8bitdreams
New Member
I’m a year and a half out of hair school and working in a top salon that is very, very busy. It’s not chair rental or anything, so I am an employee, and I don’t set my own prices. I am in the salon’s lowest pricing bracket and working on growing my clientele, which my boss says on average takes 5 years to be solidly fully booked.
75% of the time that there is someone in my chair, price is an issue. I don’t know what to do or say about it anymore. I’ve tried my boss’ advice about asking them what there budget is in response to that reaction and then offering them creative ideas as to what we can accomplish in that budget and it works fine in the moment, but ultimately I think it is affecting my growth. Particularly with people close to me. Family and family friends give me a chance because they love the work that I do (I post it on social media), and they always love the end result... But then I hear through the grapevine how they love their hair but are very unhappy with the price and how that’s a big issue. Some do come back because they love what I do... but I would say most decide that it’s just too expensive. They’ve even told me that straight up before. They compare me to more senior stylists at other salons that charge less.
My boss reassured me that I’m doing amazing work that continues to justify my price, and the other girls at my salon charge A LOT more than I do and are solidly busy, but it feels so defeating to see that people (particularly those close to me, because strangers don’t seem bothered, its just much harder to get strangers in my chair) don’t think I’m worth it, despite them saying how much happier they are with my services than they have been with others.
I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to cheapen myself by offering discounted services considering the thousands of dollars I have invested in advanced education since graduating hair school, the skill that I am performing at, and the salon that I work in. My boss (40 years experience) always tells me that other than my immediate family, like my mom and sister, discounting my prices to bring in or keep a client is only going to attract people who are loyal only to bargains and not to me, but like I said — getting strangers in your chair is hard if they aren’t the product of referrals from the people whose hair you do. It all just really makes me doubt myself...
What should I do?
75% of the time that there is someone in my chair, price is an issue. I don’t know what to do or say about it anymore. I’ve tried my boss’ advice about asking them what there budget is in response to that reaction and then offering them creative ideas as to what we can accomplish in that budget and it works fine in the moment, but ultimately I think it is affecting my growth. Particularly with people close to me. Family and family friends give me a chance because they love the work that I do (I post it on social media), and they always love the end result... But then I hear through the grapevine how they love their hair but are very unhappy with the price and how that’s a big issue. Some do come back because they love what I do... but I would say most decide that it’s just too expensive. They’ve even told me that straight up before. They compare me to more senior stylists at other salons that charge less.
My boss reassured me that I’m doing amazing work that continues to justify my price, and the other girls at my salon charge A LOT more than I do and are solidly busy, but it feels so defeating to see that people (particularly those close to me, because strangers don’t seem bothered, its just much harder to get strangers in my chair) don’t think I’m worth it, despite them saying how much happier they are with my services than they have been with others.
I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to cheapen myself by offering discounted services considering the thousands of dollars I have invested in advanced education since graduating hair school, the skill that I am performing at, and the salon that I work in. My boss (40 years experience) always tells me that other than my immediate family, like my mom and sister, discounting my prices to bring in or keep a client is only going to attract people who are loyal only to bargains and not to me, but like I said — getting strangers in your chair is hard if they aren’t the product of referrals from the people whose hair you do. It all just really makes me doubt myself...
What should I do?
