A hair styling saloon in Chennai, whose customers include matinee idols Amitabh Bachchan [Images] and Rajnikanth [Images], besides several high-profile industrialists and politicians, has received ISO 9001:2000 certification, the first in Asia for its quality management system.

42-year-old G Ramesh, who started his career at the age of 12 in the year 1975, approached a company in Chennai for getting the certification.

"The whole process of getting the certificate took nearly 45 days in 2003," he told PTI, as he attended to his high-profile customers.

In his early years, after working for nearly five years in a small saloon, he moved on to the Taj group of hotels where he worked for nearly seven years.

His customers included prominent actors Raj Babbar, Mithun Chakravarty, Sivaji Ganesan [Images], Mohan Lal, Vishnu Vardhan, former Tamil Nadu governor P C Alexander, industrialist M A M Ramasamy and politician M K Stalin.

It was in 1987 that Ramesh established his own shop 'Ramesh Gents Hair Stylist', which was declared open by none other than Rajnikanth. From then on, many VIP customers have come to his shop by fixing appointments.

"The main motto of my business has been customer satisfaction," Ramesh said. His wife helps him in running day-to-day affairs like fixing appointments for VIP customers. Issued by the Managing Director of International Certifications Services (Asia) Pvt Ltd, the ISO 9001:2000 certification has been given for quality management system applicable to 'hair cutting, hair styling and beautifying centre for gents'.

The certificate issued in December 2003 is valid for three years, with periodic auditing.

Though Ramesh mainly looks after VIP customers, his assistants also chip in if a VIP suddenly turns up.

Refusing to disclose the daily turnover of the Saloon, Ramesh said the international certification had given his shop a 'boost'.

The aprons and razors used during hair cutting are used only once. The creams used are all branded items and are herbal-based and not chemical-mixed.

Ramesh said the saloon is equipped with only the best and latest international brands of tools imported from Germany [Images] and the USA. Cosmetics are imported from leading brands in Belgium and Switzerland [Images].

"Customers can rest assured about getting professional care as experts from reputed cosmetic companies like Oriflame and Wella periodically train our personnel," Ramesh said, adding the shaving kits were imported from Japan [Images] and are disposable.