Has anyone started charging less for Minx services?

[Pooh8bear]

I don't use Minx but is there a trade mark saying Minx on the back (or some way clients can check) that you could tell clients to look for, they know there are copies of everything these days we need to tell them what to look for to make sure they are getting what they pay for.They do think Minx is what they are paying for...

Premises be had up for selling products that are not what they state?

 

[Feline]

I have recently started offering Minx at £20 for fingers and £25 for toes

So far so good and everyone who has seen Minx on my nails has been my advertising so far- its done well!

There is no way on the planet I would charge less. It is an eye catching, fabulous nail service which is well worth the money from the clients perspective.

Think how awesome it is to be able to customise your nails to your outfit or hair, theme night etc?

 

[Seraphine]

Although I know a lot of people will disagree with me, I'm going to do a summer special for Minx at £20. There's no way in heck I will go less than that, even if every salon in a 10 mile radius is offering them for £10... I just can't compete being that much higher than the majority of the salons around here.

The thing is, once I get customers at my desk, I can talk about quality products, and how the cheaper knock-offs just aren't Minx, etc. I have a very good return rate and I get a lot of referrals so I know people are happy with my work, but it's the people that see me offering a service at £25 when all the competition is offering it for £15... they usually decide to go to the cheaper places.

It's a shame that clients don't care about insufficient prep, or the "extras" (like using a foot file and tidying up the heels, and a bit of foot lotion - things that take just a few minutes more but leave the feet looking fantastic and the client feeling satisfied that they got what they paid for). What's the use of having dazzing toenails if the rest of the foot looks manky?

We'll see how it goes - I'll do it for a month or so, and re-evaluate. I'm good at the "upsell" once I have people at my table - they see my nails, and I'm always talking up how much people are loving Shellac and how there's lots of new options now for pretty nails. My other prices seem to be right for the area, but this one seemed to be sticking out. I'm also extremely frugal and can get lots of sets out of one sheet... every wee bit is saved and used somehow.

If I were in an urban salon, it would make a difference as well. I work in a small village, with a fairly low economic profile. There are very few people who could afford £40 for acrylics or Minx, but the prices I've set have kept lots of people coming to me and yet I don't feel like I'm giving sets away for free.

Thanks everyone, for chiming in and helping me through this. It's lovely to have some support!

 

[celebalook]

Hi
sorry to jump in, i personally only use minx. Have tried others but not impressed. Not many prople in my area have heard of minx so i am out there putting it about and have a lot of interest and also have some paying customers (yippee) about time i charged for my quality service.
Just a question:
If i were to do a full pedicure/manicure with minx
i would do soak, clip and file
cuticle work
exfoliate/rasp
? paraffin wax/heated mitts
then prep nail with scrubfresh
minx then finish with massage/moisturiser (to prevent oil residue on the nail plate before applying minx.

Trail and error for me at the minute as only shown the basics of applying minx at Ellisons, didn't cover mai/pedi luxury etc suppose that is just common sense and experience.
any advice welcomed
thanks:biggrin:

would the minx lift if i use parrafin wax?

 

[audreyduff]

I charge £20 and always have, and because there are a few nail techs in my area and they all charge £20 apart from 1 who annoys me! But she's doing it on a part time basis at night when she's finished work not As her main job like me and I despise it when people say oh do you know such and such does it cheaper than you! Also clients ask me how much it costs me to buy the minx that annoys me because it's Like they are trying to figure out how much it would be for them to do them! But I do stress that you can't just go into sallys and buy minx Luke trendy nails (which I don't Like or use), the offer I've always done with minx though is it's £20 for one client but if there are 2 or more it's only £15 each and 8 times out of 10 I get 2 or 3 clients at once, better for me and them! X

 

[Tinaballerina]

I think £20 - £25 is a fair price, this is what I'll be charging when I order my goodie bag from sweet squared CAN'T WAIT!

It really makes me angry when people say "Minx" nails when they don't actually use minx... I saw a lady on facebook the other day who states she uses minx and has photos up however these are definatly trendy wraps! if your not going to go for the best then at least be honest with what you do use! I'm sure she also uses another brand of gel polish but calls it shellac but I can't be sure on this one!

Nothing against trendy wraps as Im sure some therapists love them, but poor me on my training it took me ages to put them on and the other girls were using minx and were much quicker than me! I then tried minx and was soo much quicker! x

 

[Mets]

I'm a mobile nail tech in London and charge FROM £35. This might sound a lot but 1. have to cover the cost of my travel etc and 2. I truly believe that Minx is a premium product. Premium product = premium prices! When I first started out as a mobile nail tech, to gain practice I charged £15 for about 2 weeks, got confident in doing Minx etc and then raised prices to £25 as an introduction and then officially launched myself/site and started charging £35.

I was lucky enough to meet the Minx CEOs who helped me gain a greater appreciation and understanding for Minx. Minx is "high fashion" and it's not for everyone, in that I mean as a premium product (or "Gucci of nails" as I like to put it) people will save up for an exceptional Minx treatment knowing they are getting an expert Minx nail tech. The CEOs even went so far as to saying I charge too less and should be charging £55! We compromised at £45 but I charge from £35 for some designs that are not so popular/that I want to get rid of. Minx is the sort of product that people will save for if they really want it - and you have to market it in such a way that people understand it's a luxury brand and you are an expert in this field. Of course regional prices vary though.

It's like a haircut, sure you can goto the place down the road that does it for £10 or you can get the same(ish but BETTER) haircut from a top hair stylist/style director and pay more.

My advice would be to market/advertise your Minx service so that people understand why they are paying the premium. I definitely would not drop your price because what will you do when the other techs/salons drop theirs again? Keep dropping? Hold your ground! Minx is the ORIGINAL and BEST and trust me, when you gain a good reputation as being the best customers will come to you no matter what.

As an alternative, you may also want to think about "adding-on" services to your Minx treatment so it's not exactly like for like - e.g. service includes luxurious moisturising massage etc, a complimentary virgin cocktail etc, something extra special. This will definitely add value to your Minx service! You could also do discounted group bookings/parties or "bring a friend" discounts on Minx.

Hope this helps keep the confidence, don't devalue your work, you work hard and Minx works hard to build up a fantastic reputation so keep at it and you will be fine!

 

[Seraphine]

I'm a mobile nail tech in London and charge FROM £35. This might sound a lot but 1. have to cover the cost of my travel etc and 2. I truly believe that Minx is a premium product. Premium product = premium prices! When I first started out as a mobile nail tech, to gain practice I charged £15 for about 2 weeks, got confident in doing Minx etc and then raised prices to £25 as an introduction and then officially launched myself/site and started charging £35.

I was lucky enough to meet the Minx CEOs who helped me gain a greater appreciation and understanding for Minx. Minx is "high fashion" and it's not for everyone, in that I mean as a premium product (or "Gucci of nails" as I like to put it) people will save up for an exceptional Minx treatment knowing they are getting an expert Minx nail tech. The CEOs even went so far as to saying I charge too less and should be charging £55! We compromised at £45 but I charge from £35 for some designs that are not so popular/that I want to get rid of. Minx is the sort of product that people will save for if they really want it - and you have to market it in such a way that people understand it's a luxury brand and you are an expert in this field. Of course regional prices vary though.

It's like a haircut, sure you can goto the place down the road that does it for £10 or you can get the same(ish but BETTER) haircut from a top hair stylist/style director and pay more.

My advice would be to market/advertise your Minx service so that people understand why they are paying the premium. I definitely would not drop your price because what will you do when the other techs/salons drop theirs again? Keep dropping? Hold your ground! Minx is the ORIGINAL and BEST and trust me, when you gain a good reputation as being the best customers will come to you no matter what.

As an alternative, you may also want to think about "adding-on" services to your Minx treatment so it's not exactly like for like - e.g. service includes luxurious moisturising massage etc, a complimentary virgin cocktail etc, something extra special. This will definitely add value to your Minx service! You could also do discounted group bookings/parties or "bring a friend" discounts on Minx.

Hope this helps keep the confidence, don't devalue your work, you work hard and Minx works hard to build up a fantastic reputation so keep at it and you will be fine!

If I lived in London, I'd charge that much too (I mean this in the most sincere way - please don't read it as a criticism ) You live in a major metropolitan centre, with the heart of the fashion world beating in the middle of it, not to mention that it's an extremely expensive place to live and travel (parking and congestion charges cost a fortune!). Salaries are higher, and prices are higher.

I live in a village of 8,000, in a small Scottish county. People here still like to treat themselves, but a hotbed of fashion it isn't. Still, I was offering Minx 3 years ago, as soon as they came out because I knew they were a fantastic idea and I knew there was a market for it. Here, £25 is a splurge for a lot of women, and I know a lot of my clients have to save a while to be able to come to me as it is. I'm hitting prom season, so the lower price may get a few of the teenagers in the door... once they get here, I'll win them over.

I like the idea of playing up the fact that my Minx treatments include massage and dry skin treatments, and that you get a great service with the genuine article. I'll do this special for a while (seeing as our summer is impossibly short anyway) and then push this angle harder. The "bring a friend" idea is a good one too.

I'll hold my head high, and keep doing good work, but I know you all find it as frustrating as I do that we are even put in this position.

 

[MrsP]

Hear Hear!
Take some pride in your work and your skill and charge what you are worth!!:biggrin:

Customers who put price first will ALWAYS put price first. I have always charged £25 for Minx. They come to me for the skill, privacy and personal attention.

Same with Shellac - I charge £25 and someone elses charges £15. One lady travels 20 miles to come to me even though someone charging £15 is 2 doors away!

Come on ladies!! We're worth it!!!:Love:

 

[liza smith]

Definatly never a good idea to lower prices that arent too high in the 1st place.
As an educator for Minx, Im experiencing a huge surge in enquiries for Minx training, even from non qualified people
The trouble is, when something hits the public awareness, as Minx has done big time, there will always be the element of " I can do that cheaper"
I have had lots of comments from students while watching me demo Minx regarding the service they had received when they had Minx done as part of their research.
eg. No prep at ALL
Hairdriers used
no pre tailoring the minx BEFORE application.etc

A lot of nail techs have watched minx appl on youtube and are applying it in a very outdated way.

The application technique has been tweaked over the last 3 years and the CND educators have been priviledged to meet the Minx girls regularly who update us on all things Minx.

Attend official Minx training, its only an hr, do proper prep, do a fabulous job and charge accordingly.

We charge £30-38 for Minx and no one quibbles the price.

go get em!

 

[persianista]

If I lived in London, I'd charge that much too (I mean this in the most sincere way - please don't read it as a criticism ) You live in a major metropolitan centre, with the heart of the fashion world beating in the middle of it, not to mention that it's an extremely expensive place to live and travel (parking and congestion charges cost a fortune!). Salaries are higher, and prices are higher.

I live in a village of 8,000, in a small Scottish county. People here still like to treat themselves, but a hotbed of fashion it isn't. Still, I was offering Minx 3 years ago, as soon as they came out because I knew they were a fantastic idea and I knew there was a market for it. Here, £25 is a splurge for a lot of women, and I know a lot of my clients have to save a while to be able to come to me as it is. I'm hitting prom season, so the lower price may get a few of the teenagers in the door... once they get here, I'll win them over.

I like the idea of playing up the fact that my Minx treatments include massage and dry skin treatments, and that you get a great service with the genuine article. I'll do this special for a while (seeing as our summer is impossibly short anyway) and then push this angle harder. The "bring a friend" idea is a good one too.

I'll hold my head high, and keep doing good work, but I know you all find it as frustrating as I do that we are even put in this position.

I must admit, I am always surprised on here at how much people outside London worry about price. A £20 tip is not uncommon for me to receive.
It must be frustrating trying to charge a living wage in other parts of the country if £25 is a lot of money to your clients. Down here, it would buy you an ok lunch.
People working at a loss (£10 mobile for minx, or in a salon is making a loss) is worrying for our industry. It risks nails becoming the sole preserve of benefit bandits and imported slaves. The minimum wage in this country is around the £6 an hour mark. Isn't it about time clients stopped trying to pay less than this? From a moral standpoint I find it appalling.

 

[milliondollars]

People working at a loss (£10 mobile for minx, or in a salon is making a loss) is worrying for our industry. It risks nails becoming the sole preserve of benefit bandits and imported slaves. The minimum wage in this country is around the £6 an hour mark. Isn't it about time clients stopped trying to pay less than this? From a moral standpoint I find it appalling.

Agreed, I have seen all types of beauty treatments become cheaper and cheaper, and some off the salons are using good quality products!
It's so hard when you know you are doing a fantastic service,yet are getting undercut again and again! My waxing prices have dropped by about 30% over the last couple of years, and that's with the VAT increase!! I had to as I was being undercut and losing business. I'm not talking about college leavers doing wax's cheaply for practice but reputable salons using Perron rigot or similar! Same with minx, it is just getting cheaper and cheaper till you are barely covering costs and making a few pounds for yourself...
I'm hoping that it is part of the recession and we can ride it out till things improve. I have some loyal clients who I know will stick with me but I still feel guilty when other salons are using the same products for much cheaper. All i can hope is that they won't be able to do it for long!
It's tough not lowering your prices to compete when there are still plenty of beauty and hairdressing salons opening up on every corner, and though I know I'm keeping my standards high, it isn't very comforting when I see my appointment books!
Brighton used to be a very affluent place, even comparing to London prices we were not far off, but a huge influx of cheap MMA nail bars and opening beauty salons on every corner has really affected the businesses.
So sad.

 

[Seraphine]

I must admit, I am always surprised on here at how much people outside London worry about price. A £20 tip is not uncommon for me to receive.
It must be frustrating trying to charge a living wage in other parts of the country if £25 is a lot of money to your clients. Down here, it would buy you an ok lunch.
People working at a loss (£10 mobile for minx, or in a salon is making a loss) is worrying for our industry. It risks nails becoming the sole preserve of benefit bandits and imported slaves. The minimum wage in this country is around the £6 an hour mark. Isn't it about time clients stopped trying to pay less than this? From a moral standpoint I find it appalling.

A £20 tip!? Wow! I think I'd faint if I ever got anything more than a fiver... we are definately working in difference socioeconomic areas! (I rarely get tipped, even if the praise in the work is effusive).

Persianista, thanks for hearing me about the difference though. I don't want people to read me talking about lowering prices and think that I'm ruining the business for everyone else. The idea of charging high and keeping an elite collection of clients is admirable, but I just don't have that many people to target in that bracket. People here are on tight budgets - a lot of stay-at-home-mums who's husbands work in the city, lots of pensioners on fixed income, ladies who save up to have their nails done before their one holiday a year... these are my clients. When you earn £11,000 a year, or are trying to save money on childcare by not working and relying on one income, every penny counts. And a lot of the time, nails are certainly not a priority. I do have a handful of clients who have more disposable income, but they are a minority.

My pricing (as low as it is compared to city standards) still is a lot higher than some competition and it has kept a certain element of client from making appointments. You know the types - the ones that want everything on the cheap, and want a discount AFTER the service has been performed... nah, I don't need the aggravation!


I'm worried for the industry as well, because of the "cheapening" of the services. I keep seeing low price nail bars cropping up around here and while I know people who try my services will keep coming, I have to deal with people who've been forever turned off nail services because of a bad experience in a NSS. It's a daily fight.

 

[Mets]

A £20 tip!? Wow! I think I'd faint if I ever got anything more than a fiver... we are definately working in difference socioeconomic areas! (I rarely get tipped, even if the praise in the work is effusive).

Persianista, thanks for hearing me about the difference though. I don't want people to read me talking about lowering prices and think that I'm ruining the business for everyone else. The idea of charging high and keeping an elite collection of clients is admirable, but I just don't have that many people to target in that bracket. People here are on tight budgets - a lot of stay-at-home-mums who's husbands work in the city, lots of pensioners on fixed income, ladies who save up to have their nails done before their one holiday a year... these are my clients. When you earn £11,000 a year, or are trying to save money on childcare by not working and relying on one income, every penny counts. And a lot of the time, nails are certainly not a priority. I do have a handful of clients who have more disposable income, but they are a minority.

My pricing (as low as it is compared to city standards) still is a lot higher than some competition and it has kept a certain element of client from making appointments. You know the types - the ones that want everything on the cheap, and want a discount AFTER the service has been performed... nah, I don't need the aggravation!


I'm worried for the industry as well, because of the "cheapening" of the services. I keep seeing low price nail bars cropping up around here and while I know people who try my services will keep coming, I have to deal with people who've been forever turned off nail services because of a bad experience in a NSS. It's a daily fight.

Hey Seraphine, I definitely understand that it's all about location, us down in London/ or in metropolitan areas can charge more as people are willing to pay that and everything is relative. If what you charge is at the higher end of what they charge in your area then that's great, the point of my main post (although I did babble for ages!) was don't be scared of what you're charging and don't reduce your prices in response to competition - it won't do you any good in the long run business-wise.

I just don't see how people who are charging stupid prices for Minx are even making a living and to be honest, they probably won't be around for long operating like that. You mentioned it's nearly prom season so maybe some princess prom parties or something like that would get girls through the door :biggrin: and maybe you could give them a free gift (mini CND Solar Oil to take away) to make them feel really special and fall in love with your service.

Good luck with it all, let us know how it goes!

 

[blush09]

im rounding mine up from 23 to 25 from june .. and will run special offers when i get quiet with it
local salon charges 35 but very plush so in line with their overheads i guess