Community Chat

[red&curly]

@willomenia You are right dentists, hairdressers,etc.should be doing this already. As a stylist for 32 yrs.State board always has us doing all we can to keep a clean shop. We are graded each year just like a restaurant.

This time during covid ,state board has us cleaning everything down after each customer and lots of extras which I don't mind but it involves extra time & extra products.Also the extra time adds up when you can't have but a certain number in shop.Also the business is not back & shutdown is coming.

I do want to go up a few dollars across the board of services but feel bad as it is the worst time for everyone.

Need posters advice on this topic.Now we are s small shop in a  small poor southern town. You know our prices reflect that.I know they can survive without my services but sometimes only thing they do for their self & only time out of house.Also I catch alot of grief when I do raise prices. EEK.

Advice?

[Porcelain]

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@red&curly wrote:

@willomenia You are right dentists, hairdressers,etc.should be doing this already. As a stylist for 32 yrs.State board always has us doing all we can to keep a clean shop. We are graded each year just like a restaurant.

This time during covid ,state board has us cleaning everything down after each customer and lots of extras which I don't mind but it involves extra time & extra products.Also the extra time adds up when you can't have but a certain number in shop.Also the business is not back & shutdown is coming.

I do want to go up a few dollars across the board of services but feel bad as it is the worst time for everyone.

Need posters advice on this topic.Now we are s small shop in a  small poor southern town. You know our prices reflect that.I know they can survive without my services but sometimes only thing they do for their self & only time out of house.Also I catch alot of grief when I do raise prices. EEK.

Advice?

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I would say that if you can hang in there, I wouldn't do this only in the name of Covid. People who visit your salon are spending extra to protect themselves as well. You'd just be getting them to reflect on the sacrifices they're making to get their hair done.

Maybe come up with a new service, something already popular but with a little- to no- to low- cost twist to it that you could emphasize as being better, and then offer it for a price that is higher than the current service.

So for example, buy all chocolate scented products for shampooing and styling and offer that as the cocoa dream special. Or offer a usual styling package but with a printout describing how to do it at home. Or a date night updo. And charge a good chunk of change for the upgrade.

If you're already doing things like these, then something else different so you can add an attractive, more expensive tier to your offerings. No one is going to be upset at you if you offer something new that costs more if you don't change the old services.

You could sell professional stylist's scissors for at home trims for a huge markup. Or trimmers with directions on how to use them on a husband without risking a divorce. People who love getting their hair done will not stay away once it is safe to get back to normal.

You have access to professional quality goods and hard-earned expertise that you can put into words on paper and on video on your side here as extremely valuable assets that you can exploit.

[agb80]

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@LindaSal wrote:

@willomenia  ITA!   What were they doing before???  I also feel that restaurant workers should have always been wearing a mask as they stand over your table and meal asking how your food is?!   Sorry but I spent my entire career where disinfecting was routine so I have always had issues with certain things.  I am in no way downplaying Covid and the people who are hurting and unemployed but I do think that when times were really rolling along ALL of these businesses should have been saving for a rainy day, perhaps they wouldn't find themselves in their current situations.  JMO, I'm old school.

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A rainy day?  Wow, more like months and through no fault of their own!  Where's the stimulus.  That's the question you should all be asking. 

[pitdakota]

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@willomenia wrote:

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@Sooner wrote:

it is like shipping. We pay it whether we see it on the bill or not. Obviously it costs dentists more. Others?  Many NO,

dentists are the LAST place to have any extra costs to covid, as I stated before they should have been sanatizing way before covid. What were they doing, skimming over things that should have been sterilized? 

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@willomenia, I am just not sure I agree with this entirely.  Dentists have not been at high risk to protect themself, their staff, and other patients for an airborne viral disease previous to this time.  Dentists and their staff by virtue of what they do are the other area of health professionals that are at high risk of exposure for covid-19. Not to mention their patients could also be at risk. 

Before this they did have to have clean equipment, but most used simple masks, gowns, and goggles to protect them from blood borne diseases. 

The nature of the work the dentist or dental hygenist does can aersolize the SARS-CoV-2 virus even to the extent it can become airborne.  That means all kind of virus can be circulating around in the air for quite some time after a patient leaves, but also means that other surfaces that they didn't have to think about wiping down with disinfectants, they now have to think about respiratory droplets that may have landed on certain surfaces.   

My dentist actually upgraded and installed air filters that are more effective than the ones he was using. Of course, those filters cost more and have to be replaced more frequently.  He also invested in a consultant to come in and advise as to installing fans and where they should be installed around the patient areas in order to move the air flow to the return vent.

Many dentists and their staff may now wear N95 masks and use the high grade water resistant gowns.  My particular dentist no longer wears goggles but wears a face shield instead and changes that face shield after every patient.  Before the pandemic, other dental staff in a dental office didn't need to wear masks if they weren't in direct contact with the patient.  Now, all staff in the office must wear masks all day long, regardless.  

That PPE costs more than the regular grade PPE and the cost of PPE for health care professionals has gone through the roof since the pandemic and it supplies run low at times.  

So while it might not apply to all dentists across the board, I can certainly see how many dentists are facing increased overhead expenditures due to having to deal with air circulation issues and the cost of PPE for all the dental staff.  In those cases I can understand adding a covid charge.  

[suzyQ3]

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@agb80 wrote:

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@LindaSal wrote:

@willomenia  ITA!   What were they doing before???  I also feel that restaurant workers should have always been wearing a mask as they stand over your table and meal asking how your food is?!   Sorry but I spent my entire career where disinfecting was routine so I have always had issues with certain things.  I am in no way downplaying Covid and the people who are hurting and unemployed but I do think that when times were really rolling along ALL of these businesses should have been saving for a rainy day, perhaps they wouldn't find themselves in their current situations.  JMO, I'm old school.

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A rainy day?  Wow, more like months and through no fault of their own!  Where's the stimulus.  That's the question you should all be asking. 

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@agb80, yes. What do we have a government for if not to provide a safety net during a disaster the likes of which none of us have every experienced.

[skatting44]

Yes, I've seen a $1 Covid charge on some items that I  ordered from various vendors . What is this ?  Is it a cost of them squirting some hand gel on their hands or  does it cover the cost of their paper mask. Some of these  large companies such as Amazon are  making so much money off everyone - why  is there a covid cost transfered on to customers .... I'm going to avoid buying anything from the comapnies that charge this fee  .

[red&curly]

@Porcelain Thank you sooo much for taking the time and thoughts on this subject.You gave me good ideas.I'll put my thinking cap on &apply some of these ideas or variations of them.

Got to go to supply house Sat.Hopefully find a good smelling shampoo! 

Gov.suppossed to talk this week .Our phase ends Friday.I've heard we will be going to the house.If so I'll go idea hunting after we get back cause suppliers will be closed also.

Thanks again.Have a good night.

[Porcelain]

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@red&curly wrote:

@Porcelain Thank you sooo much for taking the time and thoughts on this subject.You gave me good ideas.I'll put my thinking cap on &apply some of these ideas or variations of them.

Got to go to supply house Sat.Hopefully find a good smelling shampoo! 

Gov.suppossed to talk this week .Our phase ends Friday.I've heard we will be going to the house.If so I'll go idea hunting after we get back cause suppliers will be closed also.

Thanks again.Have a good night.

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You have a good night too. 

I found this article about rasing prices as a stylist. It said to only raise it by 10% at a time. I thought that was a nice low subtle amount. If you said you were doing that due to Covid I don't think there'd be that much of a kefuffle.

(You're really sweet in this forum and you support people staying safe, so I am rooting for you to succeed at your business.)

From "How to Raise Prices at Your Salon" from Salon Today

"When to Make the Price Hike

Now that you've decided to raise your prices, think about how much you should raise them and how often? "Do not drastically raise your prices at one time," Gartland cautions. "Start with a 10 percent adjustment. This will instantly increase your profits, but it won't affect your clients' service tickets too severely. However, keep tracking your average hours booked and keep an eye on your percentages. If you again reach an 85 percent booking rate in two to three months, then raise prices again. You can raise them a few times a year if your client demand continues to exceed your supply." 

You should expect to lose about 10 percent of your clients. The upside? "You need to lose them!" Gartland says. "Even though you are losing clients, you will be earning more while working less. You also want to replace those clients with your ideal clients, those with the higher service tickets." It's important to have someone to refer those clients to; ideally a new or junior hairstylist at your salon.

How to Tell Your Clients

The next step to consider is how to tell your clients. Always tell them ahead of time, so an increase won't be an unexpected surprise. Gartland instructs, "Consider what your typical client cycle is. If you see clients every six weeks, then post an announcement six weeks before you raise your prices. It's important that your guests see it at least once before the increase is effective." You can place a sign on your station, send an email to your client list or mail out an announcement letter. Word your announcement professionally and positively. 

Always open with a thank you for their business and acknowledgement of your appreciation. State the exact date and details of the price increase. If you are changing your salon offerings or adding new services, be sure to include a short but powerful description of them. Consider offering a value-added service, discount or special gift. You could offer a complimentary deep conditioning treatment or a free product with service. Of course, if you have pre-sold a package for hair services you will need to honor the price the package reflects.

Almost always, an unexpected result happens when stylists raise their prices. "We assume that people are going to ask why?" notes Gartland. "Typically, they do not say anything. They actually expect prices to be raised. Some clients will even say, 'Well it's about time!'" Remember that you do not need to go into detail when explaining your price increase. Don't talk about the cost of living, your increased distributor costs or your children's college tuition. If the worse case scenario happens and you do lose a few clients, remember that your goal is to fill your book with ideal clients. You will still be making more money while balancing your time better.

"Don't be attached to what your clients choose to do. It is not personal. It is business and you are treating your career as a business and not as a hobby! Decide to make an investment in your business and your life," concludes Gartland.

[granddi]

Local governments are seeing decline in revenue too.

This is mainly their share of sales tax but other local taxes and fees. So they will make up the loss by increasing fees such as water, trash, licenses, and others. Next way is to cut expenses which means jobs lost.

Stylists are missing revenue by not offering home visits at a permium price. Almost weekly nextdoor neighbor site asks if anyone knows a stylist that will do cuts at home. No responses and no indication that a certain state might prohibit this.

[kivah]

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@CAcableGirl2 wrote:

I just received notice that my water bill was going up too, and if I can remember correctly, the same for electricity.  Unfortunately, I think it's going to be most companies increasing rates, with all the mandatory time off allowances for employees, overtime that is being incurred due to staff shortages, and PPE items that are now required.

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My water & sewer bills ALWAYS go up - SCAM!!!