Anna from Toronto
Well-Known Member
It's 6am, I can't sleep, I've been up since 4 am thinking.......
I'm playing a devil's advocate here but the posts I was replying to on US forum and posts was reading here earlier made me wonder...
Should an average person really "afford" our services and to what extend...?
I had a client the other day that decided to get a Shellac Manicure while waiting for her 17 year old daughter's haircut.
The client had a haircut and a color and highlites done at our salon a week ago or so (for which she must have paid about $180-$200 BTW). Her daughter haircut was $80 I believe.
So.... she saw one of my clients leaving with beautifully Shellacked nails, I had an hour window so I was more then happy to Shellac her
She was amazed, she never heard about Shellac.
While paying for the service she was thinking out loud "...OK, so that's $35... it should last 2 weeks... then it's $70 a month... hm... I hope I can afford it" she said with a smile.
I hope she can too but I'm thinking at the same time... why do people don't say the same thing to a waitress at a restaurant:
"oh, this meal is $20.. it's gonna last me few hours...so thats like $40-60 a day... and $1200 a month"
People think of the restaurants as a treat, go out once a week, still spend about $80 a month... And somehow restaurants still exist...
How much do we spend on coffee? 30 x $2- $80/month?
Can majority of people we know afford that? I think so....
Is it because people see more value in going out or having a $2 coffee that actually costs pennies then getting a manicure at a local salon?
I bet you've read comments like that from DIY's "why would I get a manicure if I can do it at home?"
Well, you can make your own coffee at home too... or cook your own burger... yet.... we do go out. Why is that?
Is it because in our culture manicures/pedicures are not that popular?
Is it because average salon service is not that much better then an average DIY job?
Are we that concerned about people being able to afford our services that we try to make our services cheaper and faster.. and we lose the value?
I constantly hear from techs working at salons that for example they only have 6 Shellac colors because the boss is "too cheap". They don't use the Shellac lamp.. because "the boss wont buy it".
The boss tells them to learn and do gel nails in 1 month. They won't be ready and there is no money for additional training... BUT they have to keep the prices "affordable". I'm not blaming the boss... after you pay the rent, the basic supplies, the cleaning supplies, the towels, the lightbulbs, the toilet paper, and you pay the staff.... there is not that much left
Are we too "cheap" to be excellent?
And by that I mean "Are our services too cheap for us to be excellent"
I'm playing a devil's advocate here but the posts I was replying to on US forum and posts was reading here earlier made me wonder...
Should an average person really "afford" our services and to what extend...?
I had a client the other day that decided to get a Shellac Manicure while waiting for her 17 year old daughter's haircut.
The client had a haircut and a color and highlites done at our salon a week ago or so (for which she must have paid about $180-$200 BTW). Her daughter haircut was $80 I believe.
So.... she saw one of my clients leaving with beautifully Shellacked nails, I had an hour window so I was more then happy to Shellac her
She was amazed, she never heard about Shellac.
While paying for the service she was thinking out loud "...OK, so that's $35... it should last 2 weeks... then it's $70 a month... hm... I hope I can afford it" she said with a smile.
I hope she can too but I'm thinking at the same time... why do people don't say the same thing to a waitress at a restaurant:
"oh, this meal is $20.. it's gonna last me few hours...so thats like $40-60 a day... and $1200 a month"
People think of the restaurants as a treat, go out once a week, still spend about $80 a month... And somehow restaurants still exist...
How much do we spend on coffee? 30 x $2- $80/month?
Can majority of people we know afford that? I think so....
Is it because people see more value in going out or having a $2 coffee that actually costs pennies then getting a manicure at a local salon?
I bet you've read comments like that from DIY's "why would I get a manicure if I can do it at home?"
Well, you can make your own coffee at home too... or cook your own burger... yet.... we do go out. Why is that?
Is it because in our culture manicures/pedicures are not that popular?
Is it because average salon service is not that much better then an average DIY job?
Are we that concerned about people being able to afford our services that we try to make our services cheaper and faster.. and we lose the value?
I constantly hear from techs working at salons that for example they only have 6 Shellac colors because the boss is "too cheap". They don't use the Shellac lamp.. because "the boss wont buy it".
The boss tells them to learn and do gel nails in 1 month. They won't be ready and there is no money for additional training... BUT they have to keep the prices "affordable". I'm not blaming the boss... after you pay the rent, the basic supplies, the cleaning supplies, the towels, the lightbulbs, the toilet paper, and you pay the staff.... there is not that much left
Are we too "cheap" to be excellent?
And by that I mean "Are our services too cheap for us to be excellent"