Friends taking the Michael!

[tigi]

OK, please can anyone give me your thoughts and advice.
I have found since starting nails and beauty therapy that some of my mates are taking advantage of me.

I dont know how many more ways i can say to them that I charge for my services and I have told them that I give them mates rates but it is not making any difference.

I went to one last night, she knew it would be £15 and yet she had no cash on her, said she would bring it today and of course she has not come.

Some of my mates though have been great, paid and no problem but others are doing my head in.

Whats your adivce? Should I just not go t their houses anymore and when they call say i am busy with paying clients, or should I say that I am not doing anymore for them as they are not forcoming with the cash?

any advice is welcome, i feel really silly as its only money at the end of the day but its stressing me out.

tigi

 

[suzie49]

OK, please can anyone give me your thoughts and advice.
I have found since starting nails and beauty therapy that some of my mates are taking advantage of me.

I dont know how many more ways i can say to them that I charge for my services and I have told them that I give them mates rates but it is not making any difference.

I went to one last night, she knew it would be £15 and yet she had no cash on her, said she would bring it today and of course she has not come.

Some of my mates though have been great, paid and no problem but others are doing my head in.

Whats your adivce? Should I just not go t their houses anymore and when they call say i am busy with paying clients, or should I say that I am not doing anymore for them as they are not forcoming with the cash?

any advice is welcome, i feel really silly as its only money at the end of the day but its stressing me out.

tigi

I would call and ask why she didnt bring the money round, and in future its either money up front or your to busy to do them.
Its such a shame when some friends take advantage like this. You still have your stock to buy, you dont get it for free xx:hug:

 

[ChrissyB]

I went through that too when I first started out in business. But I just explained to them that I wasn't offering a free service, and my products aren't cheap, so if they didn't help me out a little bit then what was the point of me doing their nails. Those friends have stopped having their nails done since but I've still got a few who come into the salon still and pay and there's no issue. I also found that I would get phone calls asking if there was any chance I could fit them in then and there, and when I couldn't they would get angry because apparently I'm supposed to stop everything just for them.

It got very annoying.

The other girl I work with has also had the issue, but again, you need to open up and tell them it's your way or the highway, basically.

 

[champagne]

Yep as above xx Otherwise it will go on & on & on ...............

 

[Missy G]

My niece done this to me, next time she wanted a set of nails I made sure she showed me the money before I started .

 

[fifitrix]

I have a few special friends who I never charge for doing their nails, but there are always going to be the ones who think they can get a freebie and unfortunately these are the ones who just don't take care of their nails. They tend to feel that if they trash them or break them then you will repair them for nothing.

The friends whose nails I do and don't charge for, respect what I do and that I am running a business, and respect my time and my work.

Unfortunately, you will get the opportunists at first, but be firm and tell them that product and your time costs, believe me it is better to start out this way and avoids an ongoing, "Oh no I have to do her nails but she isn't going to pay" scenario. It is easier said than done hun but once you have it even once it becomes easier. Good luck :hug:

 

[hannajadem]

I have a few special friends who I never charge for doing their nails, but there are always going to be the ones who think they can get a freebie and unfortunately these are the ones who just don't take care of their nails. They tend to feel that if they trash them or break them then you will repair them for nothing.

The friends whose nails I do and don't charge for, respect what I do and that I am running a business, and respect my time and my work.

Unfortunately, you will get the opportunists at first, but be firm and tell them that product and your time costs, believe me it is better to start out this way and avoids an ongoing, "Oh no I have to do her nails but she isn't going to pay" scenario. It is easier said than done hun but once you have it even once it becomes easier. Good luck :hug:

Absolutely 100% agree with the above. I'm still charging model rates and on the one hand you have the friend who always coughs up and even pays extra sometimes (Like a tip!), and the other always seems to forget the money, or pays me half the money, promising to get the other half to me the next day. Next thing you know, she's broken a nail, she comes round first thing in the morning, with no phone call, expecting me to repair it for free.
I remember doing her 1st rebalance, she still hadn't paid me for the original full set (£10), and I charge £6 for a rebalance. At the end, she says to me, 'oh I've only got £9 on in my purse', and I remind her she's still not paid me for the appointment THREE WEEKS previously, so she says, 'oh well, I'll buy you some cocktails tonight (we were going out), which she never did, infact when the bill came, SHE was the one who sat down with the calculator on her phone working out exactly who owed what when I think if I were in her shoes, I would have at least rounded my half of the bill up to give me my £7!!
I know it's only money, and it's worth less than friendship, and I need the practice but if I put my foot down, I know she wouldn't have her nails done any more.
What do you do? :irked:

 

[fifitrix]

Absolutely 100% agree with the above. I'm still charging model rates and on the one hand you have the friend who always coughs up and even pays extra sometimes (Like a tip!), and the other always seems to forget the money, or pays me half the money, promising to get the other half to me the next day. Next thing you know, she's broken a nail, she comes round first thing in the morning, with no phone call, expecting me to repair it for free.
I remember doing her 1st rebalance, she still hadn't paid me for the original full set (£10), and I charge £6 for a rebalance. At the end, she says to me, 'oh I've only got £9 on in my purse', and I remind her she's still not paid me for the appointment THREE WEEKS previously, so she says, 'oh well, I'll buy you some cocktails tonight (we were going out), which she never did, infact when the bill came, SHE was the one who sat down with the calculator on her phone working out exactly who owed what when I think if I were in her shoes, I would have at least rounded my half of the bill up to give me my £7!!
I know it's only money, and it's worth less than friendship, and I need the practice but if I put my foot down, I know she wouldn't have her nails done any more.
What do you do? :irked:

Hi Hannah, I think that you have to box clever with this kind of situation hun, I know that friendship is more valuable than money but at then end of the day your friend is taking the "P" and you don't expect that of friends.

What I would perhaps do if I was you, would be to suggest to your friend in a nice way, how would she feel if she was asked to her job and not get paid for it. I bet her horrified look would say it all. If your friend worked in say a supermarket and you went to her checkout, could you pack it all up and says thanks for that pal and leave without paying? Ok, slight exaggeration here but when you think about it it boils down to the same thing hun. They have to know that it costs you money in product and time to do their nails. hth:hug:

 

[~Emmsybabes~]

i feel really silly as its only money at the end of the day but its stressing me out.

tigi

If you are anything like me mate, it won't be the fact that they haven't paid you the money that is getting right on your nerves, It is the fact that they are taking the p!55 out of you, and it makes you feel used...
I have the same problem and It is a horrible feeling...

Then I have had friends who I would never in a million years charge yet I have found a hidden 10 pound note when they have gone home...


Be firm.... definately be firm, It toughens you up though, I have been walked over a good few times, and bent the ear off my boyfriend many a time before I actually stood up for myself .....
The thing I found odd.... is how these people have a way of making you feel REEEALLY uncomfortable, cheeky even, for asking for money you are owed..

 

[Nettie]

Once you have a done a freebie it'll be expected again and again. It's a tricky one this. I was once told to start as I mean to go on and I did. When my friends first asked if I could do their nails or a pedicure or whatever, I simply said yes and then told them the price. It was up to them if booked an appointment. However, as you have already done the freebie thing, next time they want a treatment from you, I would say "yes, I'll see when I can fit you in for an appointment. It's £xx, blar blar". In other words, treat them exactly the same as you would a paying client. They'll soon get the hint. Good luck.

 

[akaza]

I agree with the other geeks...

I also had this problem when I first opened up my salon at home. I gave mates rates to family and friends and it went for too long...I then had to explain to all of them that I couldnt support my business giving out mates rates all the time, and explained I have a business to make money!


I also told them that I would be charging full price and that if they were happy with the work that I was doing, then they should be happy to pay full price or go elsewhere! All my friends and family respected that and still come to me (under no obligation) to get their nails done.

Some people may think that thats being tight, not even giving family mates rates, but even family can take advantage of you! In my eyes, you cant give someone mates rates and not the other.

 

[remember_nomore]

This is so redundant to agree with everyone but to hear it from another person again will help as well.

There are two people that I don't charge. My mother in law who drives me anywhere I need and whenever I ask. And my Aunt. She is my guinnypig when I come up with a 'strange' idea or anything else hairbrained.

Everyone else is 50% off while I'm in school getting my skin care licence. When I'm out and working it's 25% off and they very well good and know that if they don't like it, I have names and address' to other salons if they'd like.

*cheeky* Then again I have over 150 custom acrylic colors that they aren't going to find at the other salons as well.

 

[Superkaz]

Does not sound like real friends to me.

Be honest now and avoid being walked over.

 

[Shards]

I intend on having 2 freebie/cheepie spots a week available for friends.. so when they ring up for their nails you can either say sorry the 2 free spots are taken if you have done a couple already..

That way they will understand that you are running a business. You can then drop it down to one spot a week or up if you have time and inclination.:irked:

 

[tigi]

Thank you everyone for your words of support. I have given this some thought and have decided to deal with the non payers in the same way. I have decided to say that I am sorry, I cant do their nails anymore as i cant afford forking out for the fuel, the products, and the time anymore.

If they then offer to pay I think I will just decline gently. I would never not pay for anything i had from them, so i think its time to separate work and friends. I will only be doing my other lot of mates who have always paid from day one.

Its a sad situation but its leaving a bad taste in my mouth and i think for the sake of the friendships, i wont be their nail tech anymore.

maybe then in a few months time when i hopefully have premises if they want to book in then I will consider it depending on how busy i am.

I am also going to a mates price list of all my services and give that one to my friends who have always paid along with my standard price list so that they can see how litle they are paying for their services, that way, when or if i need to raise my prices a little with them, they will be aware that they are getting their treatments for a greatly reduced rate.

thank you all again

tigi