And judging by the response, she definitely struck a chord.
“And I understand, I’m a hair stylist,” Meradith continues in her video.
“I understand that we have to charge our worth.
We have to charge for our time.
We have to charge for product and inflation.
…But I don’t agree with what people are charging!
Like, flat out, I don’t agree with it.”
And that’s just, to me, not what a hairstylist is."
And they want to come in and get their hair done, but they want to feel valued.
“For reference, I live in Denver, Colorado,” Meradith says.
“I rent my own studio, so I am a full business owner.
I can charge that.'
But in reality, that’s not the way that it is.”
“And just remember that clients are people too.
They have bills that they need to pay.
That’s just my two cents.
So if you agree, you agree, and if you don’t, you don’t.”
Nearly 8,000 people commented on Meradith’s video.
Many agreed that the prices for hair services have gotten far too expensive for them to regularly afford.
I really started to notice a steep price increase with services four to five years ago."
Which, in my view, is where disconnect is happening with clients returning."
“Also, the flip side for stylists.
“I am by no means saying sell yourself short,” she clarified.
Transparency is very important and builds a lot of trust in your client relationship.”
There are still stylists and salons that provide quality work without charging an astronomical amount.
Without clients in our chair, we don’t make money.
Charge what you feel is right, absolutely.
If your client retention is lacking, it’s time to reevaluate your business structure."
It does require a lot of time and energy.
It’s not a hobby, it is a lot of people’s livelihoods, including my own.
I strive for that every day I am behind the chair.
