Advice needed - clients trying to negotiate prices

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Lolla

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Hey all.

I don't usually ask stuff like this but today I got a text which I'm really not sure how best to reply to.

My friend's sister, who I hardly know, messaged me saying "If I book in for next month could u do twinkle toes and gelish for 30 xxxxx"

I charge £22 for Twinkles and £19 for Gelish.

Now during April my Gelish is on offer for £15...I am willing to honour this offer is she books in during the first few days in May....but she's asking for £7 off Twinkles. I'm really not sure how to reply as I feel she is taking the p**s but I don't want to upset her or make her go else where. Plus I wouldn't want to annoy my friend by not giving her sister what she wants....!

I don't want to let clients get into the habit of negotiating my prices - they wouldn't go into a supermarket and try to negotiate the price of their shopping!!

Oh and she insists on coming to my house (I'm only mobile) which is a massive pain for me for one reason or another. Her mum doesn't allow non-family in the house.... >.> But I can make an exception - just trying to illustrate how much of a pain she is :p

What do you think?!!? I don't even give some of my closer friends discounts, so not sure if £11 is too much to let her off with.
 
Stick to your guns.

Dont ever let someone dictate to you what you should charge, after all, you have paid a lot of money training etc, this is your livlihood.

reply back saying' these two treatments cost this much'
and say sorry, I never do not do treatments at my family home, I am mobile only.

Sod her if she dosnt like it, you can do without clients like that anyway!
 
Hey all.

I don't usually ask stuff like this but today I got a text which I'm really not sure how best to reply to.

My friend's sister, who I hardly know, messaged me saying "If I book in for next month could u do twinkle toes and gelish for 30 xxxxx"

I charge £22 for Twinkles and £19 for Gelish.

Now during April my Gelish is on offer for £15...I am willing to honour this offer is she books in during the first few days in May....but she's asking for £7 off Twinkles. I'm really not sure how to reply as I feel she is taking the p**s but I don't want to upset her or make her go else where. Plus I wouldn't want to annoy my friend by not giving her sister what she wants....!

I don't want to let clients get into the habit of negotiating my prices - they wouldn't go into a supermarket and try to negotiate the price of their shopping!!

Oh and she insists on coming to my house (I'm only mobile) which is a massive pain for me for one reason or another. Her mum doesn't allow non-family in the house.... >.> But I can make an exception - just trying to illustrate how much of a pain she is :p

What do you think?!!? I don't even give some of my closer friends discounts, so not sure if £11 is too much to let her off with.

Don't even think about it!!

Just tell her no, I use professional products and charge accordingly.

And don't discount the gelish either - that's the offer for April, not May. Unless she wants to bring the appointment forward a few days, of course?


Plus I wouldn't want to annoy my friend by not giving her sister what she wants....!
I repeat..... don't :eek:

At the end of the day, you're running a business not a charity.
 
Err no.....sorry its a special offer, and it also states prices are subjected to change at any time without notice. So would you like to book in....

Also i would reap the benefits of gelish being non chip for 3 weeks and twinkle toes lasting pretty much ages so £x price for each etc

I would suggest a policy for yourself, and you sticking to it! Your're working for yourself, so dont compromise the reasons why you became mobile in the first place! If you get annoying clients. you know they're just gona annoy you further because will keep on trying! Stick to your guns! xoxo
 
Hey i would reply to this bu saying;

Hello (her name)
Im afraid there is no offers for these treatments in may they are £**.
Let me know which date you would like to book.
Thanks (your name)

Something along rhose lines keeps it professional and no embareasment for either of you
 
Thank you all - what you are saying is kinda what one little voice in my head was saying....then another was saying 'oh well it's your mate's sister...'!!

If she was a bog standard client that phoned me up off the back of an advert who I'd never seen in my life etc, I'd of said exactly what you guys just said. But it's coz I semi-know her which has made it tricky to deal with.

NEED.....TO.....GROW.....A PAIR :p

Thank you again xxx
 
I do wonder if she'd go into tesco and rock up to the check out lady and say packet of rich tea and coffee ill give yu £1......

Point is she wouldn't and it's no different for you hun. I would personally text back politely saying you charge x and y but if she moves her appointment forward to april youll happily give her the same client discount/special offer you are offering everyone.

As for her coming to you that's your decision to make, personally id politely say your mobile and don't do treatments at your home. No need to explain why either. You have to remember if this was a client you didnt know im sure youd say no also, so its important you nip this familiarity she thinks she has with you.

Good luck honey x x x
 
On the back of this, she may think she can negotiate as when I was training last year, I offered twinkle toes for £10 whilst I learnt, and she had one set done....maybe she thinks that coz I could do it so cheap then, I can still do it. :eek:
 
Ok I have composed this message, I've decided to go middle of the road to keep the peace :p

"Hi *****. I'm afraid Gelish and Twinkle toes aren't on offer in May, however if you book within the first week of May I would be happy to honour the Gelish April offer for you making it £37 for the 2 treatments. Let me know if you would like to book. Thanks, Lauren. x"

What do you think? Next time she tries it though, the message will be a bit less lentient...
 
I find that quite disrespectful.

Not only does she try to set the price for your treatments in a text but then has the cheek to say her mother doesn't allow non-family in her house .. What? Really?

I totally agree with all the other advice, on a point of principal I would not do it.

It won't end there - she'll be sending you texts like this as and when she feels like it.

She's not in charge of your business, you are.

And if she isn't allowed to have you in her house then she'll have to go to a salon.

Where she will be paying the full price.

You are worth full price too.
 
She wants a discount because she knows you, but her mum won't let you in the house?!

Id be tempted to go with the offer of £37 but I'd def stick to your guns about being mobile and not doing it at your house. I couldn't have people come to my house (I'm not mobile I have a salon) mind you anyone who came to mine would run back out, what with my kids, hubby, dog and cat lol
 
I agree ... Stick to your guns and don't start explaining yourself at all.. Just reply with a simple hi Gelish and twinkle toes will be £41 and I currently only offer a mobile service I'm afraid.

I'd also like to add that £19 for Gelish is absolutely LUDICROUS.. And then you still put a further offer of £15...£25 mimnimum...no offers!
 
I think id be busy whenever she tried to book in.
Some people completely take the micky!
Its a bloody cheek to try and get you to lower your price so much.
Do you really want her as a client??
I know we need all the clients we can manage at the moment but sheesh,theres a limit!
x:!:
 
Hi, Im new to this but would just like to say Im mobile, have been for 4 years now and wish I had stuck to my guns when I first started, I have many clients who feel they can take advantage now and it really bugs me, but only have myself to blame, I have learnt my lesson and it is hard to be professional with relatives or friends etc but stick with it.

Also I stopped taking bookings via text, if a client ever texts me for an appointment I text back asking when it is convenient for me to call, I think people find it harder to haggle to a voice and they can hear your tone of voice.

Good Luck
 
TBH that is a bit cheeky.

But times are tough and if you want to accept I would do it on your terms, ie perhaps insisting that it is paid for at the time of booking, or negotiate a slightly higher fee maybe? And it's perhaps not so unreasonable of her to expect a bit of a reduction for having 2 treatments . . . although that is quite a reduction.

I think clients are finding that it's a bit of a "buyers market" and if they try it on a bit, it sometimes works. A lot of us are struggling a bit and are prepared to bend a little here and there. Whether you do or not, and how much, is up to you and I can understand both angles.

:hug:
 
No stick to your guns I get this all the time and it annoys me...

Today I had a lady asking for price and it came to £42.00 but would have been 70 ish full price and she replied saying will you take £40 for cash ??

Wtf!!
 
No stick to your guns I get this all the time and it annoys me...

Today I had a lady asking for price and it came to £42.00 but would have been 70 ish full price and she replied saying will you take £40 for cash ??

Wtf!!

I would have replied "what? No tip then?. In that case it will be £42 please."
 
Lauren..... DONT DO IT! Stick to your prices......your works AMAZING and she's getting a bloody bargain anyway! The message you sent is fine! Next thing shell start doing is saying 'oh I've only got x amount on me can I pay u the rest later." X x
 
Have you heard back from her yet?

The problem with giving random people you know discounts is they then tell their friends and before you know it everyone expects a 'deal'
 
Lauren..... DONT DO IT! Stick to your prices......your works AMAZING and she's getting a bloody bargain anyway! The message you sent is fine! Next thing shell start doing is saying 'oh I've only got x amount on me can I pay u the rest later." X x

I've had that quite a bit with the people who live on my road. Thankfully they've all popped the balance into me later but I hate it, it fills me with anxiety as I'd hate to chase people for it.
 

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