I’ve always worked in the hair industry so I don’t know a lot about office hours or how those sort of jobs work, but lately I’m noticing that my clients who are London commuters and office workers are asking for later and later appointments in the evening, but also don’t want weekend appointments as an alternative. This has been happening over the past few years (I’ve been hairdressing for 20) and people seem to be getting more and more demanding of ‘out of hours’ appointments, I guess everyone must be working longer hours than ever?? It got better during the pandemic because I had clients working from home, but now offices are open again I regularly have people asking if I will start their balayage, toner and cut at 8pm etc! That would take me until midnight on long hair, which most of them are. How are other hairdressers dealing with this when it comes to long colour appointments, are your clients getting later and later times? My salon closes at 8 and sometimes they ask for a time after 8pm! I don’t know if its just a London thing, but people seem to just expect things to be open 24/7 nowadays.
Working hours?
- Thread starter Hairgurl
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ChloeBluNails
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I work in the Nail, and massage therapy industry in Canada, my city is full of government workers (8-4) types. I find a lot of people want after 6 pm but very few of my coworkers who are performing registered massage do not want to work that late, the ones who do are always swamped but nobody seems to be asking for services after 8pm (which is when we close). Sounds to me like either you have a lot of night owl clients or clients who seem to think you do not have a life. Most Salons in my town close at 7pm, Working that late would kill me personally so I would tell them too bad.
Ah ok, it’s normal for salons in my area to be open well after 9pm, mine actually closes quite early for a London shop. There is a bit of a 24/7 late night culture where I live, eg. city finance workers who stay in the office til late and start really early. The average office working day is 8-7 pretty much. Hence the people asking for late hair, but hair colouring appointments are so long they can’t be started in the evening really. It’s becoming a problem and it’s not just me, it’s my friends in other salons or working mobile in the area too.
If you are prepared to do it, maybe charge them a premium rate after 8pm? Supply matching demand and all that...Some won't bat an eyelid, and cough up, and others will change to an earlier time, so at least you'd be compensated for working those late hours.
