Need work advice - reward for weight loss is going down the drain....
I started at a new job last week. It is at a very very fancy salon/spa. I work at the part-time receptionist. I was trained by the manager who is also the owners wife. While training me, she showed me employee pricing and what it would cost for me to get services done. It is at the at-cost price so it is insanly cheap. I asked her if there is a 3-month probation before I can have access to the employee prices and she said nope. So I booked a hair appointment with one of the stylists there.
Well, today I go to get my hair done and its with a stylist who I have not had the chance of meeting but came recommended to me. As soon as I sit down in the chair she tells me that it will be 50% of the retail cost since I am under my 3 months. When I mention what the manager said, the stylist told me that it is "up to the stylists discretion". Not wanting to embarrass myself infront of my new co-workers (other stylists could hear), I said that was fine and we went about the haircut. In actuality, I could totally not afford it. It's the same price as it would have cost me anywhere else, but I am crazy broke right now!...
The problem is..... I am booked for a massage on Friday at work. Since I was told I get at-cost prices, my husband told me to book myself a massage as a treat to myself for all the hard work I've put in with school, weight loss and work (I also work another job). I am now really worried since there is NO WAY I can afford the massage if I get charged 50% of the cost. I wont be seeing my manager until a few days after my massage is scheduled. Should I call the manager and ask for clarification on the prices? I don't want to start trouble at the new job and I am afraid that if the stylist was wrong, the manager will say something and the stylist would dislike me then (causing others to probably dislike me). However, if the stylist was right, then I will have to cancel my massage on Friday which would look bad since the girl doing my massage would have an empty spot then. Please help! I was so excited for my "reward" but now I just feel SUPER stressed about it!.
Also note, the manager is new to managing the salon, however she is the owners wife and has been doing the book keeping/payrole and other admin managing for a few months so she knows all about the commissions and what not.
I would ask for clarification but is it possible to ask an employee who has worked there awhile? They may be better informed than your manager on employee pricing since they would likely have taken advantage of it. If you receive more conflicting information I would then take it up with the manager.
It also sounds like that may be making up their own rules. It really doesn't make sense for pricing to be the stylists discretion especially concerning employees. But that also depends on how the salon part is set up are the stylists employees or do they rent a chair/space and have it taken out of a portion of what clients pay (if this is the case it would make sense for them to not want to give employees a major discount).
As for asking other employees, I asked the other day. The other receptionist showed me how to look up prices again and said those would be the prices (like the manager did). I even asked the other receptionists if it was a bad idea to book an appointment so soon and she laughed and said "Not at all. You practically get stuff for free here so why go somewhere else". I don't want to bring up this incident with the other receptionist though because I know she talks and gets along very well with the stylist who charged me so I am worried she might say something to her.
There are two salons owned by the same people (so same policies). I work at both and have formed a closer bond to the receptionist at the other salon (which is not as fancy). When talking about costs, she mentioned that she didnt even have to pay for her haircut since the at-cost price is only $1.52 so they didn't even bother charging her. I'm just so confused.
After some investigating (aka looking for job ads online lol!) I have learned that they get paid 50% commissions. Even with that said though, shouldn't their be a solid employee set of rules?
Ya I think the person who did your hair was kind of a jerk! Sounds like she didn't want to give a hair cut away, and charged you anyway.
Can you just go to the massage therapist and ask and just be honest about it being the difference between being able to afford it and not being able to afford it?
Can you just go to the massage therapist and ask and just be honest about it being the difference between being able to afford it and not being able to afford it?
I would ask the woman doing my massage if I could since I wouldn't find it awkward at all. However, she only works on Friday, which is the day I am getting my massage so I wouldn't know until then anyways so it wouldn't give me the chance to cancel the appointment with enough notice for her to book someone else. Ugh, what was supposed to be a relaxation gift is making me more stressed then I have been in ages. I'm a stress eater so its making it even more difficult!
Also, I always tip. My orginal plan (when thinking I would get the full employee pricing) was to tip 23% on the retail amount. Aka, the haircut in retail was $70, so I was tipping $16.
If you're broke & can't afford it, then you can't afford it. Don't feel bad about cancelling the appt. Appts get cancelled all the time, it's part of the business. And you're not required to give any reason for doing so. If pressed for a reason, you can simply say "I decided not to do it right now."
You need to take care of your finances instead of worrying whether or not someone can re-fill an empty appt. Plus, the sooner you cancel, the more chance she has of getting a new appt for that time slot.
Cancel the appointment and wait till you know people. Someone is obviously wrong here.
I am a hairstylist and to be honest that situation is kinda odd. Obviously it's best when staff use all the services and look like they do, but it's kinda a tricky thing. Hairstylists work entirely on commission usually so for someone you've never even met to show up in your chair might be kinda annoying from our perspective. On the other hand, we usually enjoy doing hair and are glad to do coworkers hair. I'd just hand on for a bit and get to know the staff. Then just start asking if it's ok if you book with them and when is a good time for them.
You need to be more assertive in the future. What you should have done (I know hindsight is 20/20) is when the stylist told you it was up to stylist discretion, you needed to remember that your budget is up to YOUR discretion, and cancel the appointment.
You don't have to be angry, or rude, but saying "Well, I wish I had that information when I asked. I'm sorry to inconvenience you, but I was counting on the price I was quoted. I'll have to reschedule the appointment when I'm better prepared for the cost," Or maybe even, "Oh so the prices are negotiable? That's good to know. I'll talk to the other stylists to compare prices and I'll get back to you. "
I would have gone a step further, and would've said something like, "I'm so sorry to have put you in this awkward position, the manager really needs to make that clearer. I think I'll go talk to her about it the next time I see her, so that she doesn't put any other new employees in this awkward position."
See there how I never blamed her for trying to rip me off, I even seemed to take "her side" in the argument, but I'll also be exposing her lie if she's trying to scam me. If she's lying, she's not going to want me to talk to the manager, and if she isn't lying then the manager needs to know that what she believes is the policy isn't being inforced. Bad, bad business.
If the stylist supports my going to the manager, I would go to the manager (likewise taking HER side) saying, "Perhaps I misunderstood when you gave me the employee pricing. When I showed up for my appointment with (stylist's name), she told me (in a voice that doesn't sound I'm doubting the stylist) that price was at the stylists discretion. Is this true for all services or just for hair?"
This tells the manager what's going on without it coming across as you "tattling" on fellow employees.
Being assertive is not the same as being mean or agressive. Smiling while you refuse to be a doormat isn't being anything but the wonderful person that you are and can be, and if you act as if you believe the person is acting in good faith (whether you really believe it or not) doesn't mean you need to alllow yourself ot be taken advantage of or manipulated into doing what you don't want to do, and what you feel is right).
You can't undo what has happened, but you can stand up for yourself (without being angry or confrontational) in the future. When you go in for your massage, ask up front about the pricing and if she too is going to charge more than you were quoted, tell her "I'm so sorry, but I'll have to reschedule, the manager told me...... I'm going to have to talk to her about this so that other new employees aren't being misled and you aren't put in this awkward position...."
Again if the employees are "scamming" other employees they're not going to want to get caught. If they try to tell you not to tell the manager, again feign innocent conviction and say, "Oh no we've got to fix this. It just isn't right for the manager not to give new employees the correct information...)
Stand up for yourself, and if you can do it by being (or seeming) sympathetic to the person you're dealing with, it usually won't come back to bite you in the butt. The secret is to AGREE with the person and take their side, but stand firm in your own choice.
When the stylist quoted her price you could have said, "That makes so much sense, but you know I just wasn't planning on this expense. I'll have to reschedule, or talk to the other stylists, and by the way, I should really mention to the manager that she needs to pass along the correct information."
Don't be a doormat, because you feel awkard. It is an awkward situation, so say that, but don't feel pressured to solve the awkwardness by sacrificing your own needs and desires. Admit that the situation is awkward, suggest a way to resolve the situation that doesn't involve you making any compromises you're not fully willing to make, and if you want to preserve a friendship or prevent mking an adversary, throw in a magnanomous apology for the inconvenience of you doing exactly what you have a right to do.
Thank you all for the great advice. I went ahead and cancelled the appointment. I decided I didn't want to make things even more awkward with my coworkers, as well as it gives me a chance to figure out what is going on. I spoke with the receptionist at the other salon since her and I have become closer and she agreed that what happened was not right and has never heard of anyone being charged 50%. Since I do not want to stir up anymore trouble at the main salon, I will just wait it out and see what happens. Now lets hope no one is mad about my cancelling my appointment. It was 48 hours in advance so hopefully that is okay!
Need work advice - reward for weight loss is going down the drain....
