Do y'all actually charge a long/thick hair tax or do you just absorb the cost?
Posted by Anonymous
Okay be honest... how many of you are actually charging extra when a client sits in your chair with hair down to their waist or density like a forest?
I had a blowout yesterday that took me nearly two full hours because her hair was so thick, and by the end of it, my wrists were clicking and I felt like I lost money on the service. But I always feel so awkward telling someone "hey, your hair is too much work so you owe me an extra $30." How do you frame this to clients without sounding rude? Do you use a tiered pricing menu or just stick to a flat rate and hope for the best? Please drop examples if you have them!
Replies
Anonymous
Yes, you absolutely should charge more, but the secret is in how you frame it. Never call it an "extra charge" or a "tax" at the register. That makes the client feel penalized for how they were born. Instead, frame your pricing around time and product resources from the very beginning.
At our salon, we moved away from flat rates and went to a tiered menu based on length and density. We also have a clear policy on our website that states: "All base prices are calculated for standard length and density. Services requiring additional time or product will see a proportional adjustment."
Here is how we write out our menu so clients understand the breakdown easily:
SILK PRESS / BLOWOUT MENU
Classic (Fine/Medium hair, up to shoulders): $85
Long (Past shoulders or bra-strap length): $105
Extra-Long & Thick (Past mid-back OR high density): $125
FULL COLOR / FOIL MENU
Classic Tier: $175
Long Tier: $210
Extra-Long/Thick Tier: $245+ (Includes extra product bowls)
Anonymous
honestly the worst feeling is when you mix up three extra bowls of lightener and realize you just paid the beauty supply store to do someone's hair smh. if my arms are shaking by the end of the blowout, the price tag is going up lol
Anonymous
definitely go with the tiered menu girl! it saves you from having that awkward conversation at the front desk because they already saw the options when they booked. if someone books a standard appointment but shows up with hair like rapunzel, i just kindly let them know during the consult that we have to upgrade the service tier to make sure we have enough time to get it perfect!
Anonymous
Before you even touch their hair at the bowl, do a consultation. Look at the density and say: "Because your hair is beautifully thick/long, it’s going to require an extra 45 minutes and an extra bowl of color to get perfect coverage, so your total today will be X instead of our base rate." If they complain, they aren't your target client.
Anonymous
Don't do flat rates. It's bad business. If a service takes double the time and double the product, it costs more money. Period.