Vent: A client's husband gave me a 'business tip' that left me speechless

I was finishing up a color correction on a regular client yesterday, and her husband was waiting in the reception area. He must have overheard me talking about my booking system because he came over, leaned on my station, and said, 'You know, you'd get more repeat business if you gave out free haircuts with every fifth color service. Like a coffee shop punch card.' I just stared at him for a second. He's an accountant. I had to gently explain that a full highlight service takes over two hours and uses about $45 in product alone, so giving one away would mean I'd basically be paying someone to sit in my chair. He looked genuinely surprised and said, 'Oh, I just figured the dye was cheap.' It was a real reminder that people outside our trade have zero idea of our costs or labor. Has anyone else had a client or their family member suggest a 'simple' idea that would actually put you out of business?

3 comments

3 Comments

joel_butler16d ago

My brother-in-law suggested a "loyalty card" for my detailing business, where the tenth wash is free. He didn't get that the free one would cost me over a hundred bucks in labor and supplies. People just see the final service, not the work behind it.

the_wren10d ago

Plus you'd attract the worst kind of customers, the ones who only show up for the freebie and never tip!

richard22616d ago

What about the people who suggest you should do a "buy one, get one free" deal on big jobs? Had a guy tell me I'd get tons of roofing work if I did a free garage re-roof with every house. The shingles alone would bankrupt me.