Problems with pedicures-what are your thoughts?

[Petit Basque]

Good morning lovely geeks

I have a sort of love/hate relationship with pedicures. On the one hand, I genuninely enjoy doing them but on the other, I don't feel that I can charge what I think they are worth!

It takes me at least 75 - 90 minutes to do a full deluxe pedicure no matter how fast I work. By the time I've cut and filed nails, done cuticle work, foot filed, exfoliated, applied a foot mask, massaged and painted toe nails, it's usually nearer the 90 minutes mark. I charge £30.00 for this but believe it or not, I've got therapists around me charging a lot less!

I just don't understand why no-one seems to charge more for pedicures. When you think of the amount of products, fiddling around and time consuming nail painting it involves, I think I should be charging at least £35.00 - £40.00 but feet just don't seem to attract the same sort of pricing structure as facials despite being twice as much hard work.

It's getting to the point where I am feeling sorely tempted to take them off my price list but have a feeling that I would be shooting myself in the foot (no pun intended!) if I did as they are a popular treatment, especially this time of year. But at the same time, when someone books in for one a large part of me thinks it's just not worth my time and effort for £30.00!

Does anyone else feel the same as me or has any suggestions?? I also really struggle painting toe nails. If people put their foot in my lap then the foot is too close but if I do nails on the pedi-stool then it is too low. I also have arthritis quite badly in my right hand and my thumb in particular gets very stiff and makes it hard for me to hold a nail polish brush easily.

Oh.........HELP please someone!! :sad:

PB
x

 

[ADiva1]

Good morning lovely geeks

I have a sort of love/hate relationship with pedicures. On the one hand, I genuninely enjoy doing them but on the other, I don't feel that I can charge what I think they are worth!

It takes me at least 75 - 90 minutes to do a full deluxe pedicure no matter how fast I work. By the time I've cut and filed nails, done cuticle work, foot filed, exfoliated, applied a foot mask, massaged and painted toe nails, it's usually nearer the 90 minutes mark. I charge £30.00 for this but believe it or not, I've got therapists around me charging a lot less!

I just don't understand why no-one seems to charge more for pedicures. When you think of the amount of products, fiddling around and time consuming nail painting it involves, I think I should be charging at least £35.00 - £40.00 but feet just don't seem to attract the same sort of pricing structure as facials despite being twice as much hard work.

It's getting to the point where I am feeling sorely tempted to take them off my price list but have a feeling that I would be shooting myself in the foot (no pun intended!) if I did as they are a popular treatment, especially this time of year. But at the same time, when someone books in for one a large part of me thinks it's just not worth my time and effort for £30.00!

Does anyone else feel the same as me or has any suggestions?? I also really struggle painting toe nails. If people put their foot in my lap then the foot is too close but if I do nails on the pedi-stool then it is too low. I also have arthritis quite badly in my right hand and my thumb in particular gets very stiff and makes it hard for me to hold a nail polish brush easily.

Oh.........HELP please someone!! :sad:

PB
x

Why don't you try cutting out the mask and just do a standard pedicure for £30.00. Including the mask, the pedicure treatment should be at least £35 - £40.00 as it takes up more of your time.

I think you are right with the prices of pedicures. The majority of us neglect our feet by not removing hard skin, exfoliating or not ever doing any cuticle work; so it is hard work for Therapists to transform some feet.

We live in a customer focussed world, but when people do not take care of their feet, there is only so much you can do in an hour. Just educate them to maintain their feet at home and have regular pedicures every 4 weeks. We are not magicians.

Try hard to your time down to an hour though.....x

 

[neddyteddy]

I must admit I think of mani's and pedi's as indulging my hobby ... The $ are rubbish for the output but gee they look great when I''m done

I find many people go to nail bars now for the quick job and I feel like I have not really lost out as I can't charge enough or compete with the cheap bars. My clients who come for nails are gorgeous and 'get' what I do so I enjoy hanging with them. (weirdo)

 

[Mobile Manicure]

My pedis take 45 to 60 minutes depending on the state of the clients feet. I only charge £20. I do every thing you do and am very thorough but I leave out the foot mask. I've had the same clients for years and years, coming back every month for a pedi. It's an affordable luxury. I can't charge more as I am mobile and my competition charges £18. If I were to charge more I would get less work, I would rather my clients come back every month rather than just before they go on holidays twice a year or so.

 

[PixieBeauty]

Great thread - I'm thinking the same. I already put my prices up by a fiver as I just thought this is not earning me anything! So I am too at £30 for a lux pedi but I think too cheap. I'm yet to test the water and see if it's even popular. I really like the idea by ADiva to cut the mask. Really, the most effective parts surely will feel like the soak, exfoliant and massage. Then aesthetically the polish? I reckon the mask can go (for me).

What about instead of cutting it altogether either cut back the service or put the price up. People don't have to book it, it's there on offer, if they want it at least your getting the right pay for it. And as long as you have a standard pedi in there too you are competing aren't you?

I also read that you need to have a few top end services in your menu to pull the prices up, overall. That way it seems like you are an expensive service but with reasonable treatments in there. I think this is important so you can show customers that you can command higher prices (therefore quality, skilled) but you also have something on offer for all purses. You don't want to appear overall too cheap, IMO.

 

[cloughers]

I only do Gelish now so it's a bit different but it take me 30/40 mins to do toes usually if they aren't too bad to start with! This is what I do:

Spray cleanser
Cuticles/file
Gelish
File hard skin
Massage with cream
Remove cream from around toenails and apply Solar Oil
Spray refreshing foot spray

I'm charging £20 for that and people are really pleased with it. The Gelish lasts for weeks and it doesn't take me hours to do!

 

[EmJZ]

you could offer a few different pedicures

Basic $30
soak
cutt & file
cuticles
Callus
polish

signature $35 +
add the massage and exfoliator

lux $40+
add the massage, exfoliator & mask

that way you can budget better for your time and products and your clients have a choice whether to pay the higher amout or not.

 

[Lush-Lash]

I only do Gelish now so it's a bit different but it take me 30/40 mins to do toes usually if they aren't too bad to start with! This is what I do:

Spray cleanser
Cuticles/file
Gelish
File hard skin
Massage with cream
Remove cream from around toenails and apply Solar Oil
Spray refreshing foot spray

I'm charging £20 for that and people are really pleased with it. The Gelish lasts for weeks and it doesn't take me hours to do!

were do you live? I want mine doing lol sounds great for £20! x

 

[Feline]

My pedi varies between £30 and £35

It includes a nice relaxing soak in the footsie bath, client may choose between Spa Elements, Neals Yard Remedies or Peppermint scented products.

I then go in for the hard skin targeting where I need, ask the client where they feel they need - some times there is no need so I just go over the heel areas gently.

Then for the scrubs, with Spa Elements there are two stages to this, a fine crystal scrub, followed by a butter buffer. With the others there is just one.

Then it is time to do any cuticle work and cutting, dry and go for the massage.

I then use a bit of Mundo Nail Plate Cleanser to remove the oils from the nail plate after masage so that I can apply the base coat, nail polish and top coat.

It takes about an hour, depending on the hard skin.

There are cheaper prices out there, it is very competitive near me for cheap treatments at the moment but I do not let this get me down - think about your worth

 

[jacquelineanna]

Regular pedi is £33.00 and takes 60 minutes

foot spa
cuticles
cut and file nails
hard skin
massage
paint

 

[TheBeautyRoomClinic]

My pedis take 45 to 60 minutes depending on the state of the clients feet. I only charge £20. I do every thing you do and am very thorough but I leave out the foot mask. I've had the same clients for years and years, coming back every month for a pedi. It's an affordable luxury. I can't charge more as I am mobile and my competition charges £18. If I were to charge more I would get less work, I would rather my clients come back every month rather than just before they go on holidays twice a year or so.

i agree, my lux pedi includes file, foot scrub, cutiles, mask & booties, massage foot & leg and then polish takes me 60-70mins £20

Standard pedi includes file, cutiles, massage and polish takes me 45mins and i charge £15

 

[happyfeet]

I charge £20 for classic pedi- soak in pedi bowl, file, cuticle work, foot file, leg and foot massage, polish takes about 45-59 mins.

For my more results driven i do soak, file, cuticle work, sea scrub, sea serum, foot file, leg and foot massage, polish and charge £28 takes about 1hr 15 mins. X x x

 

[Melk]

I take a hr
Soak while making client cuppa 5 mins
Apply cuticle softener
While that's on clip and file nails
Push back cuticle
Exfoliate to knee
Rasp if needed
Massage to knee with moisturizer
Paint nails
Painting nails takes me about 20 to 30 mins allowing for drying in-between coats.
For this we charge $60
I still think that's cheap as time and product used are expensive.
Deluxe we add paraffin for a extra $20 and a half hr extra time.

 

[gmf_x]

Regular pedi is £33.00 and takes 60 minutes

foot spa
cuticles
cut and file nails
hard skin
massage
paint

Hard skin must ALWAYS come before putting the feet in the water!!
If the skin is wet your not getting of the DRY dead skin, you're actually putting the heels in danger of ripping the skin when foot filing wet!
X

 

[besthands]

I charge $30 for a 60min. pedicure. I sanitize, apply cuticle remover, clip but usually just have to file, soak, remove callous with 80-180 grit file. scrub with exfoliating mask let sit for 5 min. clean tools, wipe off scrub, soak for 2 min. scrub feet with scrub gloves. Dry feet apply base, 2coats polish, top coat. Then do massage. After 10 min. massage polish is dry and add oil to cuticles. And im done 6 minutes!!
Most all of my clients are every 4 weeks and just love having smooth, sexy feet! And they never snag, or rip the sheets when getting into bed!! haha

 

[gmf_x]

Are you all fully trained beauticians? Have you all trained properly? Why why why are you all doing foot filing after soaking the feet? It must be one of your first priorities. Sanitize then foot file and then soak!!
Sorry if I sound abrupt but none of you seem to be doing your pedicures in the right wa! This isn't good x

 

[jacquelineanna]

Hard skin must ALWAYS come before putting the feet in the water!!
If the skin is wet your not getting of the DRY dead skin, you're actually putting the heels in danger of ripping the skin when foot filing wet!
X

Thank you.

By the time I do the hard skin the skin is completely dry, and judging by the amount of 'dust' that lands on my lap it is working very well for me this way.

 

[jacquelineanna]

Are you all fully trained beauticians? Have you all trained properly? Why why why are you all doing foot filing after soaking the feet? It must be one of your first priorities. Sanitize then foot file and then soak!!
Sorry if I sound abrupt but none of you seem to be doing your pedicures in the right wa! This isn't good x

Actually yes you do sound abrupt and it isn't for you to tell other seasoned professionals that they are doing things wrong.

It also is not your place to question whether we are trained or whether we have trained properly.

If however you do feel compelled to tell us how to do it, perhaps you could find a better way.

And it is our right reject your advice if we feel the need to.

But thank you once again for your opinion.

Opinions and views are always welcome on this site, as are you.

Peace and respect.

 

[PixieBeauty]

Are you all fully trained beauticians?

No, I'm a nail technician this is how I was taught by CND xx

 

[Holly berry]

I was taught that you must do the hard skin AFTER soaking as this is the safest way for the client. They said you could remove too much and hurt the client if it is dry. Is this wrong? X