Cheap therapists aren't any good?

[laurakate]

Is it just me or does anyone feel really alienated by the attitude that "if a therapist is that cheap then they won't be very good and clients who use them are welcome to them".

I've read this a few times on salon geek and I don't know if it's just me and I respect other people's views but I really don't like it.

I believe that this is a saturated industry and that even if your treatments are top notch, faultless and something that a client would happily return for, I still think that sometimes you need to be that bit cheaper just to get them through the door these days. You may be amazing but if her down the road isn't going to break the bank then I can see the customers logic.

I don't think doing cheap prices is a comment on how you feel about the quality of your work, it is more a comment on "some income is better than no income".

I'm not advocating that anyone work at a loss because that's pointless and I'm not advocating that people undercut each other until it gets out of hand but what I am saying is that in a saturated market, I think it's a bit hurtful to assume that someone is pants at what they do and has no sense whatsoever based on the strategy that they may choose to use to get their business off the ground. For example, a home salon may have less overheads and it may make good business sense to carry that saving over to the client in order to remain competitive perhaps.

Therapists in high end spas are on minimum wage. Due to the frequency with which they carry out treatments, a lot of them are damned good and there's no way that they're being paid fairly. I'm not saying that this is right but I can see how it happens what with a lot of people being willing to get into the industry these days even at a cost to themselves perhaps.

I do understand the "I'm not getting out of bed for that!" mentality because I went through that when leaving my last spa job what with getting sent home sooner on quiet days and profiting by so little after my travel costs so I do have empathy for that side of the coin but I'm also aware that sometimes you've got to do what you've got to do when it comes to getting clients.

What are your thoughts people? Do you feel disheartened when people tar cheaper therapists with the same brush? I know I do. I'm not having a moan but I think it's worth mentioning in a thought provoking way with the view to receiving some interesting replies

 

[iamaleximus]

I live in a bargain basement area and if I was to charge more than anyone else people would just go elsewhere (speaking from experience) meaning that most of the time I have to offer treatments at what I would consider stupid prices for great work. I know my work is great as the clients that have been elsewhere and paid the same as I charge come back and tell me that it didn't last but mine always lasts... However they cannot afford to pay more for the treatments. I personally don't like the attitude towards cheaper salons as I work in one and feel we have to appeal to our market. I am a CND Master Painter and work in a cheaper priced salon.... e.g shellac for £15 not £20 upwards and our start price for art is only £18...

 

[virtues2011]

I'm glad someone else shares the same view. Refreshing!

Area plays a part in this, no good trying to sell a service twice as much as your area will allow, you will be waiting for customers forever....but that said generally you will not find one extremely expensive salon in a cheap area, firstly if you had the money to be upmarket you wouldn't entertain the areas that are non affluent. It is all pretty relevant. I have always maintained that not all therapists are crap because they are cheap. Some do not have a business mind, they see the prices plummet around them, become scared and follow suit very quickly. For owners that have to pay staff wages, some money is better than no money. I don't feel the need to go on here, most threads of this nature have me stating the same views as I have always maintained.

 

[dandelionpoppy]

I think it's better to use "less expensive" and "fabulous value" than "cheap". I'm not saying you would advertise yourself as such, but maybe it's not the way you should think of yourself?

 

[boolou]

I like the use of "fabulous value" , I may pinch that if you don't mind!!?

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[PinkSwoon]

Is it just me or does anyone feel really alienated by the attitude that "if a therapist is that cheap then they won't be very good and clients who use them are welcome to them".

I've read this a few times on salon geek and I don't know if it's just me and I respect other people's views but I really don't like it.

I believe that this is a saturated industry and that even if your treatments are top notch, faultless and something that a client would happily return for, I still think that sometimes you need to be that bit cheaper just to get them through the door these days. You may be amazing but if her down the road isn't going to break the bank then I can see the customers logic.

- It's ok going that little bit cheaper, but then where does it stop when the next competitor thinks 'I'll just go that little bit cheaper'? An industry with little value, thats what. Your pricing strategy should reflect your target market. If L'Oreal bottled up the same product as Creme de la Mer would the people that favour high-end buy L'Oreal? Probably not.

I don't think doing cheap prices is a comment on how you feel about the quality of your work, it is more a comment on "some income is better than no income".

- This just makes it sound like the people in this industry do it out of desperation. There are masters that work tirelessly for little income & build up the dream eventually - great client base, premium prices, rebookings etc, then there are the people that fire out sets of nails like they're going out of fashion for a tenner which no doubt might be great quality but lets face it, the world is made of stereotypes & the clients that don't want to pay a premium for their nails are not the type of people that are going to be targeted by premium brands. This is why Elemis/Joico/GHD/etc aren't sold in Poundland.

Also there is a common phrase 'You get what you pay for' - I'd rather be that bit more expensive with clients than spend my whole career trying to convince potential clients that I'm not actually a cowboy! P.S Hope nobody takes offence obviously but of course this is just my opinion, nothing directed at the OP, the bold bits are merely responses to the points made easier to read!

 

[smallandcute]

I dont think pricing would be an issue if entry standards to the hair and beauty industry were raised. Sadly i have seen first hand people doing beauty cos its an easy option compared to a levels or their too lazy to do a btec and they are only taking the course to top up their gcses. I think if we start by making entry requirements harder ie instead of the three to five gcses with an option of topping up grades you have to say eight with no top ups then you are already cutting numbers who are entering the industry but also pointing to it being a professional and respectful industry with only the best who want to learn. Also have a far stronger business element to the course and drum into students from the set its not a bit of fun and games but a serious profession. Please dont get me wrong i understsnd not everyone is academic and if needs be say allow someone onto the course if theg have the drive and determination to be the best therapist or stylist they can be and offer support.

Another way i think may help too is to say you cant open a salon under gov lisence unless you have the qualifications to say you have studied your craft. I have seen too many salons in my area run by wannabes who dont know which end is up, employ staff and tell them they are worth x amount or even worse employ lazy staff who couldnt give a hoot, dont have a clue how to do a treatment and wonder why they are only being able to make a small profit leaving them scratching their heads and sadly its them that are devaluing the industry not the therapists who have a passion for their work and know their own worth. If these wannabes truely knew and had business accument then prices wouldnt be cheap along with other practises which irk me no end

Dont get me wrong i completely understand that location is a big factor but even then prices shouldnt be too low. I used to live somewhere which is considered very rough and less then desirable (read i would gladly blow it off the planet!) but the therapist i would see would still charge the industry standard of twenty pounds for a regular pedi (this was a few years ago) she is always booked up and doesnt have to run offers or anything as she is so passionate and knows her self worth.

I think that due to the staturated market pricing is the first thing being hit in an unstable economy but sadly other areas such as staff and products are too along with the service being offered. I imagine and hope that once things start to improve economically then clients are going to be wiser at spending money and will go high end. Remember when a woman (and some men) is made redundant its safe to say her therapist and stylist will be paid visits cos she wants to look a million bucks walking into her next job.

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[Lusciouslocks]

I dont think pricing would be an issue if entry standards to the hair and beauty industry were raised. Sadly i have seen first hand people doing beauty cos its an easy option compared to a levels or their too lazy to do a btec and they are only taking the course to top up their gcses. I think if we start by making entry requirements harder ie instead of the three to five gcses with an option of topping up grades you have to say eight with no top ups then you are already cutting numbers who are entering the industry but also pointing to it being a professional and respectful industry with only the best who want to learn. Also have a far stronger business element to the course and drum into students from the set its not a bit of fun and games but a serious profession. Please dont get me wrong i understsnd not everyone is academic and if needs be say allow someone onto the course if theg have the drive and determination to be the best therapist or stylist they can be and offer support.

Another way i think may help too is to say you cant open a salon under gov lisence unless you have the qualifications to say you have studied your craft. I have seen too many salons in my area run by wannabes who dont know which end is up, employ staff and tell them they are worth x amount or even worse employ lazy staff who couldnt give a hoot, dont have a clue how to do a treatment and wonder why they are only being able to make a small profit leaving them scratching their heads and sadly its them that are devaluing the industry not the therapists who have a passion for their work and know their own worth. If these wannabes truely knew and had business accument then prices wouldnt be cheap along with other practises which irk me no end

Dont get me wrong i completely understand that location is a big factor but even then prices shouldnt be too low. I used to live somewhere which is considered very rough and less then desirable (read i would gladly blow it off the planet!) but the therapist i would see would still charge the industry standard of twenty pounds for a regular pedi (this was a few years ago) she is always booked up and doesnt have to run offers or anything as she is so passionate and knows her self worth.

I think that due to the staturated market pricing is the first thing being hit in an unstable economy but sadly other areas such as staff and products are too along with the service being offered. I imagine and hope that once things start to improve economically then clients are going to be wiser at spending money and will go high end. Remember when a woman (and some men) is made redundant its safe to say her therapist and stylist will be paid visits cos she wants to look a million bucks walking into her next job.

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To be honest i totally disagree! You dont have to be clever to be able to do beauty some people thrive in certain environments. I wasn't the brainiest person at school but soon as I got in to my beauty course and then went on todo hair extensions I never felt more like I wanted to succeed and honestly I believe I am doing very well for myself and I have never looked back. I hated school wasn't for me atall. Also no matter what job your wanting to do theres always ways people can start off without gcse's & a levels there's always a passage way some how.
My personal opinion


LusciousLocks&Me

 

[Lusciouslocks]

To be honest i totally disagree! You dont have to be clever to be able to do beauty some people thrive in certain environments. I wasn't the brainiest person at school but soon as I got in to my beauty course and then went on todo hair extensions I never felt more like I wanted to succeed and honestly I believe I am doing very well for myself and I have never looked back. I hated school wasn't for me atall. Also no matter what job your wanting to do theres always ways people can start off without gcse's & a levels there's always a passage way some how.
My personal opinion


LusciousLocks&Me

By the way i ment clever as in to have 8 gcse's/a levels. Aslong as you have a business mind & have a strong passion for the industry what else do you need?


LusciousLocks&Me

 

[Steph86]

If im honest, I do try to discourage some 'cheap' prices on here. Im not talking about a couple of pounds cheaper... I mean, a gel polish with free detailed nail art, free removal all for £15. Or a mobile tan for £8-10...As after products, & time, & there is rent or fuel to add you might as well work for nothing.

And it isn't always because they aren't good, they may well be fantastic just not charging their worth which when added up over a year may well see their business go under.

I think if it is competitive, a couple of pounds cheaper etc then at least no one is suffering.

If it is all worked out, an hourly rate for time, products, fuel or rent, then tax, NI, & insurance, its personal choice. Just some people do sell themselves short & work for less than minimum wage. Its also much harder to raise prices than to do an offer. I don't think some people take everything in to account when making up their price list.

As I know you have had plenty of spa experience, & training, Id have no problems having any treatments with you... Although this is a general topic not a personal one

To get people through the door id pick a treatment with a high profit margin with minimal expense & do an offer on that.

Xx

 

[Balance Andover]

Beauty now is classed as an easy way to make money (which done correctly it is) and I totally agree that if you live in a less affluent area that your prices are driven by your demographic and your clients, and it's usually these less affluent areas where there is a high concentration of therapists.

Now you get new therapists who are:

Working full time and using this as 'something to do' in the evenings at home, and are happy to earn minimum wage as it's perhaps what they earn during the day. They've a few regulars but not enough to do it full time.

Using it to top up benefits (and I've seen evidence myself of this) save up £100 for a one day manicure course, buy some gel polish from the net, set up a Facebook page and work from your dining room table.

Finish college and can't find employment so will set up at home from their parents house, perhaps using the same pricing structure as the training salon at college as that's all they know.

To be honest I can't see things changing

 

[Emma-Jayne]

I must admit that I'm starting to change my thinking on this subject.
I've always been an advocate of charging what you believe you are worth, which I was able to do when working mobile as I could target affluent areas and travel to where the money was.

However, after my son is born (if he ever puts in an appearance :irked I would like to convert my conservatory into a home salon. Now the area I live in isn't exactly rough but it is a council estate and not very affluent. There is no way that I can imagine my previous affluent clients coming to this area for treatments but I also cannot imagine the locals paying my previous prices so I think I'm going to have to drop them somewhat.

At the end of the day a product or service is only worth what the market is willing to pay for it so I've realised that I will need adapt to my new market. I'm not saying that anyone should work at a loss as this just doesn't make business sense but sometimes perhaps we have to limit our profits slightly in order to have any business at all.

 

[MrsSlim]

Totally agree with this!
In the area where I live it's military based and so many wife's do beauty it's unbelievable! Approximately 25 therapists in a 2 mile radius. :/
I will be putting my prices up slightly from February as I feel I'm worth it and I have expanded my business.
As long as you are making a decent profit for yourself, charge whatever you like and ignore the people who have a problem with it! X

 

[hazeleyes]

Beauty now is classed as an easy way to make money (which done correctly it is) and I totally agree that if you live in a less affluent area that your prices are driven by your demographic and your clients, and it's usually these less affluent areas where there is a high concentration of therapists.

Now you get new therapists who are:

Working full time and using this as 'something to do' in the evenings at home, and are happy to earn minimum wage as it's perhaps what they earn during the day. They've a few regulars but not enough to do it full time.

Using it to top up benefits (and I've seen evidence myself of this) save up £100 for a one day manicure course, buy some gel polish from the net, set up a Facebook page and work from your dining room table.

Finish college and can't find employment so will set up at home from their parents house, perhaps using the same pricing structure as the training salon at college as that's all they know.

To be honest I can't see things changing

But we have to be careful not to tar with the same brush! I started out like the people you mention - I was pregnant and on benefits and I went to college to do beauty, I really enjoyed it, I attended college until two weeks before I gave birth during that time I found out I loved it!

After I had the baby I started up nails part time, and got a job part time just to come off benefits, even now I'm part time doing nails part time working in boring admin! I would very much love to be full time nails but don't quite have enough clients yet and I have two kids to feed!

Doesn't mean I'm a cowboy or not serious! I've invested heavily in my training, I'm nvq qualified in nails and beauty, I've trained with NSI CND and OPI as well and I've got 4 more courses booked already for jan and feb alone! It's because of my part time job that I can afford to up skill and train so much. I price myself accordingly even though u don't rely on it as my sole income yet and although I live in a highly saturated area my aim is the slightly more affluent clients!

 

[Emma-Jayne]

Totally agree with this!
In the area where I live it's military based and so many wife's do beauty it's unbelievable! Approximately 25 therapists in a 2 mile radius. :/
I will be putting my prices up slightly from February as I feel I'm worth it and I have expanded my business.
As long as you are making a decent profit for yourself, charge whatever you like and ignore the people who have a problem with it! X

Wow that's a lot of competition In your case I think I'd be looking to offer a treatment that nobody else was. You must be doing well though to have expanded, are you home-based or mobile?

 

[Balance Andover]

But we have to be careful not to tar with the same brush! I started out like the people you mention - I was pregnant and on benefits and I went to college to do beauty, I really enjoyed it, I attended college until two weeks before I gave birth during that time I found out I loved it!

After I had the baby I started up nails part time, and got a job part time just to come off benefits, even now I'm part time doing nails part time working in boring admin! I would very much love to be full time nails but don't quite have enough clients yet and I have two kids to feed!

Doesn't mean I'm a cowboy or not serious! I've invested heavily in my training, I'm nvq qualified in nails and beauty, I've trained with NSI CND and OPI as well and I've got 4 more courses booked already for jan and feb alone! It's because of my part time job that I can afford to up skill and train so much. I price myself accordingly even though u don't rely on it as my sole income yet and although I live in a highly saturated area my aim is the slightly more affluent clients!

But, I didn't say that anyone wasn't serious or tarring people with the same brush and the example I gave was so far away from your own situation I can't believe that you thought that I was criticising people who genuinely want to come off of benefits.

Would it not infuriate you if people near you were committing benefit fraud and able to seriously undercut others as it's all extra pin money to top up what the government already gives them? and they've got no intention whatsoever to do what you have done, and they qualify for government funding to do extra training enabling them to fiddle even more! I've seen this for myself!

 

[hazeleyes]

But, I didn't say that anyone wasn't serious or tarring people with the same brush and the example I gave was so far away from your own situation I can't believe that you thought that I was criticising people who genuinely want to come off of benefits.

Would it not infuriate you if people near you were committing benefit fraud and able to seriously undercut others as it's all extra pin money to top up what the government already gives them? and they've got no intention whatsoever to do what you have done.

Ok yes I understand what you mean now and Yes, it would (and does) infuriate me that people do this and I for one, welcome with open arms, further regulations for the industry to weed out the serious from the cowboys and chancers. The only reason I spoke up about my situation is that sometimesI feel this site views people who only do this as a hobby or to top up existing wages in a negative way! I top up my existing wages yes, but use every penny I earn from nails (and more) to train, practice and buy new products. Just wanted to remind everyone that we all started somewhere.

 

[Balance Andover]

Ok yes I understand what you mean now and Yes, it would (and does) infuriate me that people do this and I for one, welcome with open arms, further regulations for the industry to weed out the serious from the cowboys and chancers. The only reason I spoke up about my situation is that sometimesI feel this site views people who only do this as a hobby or to top up existing wages in a negative way! I top up my existing wages yes, but use every penny I earn from nails (and more) to train, practice and buy new products. Just wanted to remind everyone that we all started somewhere.

I worked full time to fund my studies, it's bloomin hard so understand you completely :hug:

If you also look at the number of therapists who graduate per year to the number of jobs available that may be part of the reason.

 

[hazeleyes]

I worked full time to fund my studies, it's bloomin hard so understand you completely :hug:

If you also look at the number of therapists who graduate per year to the number of jobs available that may be part of the reason.

It is hard work isn't it? But so worth it on the end, which is why it is annoying that some people just do it to top up benefits and therefore can afford to under price themselves! It's also a shame because some of these people are amazing at what they do- why de value yourself and a service which you could make a killing off if you targeted the right clients and charged accordingly!

I hope to be a master painter soon and when I am I'm putting my shellac prices up by a few pounds, despite being in the middle of London and literally surrounded by cheaper alternatives. I'm just going to take the chance and see how it goes!!!

 

[Balance Andover]

It is hard work isn't it? But so worth it on the end, which is why it is annoying that some people just do it to top up benefits and therefore can afford to under price themselves! It's also a shame because some of these people are amazing at what they do- why de value yourself and a service which you could make a killing off if you targeted the right clients and charged accordingly!

I hope to be a master painter soon and when I am I'm putting my shellac prices up by a few pounds, despite being in the middle of London and literally surrounded by cheaper alternatives. I'm just going to take the chance and see how it goes!!!

Looks like you are making amazing progress!

What part of London are you?