About Jason Backe
Over the last decade, Jason Backe has established himself as a highly accomplished color artist. He is one of the most sought after hair colorists in New York and his appointment book at ted gibson salon, which he co-owns with partner Ted Gibson, is always full. More >>
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"How Much Does It Cost?"
Last night, I was at a very swanky West Village hot spot for dinner. We ordered our drinks, looked over the menu and made our decisions. When the waiter came back to take our order, he went over the special additions and highlights to the menu. After each one, he would state the price "...the porterhouse for two at $138," etc. I started feeling a little self conscious...did he think because I was in jeans and a t-shirt I couldn't afford the prices?
Today, I had a guest in the salon that had a very specific request : she wanted to cover her gray and neutralize some of the red that had been exposed since her last color. I was more than happy to oblige. She mentioned her hair felt dry during our consultation, and I recommended a treatment. I also said that many times after a gloss, the hair looks shinier and feels softer. I suggested we decide about the treatment after we dried a bit of her hair to check the color and texture.
After the color was finished and the front panel was dry (and looking spectacular, I might add) I asked her if she was still interested in a treatment. She asked me how much it would cost. I told her. She then asked how much the rest of the service was going to cost. I told her. She decided not to get the treatment.
When she was checking out at the front desk I went to say good bye and tell her how pretty she looked and she LET ME HAVE IT!!!! She was so offended that I didn't tell her before we started how much her color was going to cost. She also added (condescendingly) that she had "been to the best colorists in the world that didn't charge as much," and that she didn't think it should cost what I was charging.
As a general rule, I never talk about money unless someone asks. I don't walk into an expensive boutique, pick up a pair of shoes and then yell at the guy at the counter because the price surprises me. If the price matters, I have always looked or asked first.
I put the question up on Facebook and Twitter and asked my friends and followers what they thought. "Whose responsibility do you think it is to bring up the cost of a service - the person getting it or giving it?" The results were overwhelmingly....equal. Half thought it was the provider's responsibility and half thought it was the receiver's responsibility.
What do you think? LMK - Jason
Hey Jenn -
Thanks for your comments - very interesting perspective. That could very well be the case...
At our salon we did introduce lower price points than ever before to accommodate guests feeling the crunch of the recession. I personally didn't lower my prices but did have several of my guests go to more junior people to save some cash.
Thanks again for your thoughts -
Jason
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Jason,
I totally agree with you. I am far from a rich person that has all the money in the world to spend, but there are certain "essentials" that I always splurge on. My hair is one of them. I just go and get what needs to be done and pay it. You pay more for the experience. I learned my lesson years ago (I have very difficult curly hair that is very thick), and ended up going to a bargain salon with results ending in spotted fried hair. So when I go into a salon, I always make sure I have the extra money to go to the best that I can afford. I would never yell at someone for the cost. But you get what you pay for, especially when you get a service. I don't think it is necessary to lower your prices, but one thing that happens in the industry that you are in is that people make their appointments less frequent. I used to be the girl getting touched up every 6 weeks, booking my appointment when I left the last one. Now, I seem to have to wait a little longer more like 8 or 10 weeks in order to get the same services that I used to get. I see no point in discussing the prices. Let me tell you what I saw yesterday, a gentleman was in front of me in line at the gas station, he had a bag of chips. All of the signs were clearly marked (but of course you pay more for convenience and 24 hours of a gas station) and he starts ripping this lady at the register apart claiming highway robbery over a bag of chips. So honestly, I don't think that it has anything to do with whether or not you discuss the price up front or you have it on a sign. People are going to behave in whatever way they are going to behave. Most people are struggling in this economy. If she was that worried about price, she should have went to the drugstore and bought some clariol or something like other people do when they cannot afford to go to a good stylist for color, and then have a good stylist do the cut.
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The customer should have had an idea of what the services were going to cost, when she went to the stylist. Their prices do not go up that much from time to time, unless you get a master stylist. I go every week, and every 6th to 7th week get the color done, there is always a beauty school that the person could go to.
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As a career hair salon client, the woman was wrong. With the access provided by the internet and with salons working hard to capture themselves through websites, there's no reason why anyone should walk into a salon without a general sense of prices. Particularly if s/he is a first-timer, which is what seems to have been the case.
When I moved to DC after 20 years in LA, I poured over websites to find a place that matched my tastes. I was less interested in prices (services in LA are much higher than in DC) and more interested in the training and specialties of particular stylists and colorists, what products they used, whether they boasted about doing that awful DC helmet head, etc. Websites told me almost everything I needed to know and I've never been surprised at the couple of places I've used.
There are certainly times when an additional conditioning or glossing treatment's recommended and if it's even an occasional client, s/he should be the one to ask the cost. (As long as something's recommended, not added as a surprise - an unethical practice some salons endorse.) Those who know their color costs $150 or $200 won't expect the added treatment to be $2. One way to preempt this with new clients: the folks who handle your appointment books should suggest to newcomers that they check out your website in advance of the visit or offer to send them a link and/or email about the salon that diplomatically has a rate card as well as policies about things such as parking and cancellations.
Of course, there's a chance that the woman's confrontational behavior was a ploy to get you to give her a discount. I've heard of such things happening more and more these days. Embarrassing. And a final note: it's almost obligatory nowadays for waiters to cite prices when describing the night's specials (particularly if one's a cut of meat designed for two). Including the best restaurants on both coasts; just had that happen at Cut and we were pretty schmancy. I'm sure you looked great :)
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Jason,
In this economy, every cent is precious! While not everyone has felt the bite, I certinally have. I ran into my old stylist just the other day in the supermarket and she asked me why I stopped coming in. I told her that a $65 cut is just too much for me, no matter how good the cut. She then stated that many folks must feel the same as her business has dropped off dramatically, apparently she is only booking half the clients she used to book each day. So, I ask you, what is the solution? Should a stylist bite the bullet, keep their prices "as is" and then only book half her/his normal business? Or, should prices and the economy be taken into account and then maybe prices dropped/adjusted? What you ran into may not have truly been directed at you but instead, your client might be feeling the frustration of having less money to work with. She may be faced with the choice of either cutting her services but maintaining the same stylist or like me, she may have to move on to someone much less exepnsive so she can get the same services. So many are in this boat that businesses have adjust to let everyone know up front. Hence why the waiter was letting you know how much everything costs up front, which I would have appreciated!
Posted 11:39 AM on 07/ 7/2010