Downgrading a booked service

[xAnnaBannAx]

So lets say you have 5 clients booked in for a manicure with polish /french at £20 each through a salon, youve just spent a fair bit because youve just bought everything you need to carry out the service being fully prepared.....then the day before.. the salon calls to say the 5 clients dont want the works anymore they just want a file and polish/french...no cuticle work or anything like that.

how much would I charge for that instead?....£10 I say...they say other girl who cant do it that day does it for £5.....well I think £5 is a bit ridiculous and £10 is fair enough I say....someone else says they can do it for £7 can you match that instead....well I suppose so then I say!

Should I be feeling a bit miffed about this because I do really to be honest...altho trying to look on the positive side Im glad of the experience and I suppose potential of gaining them as long term clients maybe a possibility...altho I expect theyll just go back to the £5 girl! and ALSO im wondering if its possible that this 'other girl' who would do it for £7 is one of the hairdressers who works there but goes round saying she does nails...no training just gets everything from sallys!

So theres been plenty of discussion before about what youd do if there was a 'no show' or a cancellation etc...alot of people have a policy in place whereby they will charge for cancellations if not enough notice is given....so what about the clients that 'downgrade' their treatment to something at the last minute? or do you not worry about it and be glad they came for something anyway??

Interested to hear your thoughts on this!

Also how do you do your file and polish? would you just clean the nail plate with a pad and remover then proceed to polishing? I hate the thought of not doing any cuticle work at all...I mean what if they have really bad overgrown dry cracked skin around the nailplate?? I really want my polish to last!

 

[geeg]

So lets say you have 5 clients booked in for a manicure with polish /french at £20 each through a salon, youve just spent a fair bit because youve just bought everything you need to carry out the service being fully prepared.....then the day before.. the salon calls to say the 5 clients dont want the works anymore they just want a file and polish/french...no cuticle work or anything like that.

how much would I charge for that instead?....£10 I say...they say other girl who cant do it that day does it for £5.....well I think £5 is a bit ridiculous and £10 is fair enough I say....someone else says they can do it for £7 can you match that instead....well I suppose so then I say!

Should I be feeling a bit miffed about this because I do really to be honest...altho trying to look on the positive side I'm glad of the experience and I suppose potential of gaining them as long term clients maybe a possibility...altho I expect they'll just go back to the £5 girl! and ALSO I'm wondering if its possible that this 'other girl' who would do it for £7 is one of the hairdressers who works there but goes round saying she does nails...no training just gets everything from sallys!

So theres been plenty of discussion before about what youd do if there was a 'no show' or a cancellation etc...alot of people have a policy in place whereby they will charge for cancellations if not enough notice is given....so what about the clients that 'downgrade' their treatment to something at the last minute? or do you not worry about it and be glad they came for something anyway??

Interested to hear your thoughts on this!

Also how do you do your file and polish? would you just clean the nail plate with a pad and remover then proceed to polishing? I hate the thought of not doing any cuticle work at all...I mean what if they have really bad overgrown dry cracked skin around the nailplate?? I really want my polish to last!

This is not a nice situation and they are in fact forcing you to barter your service price.

I would stick to your guns re the 10.00. 5 people is going to take at least 2 hours work with all the tooing and froing and cleaning up in between etc. that is worth 50.00.

So stupid these people who do not want any cuticle work.

I think I would do a quick dance around the eponychium with a white block so at least your surface is smooth then squeak the nails really clean and do your polish.

You have to take changes on the chin but you don't have to prostitute yourself for these wasters. What they have done is not nice. I feel bad for you.

 

[xAnnaBannAx]

This is not a nice situation and they are in fact forcing you to barter your service price.

I would stick to your guns re the 10.00. 5 people is going to take at least 2 hours work with all the tooing and froing and cleaning up in between etc. that is worth 50.00.

So stupid these people who do not want any cuticle work.

I think I would do a quick dance around the eponychium with a white block so at least your surface is smooth then squeak the nails really clean and do your polish.

You have to take changes on the chin but you don't have to prostitute yourself for these wasters. What they have done is not nice. I feel bad for you.

Oh thanx for that...I was wondering of it was just me being funny or what...I dont think I will put up with being messed about like that or being forced to reduce my prices once im more sorted with my my stationary etc...but at the minute ive not got all my stationary, price lists etc printed and it is my first bit of work in a salon so I am grateful for the experience I suppose but did feel a bit miffed about it but never mind..ill do it this time but next time I wont waiver from my price lists once they are printed!

and just to add...I didnt take much to give me 'nail rage' about this situation as I do feel in general annoyed by the silly prices that a lot of techs charge for manicure services...I mean £5! crazy imo

 

[angelina221]

£5 is a crazy price. In my salon for a file and polish with french it is £12.
You have to take your time into consideration as well as the products.

 

[JesseDavidNailDesign]

I agree to stick to your price. Yes it's unfortunate you won't earn as much money as you had planned, but you do have the chance for 5 people to see that your work is better. Don't assume they'll all go back to the less expensive therapist. But if some do, so be it.

The way I feel about cancellation, no-show policy, is yes I have the right to charge someone, but what are the long -term consequences of acting on this? Client will tell all their friends, never come back. And the occasions when we have charged someone, they have contacted their credit card and got the money back anyway. Basically I take the card number at booking as a bluff. Works pretty well, have very few no shows.

 

[RedAdmiral]

I echo Geeg with all the faffing, cleaning and seat changing they'll be their ages also its highly unlikely that they'll go for a polish so you'll be doing french's........ is this more? (I hope so) Push back, spongey file over the nail, scrub frsh then polish. €12 min for french's.

Unfortunetly a deposit is needed for groups as they are so fickle.

 

[xAnnaBannAx]

oo it gets better....theyve all just cancelled! (apparantly) :sad:

 

[Zo Zo]

Just my humble opinion but here goes - this is with regard to the service, not the cost, or the lack of consideration by the client - I think a file and polish is something a regular manicure client can have between full manicures, I don't actually list it on my price list as I don't want people to think it's a cheap way of getting a manicure. A file and polish can be a lot of work and 99/100 they need cuticle work. In order to make a file and polish look good, we usually need to give more than the client is paying for. If someone asks me for a file and polish and they are not a regular, I will say that I need to see their nails because they may need a full manicure.

 

[Lynne Baker]

agreed! I won't do them unless they've had a manicure from me within the last 7 days.