When to Raise Your Lash Prices & How To Tell Your Clients Without Losing Them?
You've come a long way since you first opened your lash business, and now you're at a point where your schedule is almost always full. This is a testament to your hard work and the quality of your service. You might be considering a waiting list or announcing that you're not taking in new clients because your regulars struggle to book the dates they need to maintain their lashes. This might not be necessary, but raising your prices may not be for everyone.
WHEN SHOULD YOU RAISE YOUR PRICES?
If your schedule is over 80% full
If your regulars are struggling to book their refills
If you feel overwhelmed with the amount of work you have
If you're struggling to keep up with demand
If you've been working for over a year and haven't changed your prices
WHEN IS IT A BAD IDEA TO RAISE YOUR PRICES?
If your only clients are your regulars (no new clients)
If you live in a place where there are too many high-quality lash artists at a low price (like in London, UK)
If your clientele and bookings aren't consistent (some weeks you're fully booked, but other weeks you barely have two clients)
Now that we know if it's a good idea, it is time to raise your prices!
HOW TO RAISE YOUR PRICES?
First, we need to decide HOW MUCH will you raise your prices. We typically recommend raising them 5 to 10 dollars/euros/pounds more, no more than that at a time. This is enough to help you make more money, yet it's small enough not to scare your customers away.
HOW TO TELL CLIENTS?
We recommend making a temporary social media post (such as a story that you keep posting for a couple of weeks every other day) and a feed post that you will change your prices next month (and then delete after the price change). We recommend announcing your price change a month in advance to give your clients time to make that work with their budget, as some might need to either save up more or even cut other things in their lives to make it work if times are tough.
If you have a newsletter, we recommend sending an e-mail blast a couple of weeks before and on the day of the change. If you control your website, maybe make a temporary announcement like a pop-up or an announcement bar.
Making a big deal about it is not recommended, like making flyers or even a permanent social media post, as we want people to know but soon forget about it. We also don't want new customers to be scared off by wondering if you're going to raise them again anytime soon or how much money they are "losing out" by seeing the old prices next to the new ones. So be sure that when you change your prices, you change them everywhere! If your prices are shown on Facebook, IG highlights, etc., you need to change them all simultaneously and only show the new prices.
The best way to tell your clients is to tell them in person the next time you service them that you'll be changing your prices by next month or next week. Give them some time to save up, and do not spring it on them by surprise when they arrive at their appointment. If you have already changed your prices by the time you get a client you haven't seen in a while, maybe offer them a discount for this time so they can adjust to the new pricing.
"When I started my first lash salon in Paris, France, I raised my prices by 5 euros almost every season. Every three to five months, I raised my prices by 5 euros, and even though some customers left, my regulars stayed. I also gave my regulars a discount for that amount, which was good for a month, so that they could get used to the new pricing. Yes, I would lose some clients, but eventually, I would get new clients, and those were even better clients!" - Yessika Mármol
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