The sounds of hair clippers are back at Jay Blendz Barbershop in Amsterdam. On Friday, owner and master barber Jay Blendz was cutting his son’s hair, but, he will be welcoming clients back on Monday for the first time in more than two months.

“They already comfortable coming here prior to the pandemic,” Blendz said. “I want them to feel the same, have that same comfortable feeling coming in afterward.”

Barbershops are one of the businesses in phase two of reopening, which got underway Friday afternoon in Montgomery, Fulton, and Schoharie Counties.

But Blendz says things will be different in order to meet state guidelines. Appointments are required, masks have to be worn, the station sanitized after each client, and only one customer in the shop at a time.

“You get maybe four, five, six guys just standing around the barbershop talking about different life experiences or sports. We can’t do that now,” Blendz said. “Now you got to get your haircut and just go.”

Phase two also includes offices, real estate, and in-store retail. Up the road, Alpin Haus opened its doors to customers just an hour after Governor Cuomo’s announcement on Friday afternoon.

“You wonder what it was going to feel like, and it did seem different,” said Andy Heck, co-owner and president of Alpin Haus.

He says shields are placed at the registers and markings are on the ground to help with social distancing, in addition to masks. The store has been offering curbside pickup, and Heck says that will continue.

“It’s one of the benefits of trial and error of adapting, and they really like it so we’re going to do it all summer. And probably in the winter for ski season too,” Heck said.

Both Heck and Blendz are expecting to see many customers take advantage of these services in the first few days. But they both say they have the right precautions in place to keep themselves and the customers safe.

“The ball is really in our court how we practice social distancing, and everything else,” Blendz said.