Prices for services that aren't that popular?

[AshLovesTanning]

Hi girls,

Just wondering how much you charge for spray tans, gel nails or services in general that arent so popular anymore to get clients in?

I have seen my local salon charge €30 for a full set of gel nails and a salon in Dublin City centre charge €55, I know its also location, but people aren't going to pay more if they can pay less?

 

[AcidPerm]

Not everyone chooses services based solely on cheapest price. It depends on a person’s priorities.

My clients generally hate going to a salon for various reasons: they dislike the noisy salon atmosphere, being seen by passers by, the music being played, inane chat, being passed to a Junior for the shampoo/blow dry, no children or dogs pottering about etc.
They want anonymity and 1:1 service without distractions and they are perfectly happy to pay more to get that level of service.

If everyone wanted cheap, there wouldn’t be M&S food halls, Waitrose, Fortnums etc. People like to have choices.

 

[salonfrog]

Not everyone chooses services based solely on cheapest price. It depends on a person’s priorities.

My clients generally hate going to a salon for various reasons: they dislike the noisy salon atmosphere, being seen by passers by, the music being played, inane chat, being passed to a Junior for the shampoo/blow dry, no children or dogs pottering about etc.
They want anonymity and 1:1 service without distractions and they are perfectly happy to pay more to get that level of service.

If everyone wanted cheap, there wouldn’t be M&S food halls, Waitrose, Fortnums etc. People like to have choices.

Very wise words!

 

[AshLovesTanning]

Not everyone chooses services based solely on cheapest price. It depends on a person’s priorities.

My clients generally hate going to a salon for various reasons: they dislike the noisy salon atmosphere, being seen by passers by, the music being played, inane chat, being passed to a Junior for the shampoo/blow dry, no children or dogs pottering about etc.
They want anonymity and 1:1 service without distractions and they are perfectly happy to pay more to get that level of service.

If everyone wanted cheap, there wouldn’t be M&S food halls, Waitrose, Fortnums etc. People like to have choices.

While I agree with you, I feel in this current financial economy, people are looking for quality but at a good price. People can't afford to be paying 40% or more on tax from there pay check and still going to the expensive salon. My local salon charges €30 for gel nails and they a wonderful job, while the salon that charge €55 do the same work, my nails are of the same quality. As a hairdresser and you are a hairdresser also, we both know the quality and cost of colour for example, and yet see a high end salon charge €150 for a tint and cut when your local salon using the same brand charges €80...

These things makes clients think we would I pay a higher price for the same service with the same products. People are more aware of their spending more now than ever.

I was watching a programme a while ago about M&S and I think asda going head to head for customers, but M&S lost out, and honestly there were around 15 M&S locations in Dublin but now there's around 9.

Sorry for the long message

 

[AcidPerm]

It is a numbers game but if you’re charging almost double, you only need to attract half of the clients to cover the same amount of takings. You also save on wages costs and other associated costs.

To take €1000 a day:

salon A charging €55 has to attract 19 clients a day.
4 staff can cover the services.

Salon B charging €30 needs to have 34 clients
7 staff are needed.

Clients will pay higher prices if they feel they’re getting good value. That’s where good marketing comes in.

 

[UK Beauty]

If they're not that popular, why waste money on products for treatments that don't make you anything? Take them off your treatment menu and concentrate on the stuff people are actually booking and asking for.

 

[AshLovesTanning]

It is a numbers game but if you’re charging almost double, you only need to attract half of the clients to cover the same amount of takings. You also save on wages costs and other associated costs.

To take €1000 a day:

salon A charging €55 has to attract 19 clients a day.
4 staff can cover the services.

Salon B charging €30 needs to have 34 clients
7 staff are needed.

Clients will pay higher prices if they feel they’re getting good value. That’s where good marketing comes in.

Well they would have to pay higher rent as well, Its really hair that is more expensive than beauty treatments, where I live anyway, i could get a spray tan and full set of gel nails for €40 were as a wash, cut and blow dry would cost €40.

One of my clients I charge €70 for a tint and cut, and I was on holiday 2 weeks ago when she needed it done so she went to the local salon and charged €100 and she said she wasn't happy with it she wished she had of waited. So I suppose clients really go where they want rather than choosing quality, and I use L'Oréal as does the other salon.

 

[AshLovesTanning]

If they're not that popular, why waste money on products for treatments that don't make you anything? Take them off your treatment menu and concentrate on the stuff people are actually booking and asking for.

Well I still offer them but I feel like the market is flooded with a new tan every month, like the girl who does my nails, she doesn't offer gel anymore becuase she said she was charging €50 and there are so many girls that do a 2 day gel nail course and charge €30 or less and she felt like it just wasn't right as she trained hard and for years to offer nails and then courses are now offering them to anyone, instead of people who are in the industry, it's belittling to see someone who has worked so hard for their trade to be flooded with people who did a 2 day course offering the same service for half the price.

 

[RED STAR]

Training is where the money is - and I believe this to be one of the biggest problems for our industry.
I really object to the one/two day courses which allow - ‘no previous experience necessary’!
I’ve been on courses where other students have not taken anything seriously, mucked around and then told the educator they needed to leave early to collect their kids from school!
I have clients working for corporate companies now offering nails/spray tans/hairdressing...... for ‘a bit of extra money’ on top of their salaries after watching a few ‘YouTube’ videos.....
Our industry had been de-valued
I have just taken on a Saturday assistant, 16 years old and 5 weeks into her ‘full time’ college course - Media Hair & makeup.
Apparently she is about to start her level 3!
How on earth does that work.
For the last 2 weeks, the tutor has been off sick and they have had a cover who has no experience of the industry.

 

[House Beauty]

Hi girls,

Just wondering how much you charge for spray tans, gel nails or services in general that arent so popular anymore to get clients in?

I have seen my local salon charge €30 for a full set of gel nails and a salon in Dublin City centre charge €55, I know its also location, but people aren't going to pay more if they can pay less?

I would pay more rather than less. Less price means less cost so cheaper products (or not, in which case they are stupid).

Revenue is vanity, profit is sanity.

There will always be someone dipping their hands into a bargain bucket exclaiming at the price and there will always be someone looking at them and exclaiming how cheap and tatty they look dipping their hand in the bargain bucket. Basically, your price will dictate the type of people you get visiting.

Cheap = bargain hunters

Expensive = people with money

The right price for your salon, time and products = The right person believes it is an acceptable price point and they can afford it.

As for ‘people won’t pay more if they can pay less’ you will find that only applies to people who have less. I couldn’t think of anything worse than going to a cheap salon and being surrounded by screaming kids and cheap nail polish. I’d pay thrice that for a spa to be alone in a room with decent nail polish on my toes.

It’s up to you what you want your clients to see you as

 

[kezza*]

I would pay more rather than less. Less price means less cost so cheaper products (or not, in which case they are stupid).

Revenue is vanity, profit is sanity.

There will always be someone dipping their hands into a bargain bucket exclaiming at the price and there will always be someone looking at them and exclaiming how cheap and tatty they look dipping their hand in the bargain bucket. Basically, your price will dictate the type of people you get visiting.

Cheap = bargain hunters

Expensive = people with money

The right price for your salon, time and products = The right person believes it is an acceptable price point and they can afford it.

As for ‘people won’t pay more if they can pay less’ you will find that only applies to people who have less. I couldn’t think of anything worse than going to a cheap salon and being surrounded by screaming kids and cheap nail polish. I’d pay thrice that for a spa to be alone in a room with decent nail polish on my toes.

It’s up to you what you want your clients to see you as

I wish this was true in my area! Unfortunately a set of acrylics are around £25 maximum in our area I’m £33 and we do every little because the price! People are looking for the cheapest in everything at the moment.

 

[AcidPerm]

Marketing is key!
Social media advertising is great but it’s not a one size fits all solution.

For instance, not a single client of mine would ever use Facebook bargain ads to find a therapist/hairdresser/nail tech. All my clients are older clients (40+) and come to me through personal recommendation. The clients who also have gel nails go to the fancy expensive beauty salon in town because it’s a luxury treatment that they feel they’re entitled to and they enjoy.
They buy their clothes from little boutique clothes shops not Next or M&S.
They treat themselves to nice meals out in good restaurants rather than ordering in a take-away.

These are the clients you should be looking for.

 

[AcidPerm]

One of my clients I charge €70 for a tint and cut, and I was on holiday 2 weeks ago when she needed it done so she went to the local salon and charged €100 and she said she wasn't happy with it she wished she had of waited. So I suppose clients really go where they want rather than choosing quality, and I use L'Oréal as does the other salon.

I think she stays with you because she likes what you do and appreciates your skills.
She was willing to pay €100 at the local salon because she assumed a higher price than you’re charging her = high quality standard of work.

If she was purely a bargain hunter, she could have sought out a cheaper mobile hairdresser via online ads to tide her over whilst you were away but she has standards she wants to maintain, hence not wanting to leave her hair for too long.