friend or family freebies ??

[beautybybev]

i have been open for a year in easter and i have alot of lovely, regular clients that think my prices are fab and love coming to me however i have a large family and the only members of my family to come are my mum, brother, sis in law and partner who i dont not charge but they offer me my costs. The other day my nana came for a nails inc manicure (she hasent been or shown interest in a year) and i cut 10% off the best that i can as there is alot of compettion where i come from (she usually goes to another salon and pays way over the odds) (she wins bingo nearly every weekend and the day before she came won £900!) she comment that the mancire is the best she ever had (as i threw in a few extras) and when it came to paying she said gon bev a freebie for nana and i said im sorry ive cut you discount and thrown in extras please bare in mind a full nails inc manicure she just got for £12 and said that it was expensive!!!!!! am i wrong to charge my family? am i wrong to be upset at the fact she hasnt been or shown interset untill now a year after i set up ? i feel bad for charging her but if i didnt then woudlt i have to do that for everyone?? and i wowuldnt take any money >??? any advice ? thanks xx

 

[sodabubble]

i have been open for a year in easter and i have alot of lovely, regular clients that think my prices are fab and love coming to me however i have a large family and the only members of my family to come are my mum, brother, sis in law and partner who i dont not charge but they offer me my costs. The other day my nana came for a nails inc manicure (she hasent been or shown interest in a year) and i cut 10% off the best that i can as there is alot of compettion where i come from (she usually goes to another salon and pays way over the odds) (she wins bingo nearly every weekend and the day before she came won £900!) she comment that the mancire is the best she ever had (as i threw in a few extras) and when it came to paying she said gon bev a freebie for nana and i said im sorry ive cut you discount and thrown in extras please bare in mind a full nails inc manicure she just got for £12 and said that it was expensive!!!!!! am i wrong to charge my family? am i wrong to be upset at the fact she hasnt been or shown interset untill now a year after i set up ? i feel bad for charging her but if i didnt then woudlt i have to do that for everyone?? and i wowuldnt take any money >??? any advice ? thanks xx

this is something we all come up against time and time again. its a tough one because on the one hand it was our friends and family who we practised on when we were learning new treatments, but on the other hand we are not a charity!

I think 12 is a damn good price for a full mani with extras! It's hard when it's your nan, nans can be little buggers sometimes, but oh my god how you miss them when they are gone.

How about for mothers day, easter, xmas etc you give your nan a voucher? Yes she may not have had much of an interest, yes she may go elsewhere, yes she may be an old so-and-so sometimes, but she is your nan, and whilst i dont think we should ever give away freebies (if i were you I would charge something for the ones you currently do for free), you only get one family sweetheart and its not worth falling out over :hug: xx

 

[loubylou]

Your friends and family have to understand that you are running a business not a charity,
yes charge them, at the most only knock 20% off for them,
ask them if they would enjoy seeing you go into bankruptcy and explain that is what would happen if you didn't charge,
people who are not in business do not understand the amount of overheads that we have to pay out in a small business,
it can be very expensive, point this out to them if need be,
my sister used to come to me regular and i did give a discount but she has stopped coming now as deep down she doesnt like to pay out, her loss she has rubbish nails now and i will not back down and do them for free or any cheaper than i was, hth

 

[beautybybev]

thanks to you both for replying - i think i will just hold out and stand strong. I really need to get tough and stop been such a softy !
the things is my nana isnt the "normal" nana if you undertsnad she favorites the boys of the family and im the only girl you see so im pushed out alot asin she will just give them money for nothing and here i am earning it and she doenst want to pay it!
my other family mamber wont let me do it free they give me money or leave it on the chair. i refuise to charge my mum , brother, sis in law & partner as these are the only people who helped me get this far .
thankyou for the advice though must appreciated no doubt i will need to cross another subject soon !!! xx

 

[Chameleon]

Your friends and family have to understand that you are running a business not a charity,
yes charge them, at the most only knock 20% off for them,
ask them if they would enjoy seeing you go into bankruptcy and explain that is what would happen if you didn't charge,
people who are not in business do not understand the amount of overheads that we have to pay out in a small business,
it can be very expensive, point this out to them if need be,
my sister used to come to me regular and i did give a discount but she has stopped coming now as deep down she doesnt like to pay out, her loss she has rubbish nails now and i will not back down and do them for free or any cheaper than i was, hth

I am exactly the same with friends AND family,no discounts whatsoever.....end of...it is a business,not "something that is not really needed" as put by a relative of mine:lol:.....ok,well just stick to the "stick on nails" and the skin wipes from Asda,and just do not come to me to rectify your problems....toodles:green:

 

[sodabubble]

I am exactly the same with friends AND family,no discounts whatsoever.....end of...it is a business,not "something that is not really needed" as put by a relative of mine:lol:.....ok,well just stick to the "stick on nails" and the skin wipes from Asda,and just do not come to me to rectify your problems....toodles:green:

whilst i agree 100% with the above posters, I would hate for you to be falling out with anyone, life is truly, truly too short. Plus if you give them a voucher for a fiver, they will HAVE to pay the rest to redeem it lol xx

 

[beautybybev]

i like the £5 voucher idea very clever! possibly a 10% off voucher ect the list could go on !

 

[sj1973]

I think i replyed to this in previous thread.......i have given out freebies to family and friends and to be totally honest with you ....they NEVER looked after the nails.....

They thought "ow yeah....sj can do them for NOTHING.....no worrys".....well it stopped and so did they .....why....because they think because they are family ,they can have nails done for nothing.....WRONG !!!!!

I put it to you like this.........if they were GOOD friends and close family....they would feel guilty paying nothing or a little........your business is just that.....your business ....it pays your morgage ...rates...tax...etc,

Business is business you set it up to make money and be respected of the work you do.....your not charity to who ever wants to try and get discount......

Sorry if this seems harsh but think of your business hun...if your friends leave then they were never friends to begin with.....good luck xxxxxxx

 

[beautybybev]

no its not harsh ive realised now that i need to harden up and stand my ground. thankyou everyone! x

 

[sj1973]

no its not harsh ive realised now that i need to harden up and stand my ground. thankyou everyone! x

Good for you huni......you do....if your a soft touch people will go "yeah,she is a friend of mine,if i ask,she will do them cheaper"....

Then it just snowballs into your giving your nails away and your worth mre hun....you have worked so hard for what you have so look after it and it will look after you xxxxxxxxx:hug:

 

[mannipatch]

I got around this problem with gift vouchers. I also come from a large family but I do not like to charge them and never have but got me down a bit when they even stopped offering and i was taken for granted, I agree where does it stop. Anyhow I give all my close family (sis, neices, stepdaughter) gift vouchers for a spray tan and set of extensions at xmas and again on their birthdays, (thats my pressies sorted for them) that way I dont feel used and they can use the vouchers when ever they want, as I do not have a time limit on them. As for maintenance for these I charge 50%. As for Mum and Gran I would not charge, ever, and am just glad I can do it for them, which is not very often. For all other family (like aunts, cousins) and close freinds I operate a 50% policy. They see my price list and I charge them 50% of that. This is only for close freinds so you will have to work out who comes under that category. Anyone else is full price. My gran is old now and not interested understandably. If I was you I would give your gran a nice card with voucher inside, that way you wont feel used and you can decide what you want to give, whether it be money off (which I do think is a bit cheap when it is your gran) or a free treatment for her birthday and xmas. My gran done loads for me, bought loads for me as a kid and I would never charge. She wont be around for ever.xx

 

[sodabubble]

I got around this problem with gift vouchers. I also come from a large family but I do not like to charge them and never have but got me down a bit when they even stopped offering and i was taken for granted, I agree where does it stop. Anyhow I give all my close family (sis, neices, stepdaughter) gift vouchers for a spray tan and set of extensions at xmas and again on their birthdays, (thats my pressies sorted for them) that way I dont feel used and they can use the vouchers when ever they want, as I do not have a time limit on them. As for maintenance for these I charge 50%. As for Mum and Gran I would not charge, ever, and am just glad I can do it for them, which is not very often. For all other family (like aunts, cousins) and close freinds I operate a 50% policy. They see my price list and I charge them 50% of that. This is only for close freinds so you will have to work out who comes under that category. Anyone else is full price. My gran is old now and not interested understandably. If I was you I would give your gran a nice card with voucher inside, that way you wont feel used and you can decide what you want to give, whether it be money off (which I do think is a bit cheap when it is your gran) or a free treatment for her birthday and xmas. My gran done loads for me, bought loads for me as a kid and I would never charge. She wont be around for ever.xx

your post has made me cry mannipatch! I was so damn honoured to be able to do grandmas nails before she passed away, little did I know it would be the last time I would see her, and I would give anything in this world to be able to do it again.

good luck everyone! xx

 

[Mandy pandy]

I always give gift vouchers as gifts to family and friends. no one has ever been ungratefull. Some times i give treatments to friends if they do little jobs for me like the ironing, or cutting the grass. It works for me

 

[loubylou]

I always give gift vouchers as gifts to family and friends. no one has ever been ungratefull. Some times i give treatments to friends if they do little jobs for me like the ironing, or cutting the grass. It works for me

This works out well and you are not doing treatments for free.
you are swapping services :hug:

 

[Tracey Park]

The only people I dont charge are my 3 horrors !!!!

Everyone else I charge even my mum albeit at a reduced cost for her.

For friends and other family that request treatments I charge full price and then for birthdays etc give them a voucher to use. They love it and it stops them asking me.

Once you start given things for free people expect it. IMO anyway

 

[rachael204]

I know how you feel, I am new to this and am very quiet after Christmas. So when my mum came to see me on Friday I gave her a pedicure and a manicure. She also ended up having an underarm wax, eyebrow tidy and lash and brow tint too. During the two hours this took me we were talking about how quiet and skint I am at work and she offered me nothing! Actually looked offended when I mentioned how much it would normally cost for all of the treatments. Needless to say shall not be doing that again in a hurry:irked:

 

[mannipatch]

your comments bring to my mind a song, you may be to young to know it but I found the words for you. I hope you dont mind.:sad:
Now our little boy came up to his mom
In the kitchen this evenin' while she was fixin' supper
And he handed her a piece of paper he'd been writin' on
And after wipin' her hands on her apron
She read it, and this is what it said.
For mowin' the lawn, five dollars
For makin' my own bed this week, one dollar
And for goin' to the store, fifty cents
An' playin' with little brother while you went shoppin', twenty-five cents.
Takin' out the trash, one dollar
Gettin' a good report card, five dollars
And for rakin' the yard, two dollars
Total owed, fourteen seventy-five.
Well, as mom looked at him standin' there expectantly
And I could see the mem'ries flashing through her mind
And so she picked up the pen, and turnin' the paper over
This is what she wrote.
For the nine months I carried you growin' inside me, no charge
For the nights I've sat up with you
Doctored you, and prayed for you, no charge
For the time and the tears
That you've cost through the years, there's no charge
And when you add it all up
The full cost of my love is no charge.
For the nights filled with dread
And all the worries ahead, no charge
For advice and the knowledge
And the cost of your college, no charge
For the toys, food and clothes and even for wipin' your nose
There's no charge, son
And when you add it all up
The full cost of my love is, no charge.
Well, when he finished readin'
He had great big old tears in his eyes
And he looked up at her standing there and said
Mama, I sure do love you
Then he took the pen,
And in great big letters
He wrote PAID IN FULL.
Lord knows when you add it all up
The cost of real love is, no charge...

 

[sodabubble]

your comments bring to my mind a song, you may be to young to know it but I found the words for you. I hope you dont mind.:sad:
Now our little boy came up to his mom
In the kitchen this evenin' while she was fixin' supper
And he handed her a piece of paper he'd been writin' on
And after wipin' her hands on her apron
She read it, and this is what it said.
For mowin' the lawn, five dollars
For makin' my own bed this week, one dollar
And for goin' to the store, fifty cents
An' playin' with little brother while you went shoppin', twenty-five cents.
Takin' out the trash, one dollar
Gettin' a good report card, five dollars
And for rakin' the yard, two dollars
Total owed, fourteen seventy-five.
Well, as mom looked at him standin' there expectantly
And I could see the mem'ries flashing through her mind
And so she picked up the pen, and turnin' the paper over
This is what she wrote.
For the nine months I carried you growin' inside me, no charge
For the nights I've sat up with you
Doctored you, and prayed for you, no charge
For the time and the tears
That you've cost through the years, there's no charge
And when you add it all up
The full cost of my love is no charge.
For the nights filled with dread
And all the worries ahead, no charge
For advice and the knowledge
And the cost of your college, no charge
For the toys, food and clothes and even for wipin' your nose
There's no charge, son
And when you add it all up
The full cost of my love is, no charge.
Well, when he finished readin'
He had great big old tears in his eyes
And he looked up at her standing there and said
Mama, I sure do love you
Then he took the pen,
And in great big letters
He wrote PAID IN FULL.
Lord knows when you add it all up
The cost of real love is, no charge...

:hug::hug::hug: thanks