app.
“It’s basically a two-step verification process and fortunately so far, we do not have anybody trying to override this particular standard operating procedure by trying to get their way in without completing their Covid-19 vaccination,” he added.
“Around 90% of clients book over the phone. One or two walk-ins tried to get appointments on the spot for their children but we are not taking in any children at the moment for their own safety.”
Luxury fashion brands insist that their boutiques are adhering to the rules strictly as well.
“We are following the SOP. From making sure that the certificates shown by customers are indeed on their app, to checking the date of their second vaccination,” a Louis Vuitton customer service representative explained over the phone.
According to the Malaysia Retail Chain Association (MRCA), its members are strictly adhering to the two vaccine doses requirement for shoppers.
“In terms of the authenticity of digital certificates, our members rely heavily on the MySejahtera app to check and at the same time follow through with the current SOP,” the association added.