Family are banned

[Violet Star]

I need your opinions guys!

I have now put a ban on any of my family having any treatments with me because ive had enough and now putting my foot down.

Im annoyed of family taking the p*ss out of me and what I do! This weekend one of my sisters booked 4 treatments with me for Friday gone she didnt come she then rebooked for saturday which was a tight squeeze yet again didnt come and she then re booked today and yet again she isnt coming!

My other sister has opened a 'tab' with me so she pays at the end of the month and jokes with me how she may not pay at the end of the month!

And sometimes nothing is never good enough for them.

Am i being mean for banning family? Has anyone else done this?
xx

 

[Lynne Baker]

I've said it before and been flamed because of it but I stick to my guns on this. The only two people in the world who get free treatments from me are my mum and my husband. Nobody, but nobody gets discounts, tabs, credit, freebies. I'm in business to stay in business and I won't be in business very long if I allow people to take advantage of me.
I made it abundantly clear at the start that this would be my policy so nobody has ever tried it on with me.
Be firm. This is YOUR business, not your mum's, sister, second cousin twice removed.

 

[chocolatepickle]

ah i'm dreading this! We have quite a large family and many of them seem to think because they are modelling for me they will always get freebies, but i cant afford for all and sundry to take advantage!
What makes it worse is that my sister in law came with me on my Spray tan training and i very stupidly asked a question re. prices it should cost to do a treatment per person- so she now knows how much profit i will be making- and has already pointed it out to me! I will be doing her some sort of discount as she has always babysat for me for free but she will cover the cost of the treatment and she will continue to babysit but this will only work as long as it is kept strictly confidential.
I'm sorry, not much help from me but to say i may well be following your lead shortly! x

 

[Beauty by Chell]

I have not even trained yet and had a conversation with my sister the other day where she informed me that she had been telling people what i wanted to do and she will let them know when i am taking on paying customers so i then told her that if they came to me she would get a discount so that everyone is clear that they will have to pay something and not just the cost of the treatment, they have to pay for your time as well.

My husband is a tattooist and he charges friends and family at a slight discounted rate as they are still taking up appointments that he could be charging full price for!! hth hun!

 

[kylieb]

I have put a stop to it too. I do 2 of my sisters (out of 7) for free. But they do a great deal for me and do offer to pay.
I got stuck in a bit of a rut as when I was training I offered treatments to all of my friends for free as I was desperate to practice and then it kind of became a regular thing to do these treatments for nothing without any offer to even cover my costs. I've given them all a price list and said 'these are now the prices' and guess what all of a sudden they don't want anything done.
I haven't spent all this money on products and courses to give my treatments for free.
Stand your ground hun, don't let them walk all over you. Spend your time and energy on clients wanting to pay for your services xxx

 

[Martin Duffy]

I agree wholeheartedly with Calla, and likewise the only two people who get freebies are my mum & partner, everyone else pays full whack at the time of their treatment. The products, electricity, water, rent, insurance & not to mention your time cost money, and everytime you're doing freebies you're limiting the time in which you can be taking paying customers. Just be firm - the last thing any business needs is a load of liggers for clients!

 

[Bagpuss]

I am the same as Calla....only my mum gets free. Everyone else pays...close friends may get the odd free gems but everyone pays the same. Its fact that those who do not pay, do not look after there nails...they don't need to...you'll fix them for free.

Those who take you for granted are not only out of order but also have no respect for you and your work.

Would they go to work, use all their own stuff and do it all for nothing....?

 

[VHunter]

TIME is money.
And as for a family member knowing the cost of the products used..... what about the OTHER costs involved in your business such as: training, advertising, business cards & leaflets, electricity, towels and other needed accessories etc etc etc...... OVERHEAD:!::!:

Make them tow the line and pay the price.
If they can't respect your time or your business, PHOOEY on them, let REAL clients fill up the spaces.
If one of them worked at a restaurant, you would't get free food.
If another worked at a gas-station, you wouldn't get free new tires......

The only discounts I ever do are on my free-hand painted art done with polish and/or water-based acrylic paints. Otherwise, full price:!:


Don't let people take advantage!
:hug:

 

[chriscavell]

well Ive just had my Fiancees mum say to me 'Ive found a willing guinea pig for you to test your nails on'. I think 'great!', then she says 'I told her it would be free'!!!

 

[Violet Star]

I'm glad I'm not being mean then as i thought i may have been a little harsh. But its just annoying me so much know. Although I didn't have anyone else booked in today it does still annoy me when someone lets me down! As i get all prepared etc.

I think i will make my mum an exception as she is the only one who helps me and sees my business as a real business and doesn't ever take the p*ss.

 

[hippy-chick]

I would treat my sisters for free tbh, but as they are 300 miles away I suppose I don't really have that problem.

I charge everyone but my husband and my son. None of my friends get a discount but, and only but, if their is no one booked in after them, I offer them a free 30 minutes. they love it and obviously snap my hand off, but they know its not guaranteed every time.

 

[JellyJane]

Why should you give them everything for free. You are running a business and need to make money.

My sister has offered to be a guinea pig for me whilst I'm still training in some areas but I offered to her "hollywood lashes" (which I'm qualified in) for free and she said NO !!! She would rather have her legs waxed as a guinea pig for my waxing course.

You can't win sometimes

Stick to your guns girl.

 

[High Hopes]

To be honest i would probably handle it a bit differently than just completely banning them, if anything it might cause your mum hassle if they know shes not "banned". Next time they try and book a treatment i would say well are you actually going to come because you have let me down before and it costs me money to turn down paying clients who might want that space. Your honesty might shock them into thinking twice about letting you down.

I give my mum treatments for free (but i always see her sneak money into the kids money boxes bless her) and my sister gets regular spray tans, eyebrow waxes etc but i use it to my advantage as she is my walking advertisement

xx

 

[hannajadem]

I agree with not 'banning' but I'm in a similar situation with my auntie...when I first qualified she came round for a mani and was always going on about a salon that did it so much better, and why didn't I do it this way, etc ect. Then she had the cheek at the end to tell ME how much she was going to pay me! Then she said, 'oh when you get up and running, all family members should get a 15% discount, because they'll be your bread and butter, they'll get you more clients through word of mouth'. Yeah right.
Anyway, 7 months on, 99% of my clients are from pure advertising, not word of mouth, and certainly not family.
My auntie hasn't been in touch with me since, but I know for a fact she's getting her nails done elsewhere (I've seen them lol), but I don't say anything, we're both happy this way. If she ever phones for an appointment again, she's going to get treated like any other client, which also means full price at the time of appointment.

 

[FlawlessBeauty]

Good for you sticking up for yourself! I have a large family and so made it clear when i started. My mum, dad, bro and boyfriend get treatments for free because they are fab. They do a lot for me and tell me to move their appointments if someone else wants their slot. I don't charge but they do nice things in other ways. Also bf's mum gets half price facials and waxing because she comes loads, is a great advertisement and always helps me out. Everyone else, full price.

I hope you don't fall out with your family though. If they missed an appointment, i would tell them that i had to turn away a client to fit them in and that if they aren't going to show they should be charged a cancellation fee like everybody else. Say 50%.

 

[Peter Pan]

Only my mum gets it for free too. tho she does come into my salon for treatments, (not her nails i might add) but pays for them (at her request) it was my mum that said, i am willing to pay, as you have to pay for the stuff in the first place. its me that feels guilty taking her money.

some family members do tend to take the p**s tho, i totally agree, but if they are willing to pay for the cost of products i dont mind doing it for them.

your sister is deffo taking the micky out of you flower, to not turn up or cancel 3 times is abit much, once can be forgiven but not 3.

does she not realise that you could have other paying clients in at her alloted time, and you could be losing money because of her selfishness...........

she probs dont think it a prob, and this is when i think they start to take you for granted.

chin up flower.

dont blame ya for banning them tho
:hug:

 

[Violet Star]

Only my mum gets it for free too. tho she does come into my salon for treatments, (not her nails i might add) but pays for them (at her request) it was my mum that said, i am willing to pay, as you have to pay for the stuff in the first place. its me that feels guilty taking her money.

some family members do tend to take the p**s tho, i totally agree, but if they are willing to pay for the cost of products i dont mind doing it for them.

your sister is deffo taking the micky out of you flower, to not turn up or cancel 3 times is abit much, once can be forgiven but not 3.

does she not realise that you could have other paying clients in at her alloted time, and you could be losing money because of her selfishness...........

she probs dont think it a prob, and this is when i think they start to take you for granted.

chin up flower.

dont blame ya for banning them tho
:hug:

When i was on the phone to her today she could tell in my voice that i was annoyed with her and she said don't have the ump you got no reason to be annoyed i said yes i have because i am running a business this is my job she said but there is no need to have the ump because its not exactly busy is it! Which in fact annoyed me even more she doesn't see it as a business she sees it as some kind of hobby? She doesn't take me seriously at all, she hasn't done a days work in her life so i don't think she quite understands the meaning of a business

:hug:

 

[fozzyo]

OMG if that is her attitude then you are 100% right to refuse to give them any freebies! If she was a client who cancelled the same number of times what would you do then? I'd say still do treatments for them but say that they must pay upfront and if they don't cancel in time they don't get a refund - the same as all other clients.

I have a friend who requires family and friends pay full price for treatments but does offer a discount on products purchased at the time of the treatment.

Only my husband has had complimentary treatments from me, all others have been treatment swaps with a few friends. Exchange skills instead of cash - works very well.

Mat

 

[anna592]

now i have the opposite problem. my mum insists on paying me full cost that i charge all my customers. this really annoys me as i dont mind doing my mums nails foc. in fact if i refuse to take her money, she puts it into my savings account (she works in the building society that i have my savings account!!) as she knows i cant take it out or else i lose any interest if i make more than 2 withdrawels a year!!

 

[1999judy]

I need your opinions guys!

I have now put a ban on any of my family having any treatments with me because ive had enough and now putting my foot down.

Im annoyed of family taking the p*ss out of me and what I do! This weekend one of my sisters booked 4 treatments with me for Friday gone she didnt come she then rebooked for saturday which was a tight squeeze yet again didnt come and she then re booked today and yet again she isnt coming!

My other sister has opened a 'tab' with me so she pays at the end of the month and jokes with me how she may not pay at the end of the month!

And sometimes nothing is never good enough for them.

Am i being mean for banning family? Has anyone else done this?
xx

No you're not being mean...ban them!