Can't beat them, should I join them?

[lady R]

hi all

been doing nails for an awfully long time and have always beleived you charge a fair price for nails if you do them well, do no damage, have been trained by the best and educate your clients about them. I charge £30 for a full set, £18 for infill and £25 for rebalance.
There has been a massive influx of discount salons who charge £20 for a full set, shellac and nail art.
I have educated my clients as to why they are so cheap, they all accept the drill hurt them, there nails are sore and weak - but hey, its £20 sorry!!

they are all apologetic, love my nails and they way i do them, but its £20 and they get a lot more added on (fake shellac and nail art)

I am losing customers day by day because they are cheap, and they dont care about their nails.

what do i do. Join them in the price war?? I never ever wanted to do this, but if it carries on i will have no customers left!! its not been a problem for the past 6 years until middle of last year, when loads opened up, now i'm losing loads. What would you advise???:cry:

 

[Sandy2986]

I know exactly what you mean! Here in the states Gel nails are the new thing,I work at a hair salon & I charge 30 & I'm losing clients cause they're going to all these discount places that charge only 15..i'm in the same boat as you,I keep thinking I should lower my prices to Atleast 15..I don't want to lose anymore clients

Sent from my LG-LG855 using SalonGeek

 

[Dnx]

How long can their nails cope with being butchered before it really takes it's toll? How many customers have you lost as a result of these new businesses?

I'm a complete novice, however, I see this in my industry too; get a digital camera, pop it on program, fire off a few hundred shots and they're a pro photographer.

You will lose some customers who don't care and are happy to suffer for the sake if a few quid, however, I don't think joining the price war is the answer. Really promote your personal service and background of relatedness, you do not operate a conveyor belt. Service your existing clients and make then feel special.

I also understand that I don't have your bills to pay and only you can make the final decision as to what's best for your business.

Dnx

 

[Dnx]

I know exactly what you mean! Here in the states Gel nails are the new thing,I work at a hair salon & I charge 30 & I'm losing clients cause they're going to all these discount places that charge only 15..i'm in the same boat as you,I keep thinking I should lower my prices to Atleast 15..I don't want to lose anymore clients

Sent from my LG-LG855 using SalonGeek

If you lower to $15, are you really making a profit on your time?

Dnx

 

[blossom]

I know exactly what you mean. My area has got more and more competitive and I have had to adjust my full set charges whilst keeping infills the same.

After all, infills is what I do mostly, with new sets just now and then, so in order to capture some new clients (who were otherwise hanging up when hearing my prices and not booking) I reduced my new set prices. I hated doing it but it has worked and it seemed to be a choice between almost matching their prices or simply not getting many new clients. I did struggle on for a couple of years before deciding to reduce.Letting most of the new customers go to the competition and not working much myself was simply not an option.

I felt I had to do something, I work from home and at least have minimal overheads and lots of local salons advertise their prices boldly in their windows so attract more attention than I do as I don't even have a shop front.

In principle, I think we should hold out for what we are worth .... I haven't done all my training and had 10 years experience in order to offer discount nails .... but on the other hand it's all very well holding out for your price but if nobody is prepared to pay that, it does make you think. Most customers who phone for a price are really NOT wanting to hear a long speech about why my nails are better, less damaging than some of the other salons. (well ok, there might be a handful who care but the majority do NOT- more fool them).

Hate the situation though. But is to be hoped that once they have been lured to me by my new lower full set price, they will stay, finding that their nails stay on, look beautiful and are not damaging their own nails, and so will achieve my long term objective of gaining more regular clients.

Sorry what a load of waffle lol x



edit to add: I have reduced to £20 natural £25 french, a reduction of £5 on each. Infills haven't been reduced and account for the majority of my business. My competition are charging £20 for any new set. I would consider a price increase in the fullness of time.

 

[geeg]

I'd rather have 2 clients at 30 than 4 at 15!

 

[Becky_simon]

I'd rather have 2 clients at 30 than 4 at 15!

Great clear point! I would have 'hearted' but I can't on my mobile!

 

[lady R]

so would i, but thats the problem, they don't want to pay that! they are happy for a NSS to wreck their nails because it saves them money. I have resisted it for years but now i can see a massive change.

i have educated them till my ears bleed but its all about the price it would seem.....what a shame....

Seems to be going the same way as "shellac" we all know its an amazing product but these 'other' salons use cheap rubbish, wreck their nails and then put people off it thinking its bad!!

How do we fight this??!!

 

[Dnx]

Don't fight it, educate the other salons...

Schoon Scientific - Doug Schoon, scientist and nail industry expert provides educational articles

Get them to raise their prices!!

 

[blossom]

I'd rather have 2 clients at 30 than 4 at 15!

I agree.

However sometimes the choice is more like 0 or 1 at 30 and perhaps 10 or so at a lower figure (not half price though!) Which would then lead to hopefully 9 or 10 infills on a regular basis. These were the figures I was faced with.

 

[lady R]

educate the other salons to raise their prices, I LOVE IT!! I'm a woman on a mission now!!

thanks for the replies though, it was bothering me a bit, will hang off for a bit with a price restructure, maybe offer more added value to my service....I'll think on it for abit!

 

[411]

Totally understand!

I had a friend at work who wanted acrylics done, when I told her it will take one half to 2 hours, she said I'd rather go to the high street nail bar they do it 45mins!

I explained to her there's a reason why they are quick, mine is natural filling and no damage to the nail bed, and they don't hurt after they are done!!

Some people just don't learn, they need to learn the hard way, let them carry on!

 

[Wonda]

I'm in a town where 99% of people would rather be butchered for £15-£20 than spend £30 & have better nails.

I've spent the last 6 months trying to educate people, but they just don't want to know.

Due to this I'm now looking for a way out, will still do nails but only on a Saturday & more as something I enjoy artistically, so I'm back to looking for a full time office job now to pay the bills cause there just isn't the clientele.

 

[soniamarie]

I too have found this in my line of work, I own a bakers and make celebration cakes, but due to the many new magazines out on cup cakes etc more and more people are starting up home businesses, many not registered with local councils and no training,no insurance or health and safety. I am registered have undertaken years of training and health and hygine, have insurance etc but I can not beat their prices. Some offering cakes as low as £10 to £15 for a cake I would charge about £45. Its not the competition that Im bothered about its the low prices they charge de-values our work that we do. Same goes for nails it takes time, money and a lot of hard work to be really good at what we do. But I wont lower my prices just hope that when all the others give up I will still be about, after all I have a load of overheads and wages to pay.

 

[w1nnie]

I have had umpteen girls over to me after they have been butchered by the nss , they seem tobe learning in my area slowly. I say to them they have to go there first, and then they come to me ..lol . But interesting that a customer said to me that price was important, and that even if a tech was holding a masters cnd certificate with 20 years experience and charging ££s more for her service, she would still go to a cheaper option !!

 

[Esther Orange]

I don't think, that the "price war" is a good idea Have you think about advertising yourself eg Facebook, Twitter, you can also record a short video for Youtube and show your clients, that you are professional and your nails are better. Maybe this would help.