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I was a pretty radical communist even before i was doing hair, but nothing had cemented my views like working in that industry (a thread)
First hand you can see the MASSIVE difference in income between someone who works for someone vs someone who works for themselves.
First hand you can see the MASSIVE difference in income between someone who works for someone vs someone who works for themselves.
Like i cannot stress the difference setting your own pricing according to how you ACTUALLY value your time/skills vs how a salon will label that "value"
I worked somewhere where you could adjust prices for services, and because i ALWAYS adjusted for hard work, i made more money.
I worked somewhere where you could adjust prices for services, and because i ALWAYS adjusted for hard work, i made more money.
Other stylists in the industry longer would try SO HARD to talk me out of increasing my prices for services saying how i would lose customers.
Wrong. I had more returns than anyone while still making almost double my colleagues income.
Wrong. I had more returns than anyone while still making almost double my colleagues income.
That brainwashing was there. I watched people with 10x as much experience + way faster than me with a revolving door of clients, make essentially minimum wages because despite EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS she saw herself as "just another employee" and didnt upcharge.
Second of all, that is not a job where you can be alienated from your labor. Non-licencsed individuals might try to rush you or try to redefine the way you work, but at the end of the day, the stylist sets the pace of their own work, regardless of outside influences
But because that like Worker Mentality Trauma was alive and well, most of my colleagues tried to almost talk me out of the money i made instead of matching my energy/prices. Try to get me to cut discounts, or "just charge a basic haircut" for crazy hair designs. Fuck no.
If i went to take someone blonde, we had a game plan, we talked everything out and half way through bleaching its obvious this person completely lied to me and i cant do what we discussed. I stop and explain how everything is now going to cost more. And i charge them for lying.
People treat hairstylists like magicians. Think they can lie about their entire hair history like im not gonna see that shit.
If you make an apt of 30min of work take 3 hours because you couldnt tell the truth, i charge for my time & the disrespect.
If you make an apt of 30min of work take 3 hours because you couldnt tell the truth, i charge for my time & the disrespect.
But that makes people HOSTILE.
" i only booked a bleach and tone, why is it $680??
"Because it was 2 full bleaches, 3 tones, a trim, a blowdry and you lied about box dye. Also I charged for every cancelation i had to make for your appointment extending"
" i only booked a bleach and tone, why is it $680??
"Because it was 2 full bleaches, 3 tones, a trim, a blowdry and you lied about box dye. Also I charged for every cancelation i had to make for your appointment extending"
And of course, then they start shrieking like a banshee.
"If i knew it would cost that much i would've never booked!!"
No, Karen, you signed a price sheet upon booking, you THOUGHT you could bully your way into a 70% discount but theres no manager to save you from ME.
"If i knew it would cost that much i would've never booked!!"
No, Karen, you signed a price sheet upon booking, you THOUGHT you could bully your way into a 70% discount but theres no manager to save you from ME.
Most stylists are so browbeaten that "the customer is always right" even with a LICENSE THROUGH THE STATE saying "i am am expert and you are not" they will cave on people who throw tantrums. Because capitalism encourages violence against workers.
So stylists, after doing EASILY $600-750 worth of labor with dangerous cancerous chemicals for 6-8 hours of non stop work, no sitting, no eating, only intense focus.
Get bullied into charging $200 because the customer, after getting what they wanted, decided it wasnt worth it.
Get bullied into charging $200 because the customer, after getting what they wanted, decided it wasnt worth it.
And thats exactly what it is.
People will come in, get a quote for a $600-800 service, sign the contract, book the apt and then day of be like "so how can we do this for 200?"
We cant. The price is the price. And then they get angry and try to just walk out. Lol, no.
People will come in, get a quote for a $600-800 service, sign the contract, book the apt and then day of be like "so how can we do this for 200?"
We cant. The price is the price. And then they get angry and try to just walk out. Lol, no.
Suprise! You booked me for 8 hours of my time/labor, which is priced, at the low-end, approximately $60 an hour.
If you walk out as a same day cancelation, and you booked my whole day (so now i cant work), at a 50% base cancelation fee, thats still $240 i am charging you.
If you walk out as a same day cancelation, and you booked my whole day (so now i cant work), at a 50% base cancelation fee, thats still $240 i am charging you.
Hair, as an industry, thrives on the downright abuse of "bargain/discount stylists", which frankly, dont exist. Stylists are licensed tradesmen and deserve the respect of wages that reflect their nuanced skill sets.
There is also no industry like hair where the debasement of the workers and their livelihood comes so directly from a personal entitlement of the client.
"I can blowdry my hair at home, I dont see why paying you to do it costs $75"
THEN WHY DID YOU BOOK ME FOR A BLOWOUT KAREN?
"I can blowdry my hair at home, I dont see why paying you to do it costs $75"
THEN WHY DID YOU BOOK ME FOR A BLOWOUT KAREN?
Truly you will sit and give someone everything they wanted and then not only will they not tip, they will, same breath, same sentence, go from talking about how wonderful it is to "we said $600? For this..? Um.."
You got $600 of my labor, im getting $600. There is no discussion.
You got $600 of my labor, im getting $600. There is no discussion.
And that is, honestly, the most insulting element.
Its not about the hair or money, they said yes to 600 because it was worth 600 to them.
But now that they have it, they turn around and go "well i dont think it was worth 600 to YOU"
My labor is meaningless to them. Truly.
Its not about the hair or money, they said yes to 600 because it was worth 600 to them.
But now that they have it, they turn around and go "well i dont think it was worth 600 to YOU"
My labor is meaningless to them. Truly.
Anyway all this to say, be nice to your stylists, always tip them minimum of $10 or 20% of service.
And also the Pandemic has absolutely ravished my industry, so be extra patient with any of us working in this madness. (Im def not) Its fucked and we honestly deserve better.
And also the Pandemic has absolutely ravished my industry, so be extra patient with any of us working in this madness. (Im def not) Its fucked and we honestly deserve better.
