Hourly Pricing: Making the switch

In the last seven years, Destroy the Hairdresser has helped thousands of hairdressers switch their service menus from a la carte to hourly.

“We never saw the concept of hourly pricing as disruptive, we saw it as an obvious solution to increasing the average income of a hairdresser, and the overall profitability of the salon.” – Cyd Charisse

Hourly pricing is the practice of charging clients for time rather than service.

“A hairdresser is not worth more when they are doing color and extensions, and worth less when they are doing haircutting and styling. However, that is how we charge. We have been incorrectly paying ourselves for decades, but hourly pricing is the auto-correction of that mistake.” – David Bosscher

When charging for time, it is not simply about setting a timer and charging for however long it takes you to complete the service. It is more about quoting time and sticking with that quote. For example: “Based on what you want to achieve, it will take me three hours. I charge $100 an hour, which brings the total to $300.”

It is important to remember that quoting time is a skill that we must sharpen. Those who struggle with timing will also struggle with quoting time. It does not matter if the hairdresser is slow or fast; it matters that the hairdresser is honest in the quote. It is up to the client to decide whether it is worth their time and/or money to move forward.

“Charging for time removes any conversation about add-ons, upselling, toners, process, extra bowls. It removes the unnecessary conversations hairdressers feeling they must have to justify their tools and processes.” – Cyd Charisse

At Destroy the Hairdresser, hourly pricing is quoted on the hour. This means no fifteen-minute or half-hour timings. If a service will take three and half hours for the hairdresser to achieve, they would quote four hours. This time can be filled with conditioning treatments, more extended shampoo sessions, or simply enjoying a less hustle mentality while working.

A few things to note:

1. If a hairdresser goes over their quoted time, this will not be charged to the client. The client always pays only what was quoted.
2. If a service is completed an hour early, the quote can be changed to a lesser quote. However, if the service is completed fifteen minutes or thirty minutes earlier, the quote remains the same.

“We have found that clients love hourly pricing, but hairdressers and salon owners struggle with it. They feel it will complicate the process. But rest assured, as soon as they implement hourly pricing into their business, nearly every headache regarding services is removed and the consultation becomes much more streamlined.” – David Bosscher