Trimmed-Down Prices

Last spring Beverly Hills Hairdresser Umberto Savone noticed that the hair-raising price of a wash, cut and blow-dry ($35) was driving clients away from his fashionable Wilshire Boulevard shop. To lure them back, Savone unveiled the "mini-serve." For a trimmed-down price of $15, cash-conscious customers can get their locks soaped, clipped and conditioned. The blow-dry, though, is strictly do-it-yourself. Savone provides the equipment, but the client does the work. "Shops and real estate businesses have been closing in Beverly Hills, and our clients could no longer afford our regular prices," says Savone. "This way the customer saves money, and we can do more heads in the same amount of time."

The service has proved to be a hit with people who want a high-fashion look without the high price, and business is up 30%. "I like the mini-service a lot better," says Janette Fennell, 24, a secretary for a Beverly Hills law firm. "I've gone to so many hairdressers, but they never do it right. It's a lot cheaper, and I do it better myself."

Savone plans to take the self-service business a step further by opening a string of franchised salons to be called Hair Mechanico. He proudly proclaims that the new shops will resemble car washes. Says he: "People can have their hair Simonized [have it washed] and remove the rust [get it cut] and have their coils adjusted [have a perm]. They'll pay only for labor and parts." The salons are scheduled to open during the next four months in posh parts of Los Angeles, including Beverly Hills.

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