Coronavirus: Should you raise your treatment prices when you reopen?
By Guest Writer | 11 July 2020 | Expert Advice, Feature
Jenni Draper, session nailist & PR/creative manager at Louella Belle discusses whether nail and beauty businesses should consider raising their treatment prices after lockdown…
As outlined by the UK government’s guidance on our roadmap out of lockdown, nail and beauty salons are provisionally set to reopen on 4 July. This leaves many therapists re-examining what their business will look like post-quarantine.
We have come so far and got through lockdown with so much patience and strength and for many of us, better educated and more skilled, but we also know that salons as we knew them will look and feel very different as we enter this new normal.
The guidelines have changed, the sanitising protocol has increased and both you and your customers will now wear masks and other PPE. The effort that you are taking to keep yourself and your customers safe is a huge undertaking in both your time and resources. The extra purchase of disinfectants, masks, foot bowl liners, gloves, face shields, sanitisers, files, buffers etc can be overwhelming.
On top of that, you will need to consider the fact that you will need more time in between clients to clean your salon, room or stations. You will also not have the opportunity to double book or overlap clients. You will be looking at fewer clients in a day.
So, is now the right time to raise your prices? Should you be charging a Covid-19 fee? There is no one-size-fits-all answer here and only you know what is best for your business and your clients. Below are some pricing options to help you find one that feels best for your business and ensures you are staying safe and profitable during this time.
A blanket price increase to all services
Add anything from £3 to £10 to each of your treatments. If asked, explain that the increase is due to the additional time and cost it now takes for you to operate your business safely. If your clients are loyal and they value their health & safety, they will want to do what’s best to help you and them to get through this time. A small increase on each service can amount to a large increase week-to-week to help you adjust to the financial burden you’ll have to bear without it.
Remove services that aren’t as profitable
This is a good time to consider the amount of time each service takes and cut out the ones that may not be as profitable anymore. Time is limited. Make sure you’re getting the most out of it while you’re there.
Adding treatments to your menu that will only take a short amount of extra time are worth considering, too. For example, adding an IBX treatment to every nail treatment will only take an extra 10 mins but will add between £5-7 to each client’s bill.
Add a Covid-19 sanitation fee
You are no longer double booking. You are taking extra time to clean and are purchasing more supplies than ever before. If it makes sense for your business, consider adding a ‘Covid-19 sanitation fee’ to each customer’s bill. If asked about the extra charge, simply explain the steps you are taking to keep you and your customers safe so you can continue providing the excellent service they have become accustomed to.
Revamp your treatment menu to bundle services
Decked out in full PPE, customers will be looking to get their services as quickly and efficiently as they can. Now may be a good time to consider bundling the most common services together. As your menu may be revamped, now is the time to increase the pricing slightly in order to cover some of your new Covid-19 related expenses and give your customers more value.
Charge for masks
All clients are required to wear masks when they are in the salon. If your client arrives without a mask, you can supply them with one and charge a small mark-up. In some cases, masks have gone from £5.99 for a box of 50 to £30/40!
No matter how you tackle your pricing strategy when you reopen, keeping yourself and your clients safe must be your number one priority. Put price increases and business guidelines in place before you return and make clients aware of them.
Ensure you are offering the best possible service around, the best treatments, the safest environment and an experience that can still be enjoyable.
Your retail area will be as important if not more important than ever, make sure it is well stocked and appealing. Products such a DadiOil Cuticle Oil can add an extra revenue without taking up valuable appointment time.
If you are no longer offering some services because of time restraints etc make sure you have something that you can retail to make up for the loss of that service. For example if you are not going to be offering full pedicures for the foreseeable future have a homecare package that you can offer. Footlogix Retail kits and Foot Files are perfect for this.