mobile- how far to travel?

[*Jenna*]

evening all,
i was just wondering for you that are mobile, how far do you travel for your clients? It's just i had a call today from a lady who's just moved here and wants her nails done, anyway i asked where she was and how far away it was from where i live (i've only been here a few months so still getting to grips with all the village names!) anyway she said it was about 20mins away so i said i would do them as i'm just getting started and don't really want to turn anyone away.
anyway when i got home i checked my map and my husband thinks it's actually more like 40mins away! shes only having an infill so it'll be around 30 euros, so i think i'll go this time but if she wants to book again i don't no what to do, it won't be too bad if she book something else aswell but i'm not sure if it's too far to go just for 30euros.

how far do you all travel?
xx

 

[g5m_sh]

I go no more than 10-15 min drive away!

I no some people who go all over 30-45 min drive!

Could you not get a map planner to see exactly how long it will take. I normally use AA but not sure if it will work for Spain. x

 

[*Jenna*]

i no i didn't realise it was so far! oh well, i think i'll go this once and see how long it takes.could be my hubby exaggerating as she said it only takes 20 mins.hmmm, i could do with a sat nav really!

 

[julesgems]

A lot of us mobile techs have a minimum charge or minimum amount of treatments - why not try that?

 

[weezie]

I go to about 30mins away usually but every trip in london seems to take that long because of the traffic, but lets say they want to book the whole morning I would go up to 45mins! Depends if the price is right! I make a decision on every individual booking! :hug: I have a minimum call out too. You can change the rules as it's your business, if it makes good business sense to go I will not turn down a booking, if it's way too far I count my losses!

 

[blossom]

When I was mobile I used to travel within a mile radius without charging extra, further away than that and there was an additional fee to pay; also a minimum call out of £10 so you don't find yourself running around to fix a broken nail for virtually nothing

 

[Missy G]

i no i didn't realise it was so far! oh well, i think i'll go this once and see how long it takes.could be my hubby exaggerating as she said it only takes 20 mins.hmmm, i could do with a sat nav really!

Hi, I brought up a simular issue to this a little while back, even if you go just the once , she may become a regular which may become a pain in the butt if you have to keep travelling there, it probly wouldnt be so bad either if you had a couple of other clients in the area you could do on the same day.

Im also new to mobile, and had a lady that wanted two gel nails doing, she wanted an evening appointment and lives a good 20 minutes away,over a bridge , which can get really busy.I told her due to family commitments I couldnt do evening appointments, and thought to myself I aint travelling all that way just to do two nails, probly to earn about a tenner.After putting the phone down I thought to myself what have I done?Im trying to start up a biz here and Im turning people away?

So I came on here ..like you do..and asked for other peoples advice,some said I should of gone ,even though she might of not become a regular , she may of recommended friends or family closer to me, and others said if she becomes a regular it might become a pain you keep having to travell the distance , unless like I said before you had others in the same area the same day.

What I do now is when people phone up and say ..how much do you charge for acrylic?I first ask where do you live?If there local I charge them my set price, if they live about 20 minutes or more away Id add on an extra 3-5£ for petrol.Then maybe there say ooh thats a bit expensive ,explain the travelling distance and then maybe they may think of getting hold of someone nearer to them.

It is an akward situation, which I still dread when people phone..where do you live?and I think please be local!!I had a client just before xmas, 7 oclock , other side of town , good 20 mins away.Traffic was a nightmare that night which ever way you tried to go ,took me AN HOUR to get to her.Extensions went wrong , and then to top it all at 10.30 when I left , I had to go outside to a frozen over car!!all for 30 quid.I thought to myself ..is this really worth it!How often have I gotta be doing this.

But to be honest Ive now decided I can afford to turn people down,this is not my main income, so what ever nail work I get is extra doe.Im not going to go out to people the other side of town in the evening,the latest appointment I can book is 7 oclock as it still takes me 3 hours to do a set, and to get to someones house for 7 means sitting in rush hour traffic to get there.Day time appointments maybe a different situation though...i ll shut up nowbtw..hope this helps.:hug:

 

[*Jenna*]

thanks for all your replies, i think i'll go and see how long it takes me.There is a salon in the village where she lives but as shes just moved here i don't think she knows yet. I'll see how it goes this time and hopefully if shes wants to book again she'll have another treatment aswell to make it worth my while!
thanks girlies
xx

 

[Movida]

I am usually prepared to drive about 40 mins away but that would again depend on what treatment i will be doing, i would not travel that far if i did not think it was worth my while.
carly
x

 

[Eliza Doolittle]

Hi, Why don't you try charging for mileage e.g over a ten mile radius, you charge ?p per mile and this can go towards your petrol and time.

 

[aliceellen1974]

i travel 8-10 miles away so i am covering a decent area but not too far.

its tough when you first start out but i think you have to set limits.

good luck

 

[rebelrebel]

right so if someone books for a morning treatment, so it was worth your while and she lived quite far away, you like the client, but then she wants to just book for a small treatment another time, say just a half leg wax, or lash tint etc... or she is so pleased with you she passes your number onto a friend, who only wants a small 'cheap' treatment doing what would you do then?

personally I only travel around my local towns, except if I was doing a party where my minimum is £85 so its worth doing then.

Good thread btw

 

[*Jenna*]

yea i no exactly what you mean. i no what i'm like though i'll feel bad if i say i can't do it, haha i'm too soft, and shes probably really nice aswell so that'll make it even worse, i'll think oh i'll go coz shes really nice then end up paying as much in petrol as what the treatment costs

oh well, i suppose i'll wait and see how long it takes on Wed to get there and if it really is too far i'll maybe tell her about a salon closer to her,
thanks for all the replies anyway!
xx

 

[weezie]

right so if someone books for a morning treatment, so it was worth your while and she lived quite far away, you like the client, but then she wants to just book for a small treatment another time, say just a half leg wax, or lash tint etc... or she is so pleased with you she passes your number onto a friend, who only wants a small 'cheap' treatment doing what would you do then?

personally I only travel around my local towns, except if I was doing a party where my minimum is £85 so its worth doing then.

Good thread btw

I would say at the first booking that I was doing it as a one off as it was a big booking and then decide if it was worth my while the second time if she wanted less. I would tell the friend that this was the case and that as I didn't go out for such a small booking I would give her the option of getting together at her friends house for their next treatments, or having more done, so it was worth my while :hug:

 

[weezie]

i'll think oh i'll go coz shes really nice then end up paying as much in petrol as what the treatment costs
xx

Don't do this, give her the choice, she can pay for your travel plus the treatment or she can make her own mind up to go to a salon. She may just really want someone to go to her and not actually care about the cost. I have people all the time who are happy to pay the £8 congestion charge into Central London plus £12 for parking costs ontop of their treatments as they want the convenience. Trust me you're worth it :hug: It's not always about the money but it's the service that matters x

 

[rebelrebel]

great advice Weezie:hug: Thanks

 

[emerald]

I say i will travel within a 10mile radius of my address, but they must book for a minimum of £10 for me to come out to them. If they are over 10mile away i add 40p per mile to the cost of the treatment