A Balanced Way To Handle Discount Requests On Your Hair Services.
One of the reasons I love this Industry so much is because of how true and real and gritty hairstylists can get when we rant.
We rant and we vent and almost always, we make sense.
Here’s a good example of a hairstylist rant that makes complete and utter sense and this time, it didn’t come from me.
As I was scrolling through the Instagram feed the other day, I came across this very good rant from another stylist named Meliana Clark and I wanted to share it with the Tribe since I finished reading it.
It’s been awhile since I blogged one of my opinions but, I think this little rant from a stylist other than myself would resonate with everyone in this Industry reading this, I know it did with me.
Here it is below…
[ Courtesy of Meliana Clark — Follow Meliana on Instagram — Click HERE
I know, personally I have been in Meliana’s position plenty of times as I’m sure some of the readers have been as well.
Many times I caved in to the discount request BECAUSE I preferred earning less money levelling up my skill with every service and more importantly than anything else I was having fun doing it.
(How many people can say that about their work these days?).
I was playing the long game too hard at times though.
I was using the skill excuse too much and too ofeten , and it hurt me financially as well, but all in all, it generated a different kind of ROI (return-on-investment) in the form of healthier and longer lasting relationships with clients (many of whom I still interact with now that I’m not longer in the salon scene).
What I want to point out though is Meliana’s outlook on her work though. Without going too much into details, I can say this is a balanced approach integrating work into her life and not the other way around.
I used to rant that “I wish I could do hair and not worry about money,” but the truth is, as a civilized society we have all agreed to play the money game.
So, if there is anything that I’ve learned as an added skill by default being a stylist , is the understanding that whether your a high paid stylist or not, whatever monetary value you place on your services, high or low, your going to get “FREEBIE SEEKERS” at all levels.
That’s just the way it is.
There is no right or wrong way to deal with them, but I personally, am a fan of the middle way and the way Meliana handled her discount request was spot-on-balanced and it was worth sharing with everyone because I think we could all use a little reminder like this once in a while.
I actually encourage all stylists to rant like this every chance I get, if for no other reason other than we can and have the simplicity built into the current technology to do so.
I wrote a piece a while back on why hairstylists should blog, but if I had to rewrite that blog again, I would say that every stylist on social SHOULD rant so that others in our Industry can see what other hair professionals like them go through so they can see they aren’t alone.
And then, maybe, just maybe, this Industry can continue to steadily move forward and learn and grow itself through something as simple as having a conversation topic in common.
Is that too much to ask of social media people these days?
Isn’t that why we’re all on the Internet anyway?
To communicate?
That is what a social community is all about…
Community…communicating…
Community…communicating…
See where I am going with this?
Anyway,
Long story short: don’t devalue yourself.
Melissa.
P.S. Huge shout out to Meliana Clark for allowing me to use her thoughts and her rant publicly like this, and like I always say, “ the more of us who see eye-to-eye the better.
P.P.S. Here at Hairstylist Tribe HQ we have been focusing on the March 3rd soft launch (My Birthday), so if you haven’t signed up for the Hairstylist Tribe News letter and Bookclub go do so by CLICKING HERE
Oh and don’t forget to check your e-mail to confirm your sign up once you do sign up.
See you on the other side
