Mates Rates, Full Price or Don't Bother?!?!

[Snugglepuss]

I think there's a huge difference between returning a favour for someone who has done something for you (or vice versa) and giving your services away free of charge with nothing in return. We have to draw the line somewhere, don't we? :wink2:

I also agree with you Sandi - even returning a favour can get thrown in your face sometimes, some peeps are never happy :lol:- but hey perhaps I am getting too cynical in my old age :lol: and I am wrong!

I agree with this. I have a couple of mates where I have just ongoingly been a good friend and done favours. Even lack of acknowledgment years later just makes me feel that they just can't be arsed.

This really is a tough one, but I am always reminded of, business is business, friends are friends, and the two should be separate. Just my thoughts. xx

Mrs C you are right as business is just that - business. I have a client/friend who only pays me a fraction of what others pay and when I put my prices up she grumbled - I have to make a living and I also think they forget how much we have put into training etc.

I learnt my lesson with this particular person - all other friends/clients pay full whack and then I give them a little pressie such as a pinkie solar oil as a thank you - both of us are happy then :wink2:

 

[Sassy Hassy]

I have done freebies for people in a bartering kind of way - you scratch my back and I'll wax yours!!! :green:

However, as a general rule when I go to a friend's business I would expect to pay, it just wouldn't occur to me not to. In fact I would feel awkward in going back again for repeat treatments if I felt I was getting a freebie ride all the time. I would rather they got my business than a total stranger, and I think it should be the same the other way.

 

[oey]

I have done freebies for people in a bartering kind of way - you scratch my back and I'll wax yours!!! :green:

However, as a general rule when I go to a friend's business I would expect to pay, it just wouldn't occur to me not to. In fact I would feel awkward in going back again for repeat treatments if I felt I was getting a freebie ride all the time. I would rather they got my business than a total stranger, and I think it should be the same the other way.

I do this back scratching thing too, but they never seem to balance out some how! I always seem to come worse off cause I dont get time to go over to them!

 

[loubylou]

I don't even do my sisters nails for free, i knock £5.00 off for her and have done them ONCE for her free but only because it was her birthday,
The only person that has had a free service from me is my good mate pips and it is only nail art as she can do everything else herself and would do the same for me if i asked for anything doing so that is more like swapping skills than a freebie.
Hiya pips x

 

[alpina]

Things is who do you decide is a mate and who isnt....and then after a client being a client for a long time and getting to know them, some of them almost feel like mates....its just easier to charge everyone the same.

There are mums at the school who i have know for years...we chat...been on a few nights out....i like to think of them as friendly...but are they actually mates !!

Then there is Robs mates wifes...we have socialised in the past...meet up sometimes at the pub....should these also be done for cheep...??

Then there are clients whom i have got to know very well after nearly 3 years of doing there nails....been invited to weddings...BBQ's...etc....are these now mates...?

see how do you decide when and who benefits from freebies/mates rates and who doesn't ???

so i just charge everyone the same ... this is my business...its what pays my bills....just like there jobs are and i would never ask any of them to work for free/less.

The only people i would do for free are my immediate family.

First of all, I'm working for someone else so pricing isn't an issue for me yet. I have been thinking about this though for when I open my salon later this year. I would charge friends/aquaintances full price. I would consider immediate family (mum, grandma), not aunts, cousins etc, at a dicounted price, maybe $5 off. I would also consider this for "true" friends. By this I don't mean aquantainces you see often who are becoming good friends, or you will end up doing everyone at a discount. If I can call someone at three in the morning when I need them and they will get out of bed to come over and console me or whatever, they are a true freind. For me this equals only one person, so I would not fall into the trap of confusing real friends with those who maybe take advantage of you to get something for free or discounts.

Sorry for rambling, I feel pretty strongly about this.

 

[Jennykins]

I'm interested in this comment you made Jenny. IMO I think you should be charging full price whether they are just friends or really close friends. Do you not charge close friends or do you give them a huge disccount? I don't think this is fair to you.

VillageNails also mentioned that she discount to mates because they have spent hours bring her practise hands. Just my opinion, but I would still charge full price as they have obviously already had their nails done for free and can't expect to go on having them done at discounted rates forever.

I have had a couple of friends help me out as guinea pigs and at school fayers with my nail stand. As a 'thankyou' I offer one free manicure/pedi or infil, then it's back to full price.

I have two best friends who i do for free and i'm happy to do so, i have known them since i was 14 and they do their best to spread the word so i feel its worth it! I also do my mum for free as i just wouldn't feel comfortable charging her!!

Anyone else i charge full price.....occassionally i come across people who think i will do them for nothing and i just don't know where they get this idea from!!

I had a friend of my husbands ask me last year about doing his wife's (spmu) lip lipliner for her birthday...he asked if i could do a voucher for her to which i said there was absolutely no problem as i did gift vouchers for many clients...somehow this got translated back to his wife that i was doing it for free!!!!!!!

Funnily enough that man was the husband of the lady i mentioned in my first post....maybe its something that runs in their family and its not me after all!!
Needless to say, when they knew i charged £345 for lip liner they decided not to go ahead with it!!

 

[janeawallace]

I only do mates rates for one friend only as she let me practice onher with different bits and bobs whilst i was training. Every one else pays the going rate as it is my business not a hobby

 

[AGENT1]

I do my mum, mum in law and neice for free, i have a close friend who is an hairdresser so i do her nails and she does my hair for nothing, favour returned, but thats as far as it goes now, i lernt the hard way and believe me people will take advantage if they can, i now charge full price to all other friends, but they accept it and have no problem with it,