Maggie Rants [and Raves]

Price Matching for Same Product Only

by Maggie Franklin | January 14, 2015 | Bookmark +

Everything had gone sideways by 2 p.m. My client hadn’t been late exactly — maybe five minutes. No point kvetching about it — I give everyone 10. The fact that I had overlapped appointments and needed everyone to show up five minutes early, know exactly what they wanted, and give me zero trouble was all my fault.

Trying too hard to make too many people happy. Gotta wrangle my inner B back in place and put a stop to that!

Nevertheless, by 2 p.m. it was apparent that the entire day had gone to poop. I was going to be half-an-hour late for everyone else no matter what I did. So I took a moment to send out the appropriate texts, hoping in vain that someone down the line would tell me I was a loser and just cancel altogether.

No such luck.

So not only did everyone on the schedule still come for their appointment, they all showed up at their regularly scheduled time even though they knew it would mean just hanging out for 20-30 minutes. Everyone was cool, they just opted to come for the extra visit.

I like it when the salon is like that. I like having three or four people just sitting around, having one big conversation and being social. It’s nice.

Until the client sitting by the window with the People magazine in her hand, waiting for her turn, overhears me tell the client before her what she owes me.

In this particular instance Client A, who I was just finishing up with, was counting her cash to pay for a simple gel overlay with a polished French. It cost her $35. She handed me some money, I asked if she needed change, she said “no thank you,” and we wished each other a happy two weeks and she left.

I turned to Client B, who had been patiently sitting and waiting. Client B has been coming to me faithfully every two weeks since 2001. She has rolled with the punches through the good times and the bad in both our lives. She has never complained through price increases and schedule changes over the years.

She handed me her credit card to run while she washed her hands at the sink. It’s her routine. I ran her card for the $40 she owed me for her pink-and-white acrylic backfill which she has been getting every two weeks for the last 14 years and has been paying $40 for since the last increase on that particular service in 2010. I know she knows she owes me $40. I know she knows her nails cost $40. When she chooses to pay me in cash, she brings me $40. When she pays me with a check (almost never since she discovered she can use her credit card) she writes it out for $40. She almost never tips me, but when she does, she gives me more than $40.

She knows her nails cost $40. They have for almost five years.

I handed her my iPod, which I use as my credit card terminal (I love my Square) for her to sign. She squinted her eyes and looked at the amount.

“Forty dollars?” she asked. “When did your prices go up?”

I should have seen it coming. “In 2010.” I said with a sense of humor, as if to chide her for not paying attention.

“Oh? I thought it was thirty-five.”

“Nope. You’ve been paying me forty for several years. I’ll be happy to email you copies of your credit card receipts if you’d like.” I was downright chipper, I tell ya!

“Are you sure?” She said it sweetly. That sickly sweet tone that people use when they’re not really being as nice as they are pretending to be.

I steeled myself for a battle, “Yup. It’s been forty for years now.” In the back of my mind I added, And it’s going up big time this year, sweetie.” But no one needs to know that just yet.

“I could have sworn it was thirty-five!” She giggled a little, not like she truly thought she might be mistaken so much as she thought I’d come around.

“Nope. The last client owed me thirty-five, but she gets something different than you do.”

Client B signed for her transaction and we went on about our merry way without incident. I’m sure she went home and looked through her financial records though — she’s that type. I hope she felt foolish when she saw how long she’s been paying me $40 for her nails.

It happens now and then. It’s like people can’t grasp the notion that my menu consists of more than “fill” versus “full set.”

Maybe I should mention, “Don’t worry, prices go up this year. Maybe I’ll make both services the same.”

 

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