‘Mates rates’

[RED STAR]

Hi Folks
My daughter is coming to the end of a 4 year apprenticeship in a high-end salon and is now at that stage, when her friends are very keen to have her do their hair
As an oldie - who over the years has been somewhat of a ‘pushover’ when it comes to charging friends, I’m keen to hear from ‘geeks’ who have a foolproof system regarding ‘mates rates!
She has 3 friends coming round on Sunday morning for festival hair - (space buns, glitter etc....) and feels uncomfortable knowing how to broach the payment subject!

 

[AcidPerm]

As a salon owner, do you still offer mates rate’s?
I’d be pointing out that your daughter is also giving up her Sunday morning lie-in to work as a hairdresser as a favour to her friends.

Does she want to set a precedent that she’s happy to spend all her future days off doing hair for other people for virtually nothing in return?
That’s what inevitably happens when you start doing ‘mates rates’ because you soon get taken for granted by these so called mates. Week-ends away and weddings where you’re not just expected to buy a gift but to do the wedding/occasion hair for free as well!

Where are her friends working? Do they offer her any discounts?
Can they do service swaps?

Personally, I think it only works if your friend does something for you in return that’s equally valuable to you. For instance, I offer a good friend discounted cuts & colour services because she babysits for me occasionally, has driven me to hospital appts. (90 mins drive each way) and her husband has his own garage and looks after my car.

 

[RED STAR]

It always disappoints me when ‘free loaders’ show their true colours!
Why do they think it’s ok to expect something for nothing every time!
I don’t want her to make the same mistakes I have over the years.... as you say, I’ve been to countless weddings of friends where the hair is expected....the wedding list is thrust in my face....and add to that the cost of taking a Saturday off..... I dread the ‘wedding word’!

 

[Nicky G]

I’d say work out her price list and say all she can do is off a 5% or 10% discount for close friends and family. So she can build up a clientele
Just stick to what works best for her. Also doing a Sunday should have a higher rate to start anyway
Good luck to your disgusted and start as you mean to go on [emoji106]

 

[Nicky G]

Sorry meant good luck to your daughter [emoji23]

 

[TheDuchess]

Tell your daughter that no-one should have to buy friends. Ask your daughter what these friends are doing in return. Question her closely. Have they bought her drinks because she's been on an apprentice wage? Giving her lifts? Lending her stuff? It's normal for friends to offer to pay or reciprocate. Has your daughter refused payment?

She needs to practise saying "yes I can do that for you, I only charge X" and she needs to think about what she will charge. She should charge 3X her hourly rate. More if her products cost more than 25% of the bill. She needs to tell her friends that she will be charging from now on. It will be one awkward conversation, but it's best to get it over and done with.

She could set up a Facebook page and Instagram account promoting herself as freelance at home, using photos of her work on her friends, with prices. She can tell her Boss that she just wants to stop doing friends for free.

 

[ronray]

Hi Folks
My daughter is coming to the end of a 4 year apprenticeship in a high-end salon and is now at that stage, when her friends are very keen to have her do their hair
As an oldie - who over the years has been somewhat of a ‘pushover’ when it comes to charging friends, I’m keen to hear from ‘geeks’ who have a foolproof system regarding ‘mates rates!
She has 3 friends coming round on Sunday morning for festival hair - (space buns, glitter etc....) and feels uncomfortable knowing how to broach the payment subject!

Start as you mean to go on!
One thing you should never do is do somebody's hair for free. It devalues the service for when they want you to do it again. Meaning they won't want to pay in the future because you didn't charge them the last time etc..
I do good discounts for family and friends but they have it done when I'm free and I make sure it doesn't cost me anything to do their hair. Been there, done that, been out of pocket way too many times!
People will always take advantage, the more you give, the more they will take. She needs to address the paying thing before she starts their hair, just so no one is left surprised after she's worked hard on their hairs.

 

[House Beauty]

Hi Folks
My daughter is coming to the end of a 4 year apprenticeship in a high-end salon and is now at that stage, when her friends are very keen to have her do their hair
As an oldie - who over the years has been somewhat of a ‘pushover’ when it comes to charging friends, I’m keen to hear from ‘geeks’ who have a foolproof system regarding ‘mates rates!
She has 3 friends coming round on Sunday morning for festival hair - (space buns, glitter etc....) and feels uncomfortable knowing how to broach the payment subject!

My foolproof system is don’t be a fool. If you aren’t one of my mothers or my sisters you don’t get a discount. They pay, I usually do my cost price plus a few quid just to make the time worth it to me. Like I’m not going to pay for all the stuff for you AND sit there and put it on you out of the kindness of my heart. My mum and sisters pay between £10-15 for everything they have like brows, tans, teen facial. It usually just depends on what product I’m using and what time of year they come in as I very closely monitor my costs. Eg a big wax would cost me more or a long facial more time so would charge more but I get the benefit of them showing me off and they do recommend friends to me so it works as marketing.

I believe we are gifted in what we do but we all have to exchange something for a gift. There has to be meaning. If there is no value in it for us and we aren’t getting anything out of it, we cannot do a good service. Eg I had an aunt that wouldn’t even consider paying me once walk out without paying ‘because we are family’ very early on and now I don’t even speak to her when she asks for an appointment - she know where the online booking is and she can pay just like everyone else. I never do discounts for friends - ever. When a friend becomes a client they aren’t your friend much longer.

 

[FakeBakeLover99]

Hi so I have a beauty salon not hair but my advice is to never do anything for free unless it’s your choice.

The only person I give discount to is my mum , sister and best friend (20% off) and everyone else pays full price but sometimes I will just treat my other close friends now and again if they are having a rubbish time and they need cheering up I will offer a nice massage or free eyebrows or something and they never ever take advantage .
I end up making friends with all my clients so if I gave them all discounts I would have no business [emoji8]. Xxx

 

[Georgie.mxo]

From experience, once you do a service for free or with some money off, people become expectant of it each and every time. (usually they're the people that give nothing back). It's a hard topic to approach because business and friends don't mix too well. Especially if she's always been the "friend that does everyone's hair for a night out". Her friends may think... Well what's different now? You always did it before. I always used to do my friends hair before I was qualified and some couldn't understand why I needed to charge afterwards... But truthfully the ones that didn't understand aren't my friends now any way, and the ones that did understand pay full price and some. My advice would be for her to get a price list printed off, so her friends can view her work as a service rather than a favour. If she wants to do a 10% discount for family and friends that's totally up to her. But most decent friends will pay ☺

 

[nickysnails200]

Tell her to maybe try sending them a message on Facebook or something before they come letting them know how much it will be and if she does want to give a discount put in there how much discount she’s giving them. Might help her feel less awkward than waiting till they are there and having to ask xx

 

[House Beauty]

It always disappoints me when ‘free loaders’ show their true colours!
Why do they think it’s ok to expect something for nothing every time!
I don’t want her to make the same mistakes I have over the years.... as you say, I’ve been to countless weddings of friends where the hair is expected....the wedding list is thrust in my face....and add to that the cost of taking a Saturday off..... I dread the ‘wedding word’!

Yeah I’ve had these. I’m unavailable to be a wedding guest permanently unless we are very close. I had one invite me to her wedding and she mentioned makeup about 2 yrs before and I offered a trial and price and she never mentioned it again.. then while I was getting ready to leave to get to this wedding miles away she text me to say her ‘makeup artist had cancelled.’ As if. I hate when people say that. It is so rarely true. I’d have to have an arm hanging off to cancel my work. I made sure she knew I was already doing bridal makeup that morning. Truth is if I had done it, I’d have been at her wedding in my pjs with a bare face because of the short notice. Instead I got dressed and did my own face in the 30mins I planned for myself and left exactly on time. She played it on two of her other bridesmaids who were coincidentally also makeup artists (surprise surprise) and related to her, that ended up doing it all for free. They had faces like slapped arses all day, and the bride was really late because she hadn’t got ready in time. If she had just asked I probably would have said yes maybe even offered it as a gift but now I know what she’s like so I’m glad she played me to show her true colours. Now I can be pleasantly unavailable forever.