How do you handle friends/family who won't pay? And in home service menu prices?

[jspamps]

Newbie here!

I came here in search of some advice from other stylists on a real troubling issue for me.

As a licensed stylist for 5 years now, I'm still having a difficult time with friends and family alike always skipping out on their bill with me

When I first was in cosmetology, I was happy to give friends and family heavily discounted services while I was learning - I felt guilty charging them a full price for something I was still learning to do. However, even after I graduated... they continued to expect this discount. I have worked at 2 professional salons since graduation and friends/family still did not visit them for services because they knew they would have to pay.

However, after 3 years in professional salons I went on maternity leave and decided that I would then be doing hair out of my home. As if it wasn't bad enough before, now friends and family just expect completely free haircuts/colors/highlights. I am still taking continuing education, I am still furthering my education constantly and believe me... I am not getting rusty at all. I feel very taken advantage of and I'm not exactly sure how to handle this anymore. I'm at the point where I have had to basically tell everyone that I'm no longer doing hair -- because I simply can not AFFORD to do their hair!

It's still my job, they're getting an amazing service from me and they walk out absolutely loving it... but they don't understand that they need to pay me for it. I don't have a problem giving a discount, but when someone offers me $10 for a full color/cut/highlight/blowdry/updo... I feel like it's a total slap in the face. In the next breath they will talk about going to a salon in town and spending $150 on their hair if I can't fit them in, yet they won't pay me even half of that.

I'm also currently working on getting together an official "home salon menu" of prices and I was looking for some input from other stylists on what would be a fair price - for both clients and for me? I'm going to be trying to enforce this heavily and I still want to have attractive pricing but I can't go broke while doing it :/

Thank you in advance for your input,
A Frustrated Stylist

 

[Ragdolz]

In the future when they call to schedule an appointment with you just mention the cost of the service when setting up the time, "I'll see you at 2:00 on Tuesday, and it will be $30.00 for the haircut". If they complain just remind them that you need to earn a living just like them, this is your job. Trust me, they expect to get paid for doing theirs.

 

[jade_brooke]

It's always a tough one with family and friends, I always do my mums for free (she does pay for her tub of bleach and her toners and I just keep it aside for her use only) and I do all my siblings cuts for free, I don't have a problem doing this as they are family and a cut costs me nothing and I do it when I'm going around there anyway, but friends I do charge almost full price for I normally nock around £10 off, but with you being mobile your turning clients away for $10 which isn't on, id just explain to them all the cost that they would be paying in salon and the reasons they charge so much, to cover products, time, skill, a wage, and that unless they start paying you more you will no longer be doing it as it's costing YOU! Good luck! x

 

[jacquelineanna]

You need to be in control of yourself and your business - it seems clear that these people put no monetary value on what you do.

You have to get tough or you will soon have to stop working before you find yourself in a financial deficit. The idea is not that you almost pay them to be your clients.

All the offenders need to be made aware that with immediate effect all appointments will start with payment up front.

If they rock up without their purse, or they don't get paid 'til the end of the month - too bad, they will have to wait.

Set your prices and do not sell yourself short. If you are good then charge what you are worth. If you are not so good then set them lower.

Advise all these friends and family that as well as payment before you even turn the water on, they will receive 10% off your prices - if you want to give them a discount at all that is!

Grit your teeth and force yourself to tell them one by one your new payment structure - you only have to do it once.

There will only be one loser if you don't change things and stick to it, unless you enjoy working for three hours for $10.00????

Good luck xx

 

[Baggybear]

You need to start acting like you are employed by your business and not the boss(I know you are the boss, but if you act like your employed it's easier to insist on being payed as the boss would be on your case for non payment). :Love:

I'd either be asking them for the money owed from their last appointment before taking any more bookings from them or insisting on payment (and the amount owed to be decided by you NOT them) before the service starts so your not left out of pocket & can limit the treatments you do if they don't have enough money with them (stop allowing them to do this & they will respect you more - even if they stop coming to you).

So when they ring or ask you for an appointment tell them you will check your diary and then say "I see you still owe me $xx from your last appointment so if you would settle that then I can book you in" OR "I have an appointment on Tues at 1pm & that will be $xx & payment will be required at the start of the appointment".

If you don't get tough they will continue to walk over you as your allowing them to do so. Your business needs you to get tough so smile and insiist on that money upfront from all the guilty culprits & any that won't pay, don't get their treatments - simple.

 

[J33XSS]

I would send a standard message to all your friends and family along the lines of 'Hi Guys, just to make you all aware that I have put together a friends and family price list - it's discounted from my normal prices for clients here it is - let me know if you'd like to book anything in:
Hair cut - £xx
Colour - £xx etc'
that way it still sounds chilled out and not like they're clients, but they know exactly what they have to pay x

 

[jspamps]

Thank you all for your help and input!

It has truly gotten to the point where doing my sister in law's hair has ended up COSTING me money for the last 2 years. I do roots, full head of balayage ombre highlights, cut and blow dry for $30 (when I'm lucky) and I'm the one buying the products as well. And I usually do all of this before she leaves to go on vacation (to an all inclusive resort, mind you). When I recently turned her away during our move, she went to a local salon without blinking an eye and spent $150 for less services.

I've also had very close friends beg me to "fit them in" before vacations and then just hug me and leave while I sweep. And when I look for money on the counter or ask my husband if they gave him any, he says no and I feel about an inch tall It just really makes me feel a little worthless like "Am I really not worth a penny? Do I not do a good job?" and it makes me question myself. But on the other hand, the salons that I used to work at are still asking me to come back and holding chairs for me... I'm just unable to go back to work currently because of child care conflicts and the fact that I want to stay at home with my daughter because she's only this small once

WHOO - Thank you for letting me vent!

I know that I ultimately need to just put on my big girl panties and stand up for myself with EVERYONE.

I do have a StyleSeat account that I used in the salon and I've been thinking about updating it with a current pricing menu for services out of my home and posting that on my Facebook page with a little explanation about the pricing in hopes that my point will come across. I've also considered drawing up a pricing menu in Photoshop and posting that on my Facebook. Hopefully if I do one of these, it will elicit the proper response and not a "but I don't have to pay that, right?"

Again, thank you all!! And thanks for letting me vent to my fellow hairdressers!

 

[jacquelineanna]

Good girl! But -

- it's not enough to hope they get the message ... you have to tell them or text them or email them but you have to spell it out.

Freebies are over, you are making no money, you are in business and everyone must pay.

Stand as equally tall as your 'clients' .. you are not beneath them and you are certainly not going to stay at one inch tall!

Good luck xxx

 

[adamlea87]

As you have found, once you start doing your friends hair cheaply as a favour they will come to expect it and you end up resenting doing it.

As others have said they have to respect that it is your business. How would they like it if you asked them to work for you for a reduced price? If you had a friend that was a cleaner you wouldn't ask her to come and clean your house every month for a few quid. Or if you have a friend that was a chef you wouldn't say "I don't feel like cooking tonight, bring your own ingredients, cook me dinner and I'll give you a fiver".

Sent from my GT-I9505 using SalonGeek mobile app

 

[Elaine Armani]

Stop doing their hair.

You're not a free hair service provider.

Depending on what you choose to do, either charge them just for products or the price you would like to charge them.

I learnt the hard way, I don't care if it's family, to certain members like mum and dad and siblings I wouldn't personally charge but for others I charge or I don't bother because they always end up using you.

 

[persianista]

First off read a good book on assertiveness.
Then follow all the above advice. There's great advice already.
If they still don't want to pay, then don't do their hair. Let them go pay elsewhere.

 

[jspamps]

I should absolutely read a book on assertiveness, I AGREE! I'm always getting walked all over, unfortunately. I'm the queen of passive aggressive.

When I was in beauty school I remember my teachers always telling me "Never give free services, always charge now what you want to charge in the future after you graduate or you'll never get it!" and I was like "No, that won't happen!"... and I guess I should have listened!

I guess that's what happens when you're just too nice, people take advantage.

Thanks again for the help and place to vent, this board is a great find for a stylist like me who doesn't have the salon surrounding anymore

 

[Gruaige_Álainn]

Simply put it to them this way you have more than just yourself to look after (you went on maternity leave yes?) you've your own lil one to take care of so you can't keep doing freebies