Hairdresser charging customers for PPE?

[Inspiralcarpetry]

Mum has asked me to ask for S&B opinions!
Her hairdresser has booked her in for her first post lockdown haircut, but has increased her prices, presumably to cover some losses from lockdown.
She has also told mum she will make an additional £5 charge to all customers as she has had to purchase PPE (mum will need to bring and wear her own mask obviously.) She is the salon owner and prices aren't cheap to start with.
The other issue is she is offering blow dries and mum is worried about an increased virus risk.
I'm a bit perplexed, as my own hairdresser hasn't mentioned any price increases and PPE charges and is so reasonable anyway, he's going to get the fattest welcome back tip from me next week! My hairdresser is clear that their salon won't do blow dries, due to the risk.
Mum will obviously go ahead as she's desperate for a cut, but would appreciate opinions on the PPE charge and also the idea of a blow dry with both parties wearing a mask please?
TIA.

[healththrowawayx]

All the high end salons in my area, inc mine, are doing the same. It will cost me £8 extra at least

[healththrowawayx]

Sorry that should be £10

[ScottishStottie]

My hairdresser is charging extra due to ppe costs, and are puttinf up their prices, but stated the price increase would have been happening in april anyway so is somewhat unconnected.

[Inspiralcarpetry]

Thanks for replying, no problem if it's what people are doing.

[Myshinynewname]

Fair enough if they need to increase prices after 3 months with no income. A separate charge for the hairdresser's PPE while your mum supplies her own?! I would be going somewhere else!

[Sooobooored]

Surely hairdressers have guidance they have to adhere to re the risk of blow drying.

There was a thread the other day about some dentists passing on the cost of PPE to the patient and it varied from nothing to about £40!

I didn’t realise hairdressers would be charging for PPE too. I would be prepared to pay £5 but wouldn’t really want to pay a lot more than that.

[Roselilly36]

Why should a hairdresser, burden the cost of PPE, most dentists are passing on the charge. £5 doesn’t seem excessive to me.

[Sirzy]

They need to cover their costs.

If your mum doesn’t want a blow dry then surely she can just book a dry cut?

Your mum doesn’t need to pay, and she doesn’t need to have a blow dry. If she isn’t comfy she can just wait a bit longer for her cut

[healththrowawayx]

The thing I’m annoyed about is that there was no mention of this when they called me last week to book an appointment. They just made a vague comment on insta yesterday. Poor customer service imo.

The surcharge is separate for cut and colour, but the comment is unclear whether clients who have both services will be charged twice or not (£10 in total). A high end salon in my area is just charging a blanket £3 in comparison.

[YouStupidBoy]

Mine is adding £5 for PPE and have made it clear that blow dries will not be possible - also no foils as it means that customers will spend too long in the salon.

[Inspiralcarpetry]

Interesting, at least if you know upfront it's not an unpleasant surprise at the time!
Mine hasn't mentioned any additional cost, but he is so amazing and so utterly cheap anyway, I'd pay it happily plus big tip next week!
I missed the thread about the dentist passing PPE cost on - £40? Blerdy hell!

[Oblahdeeoblahdoe]

She can take the £5 off the tip she was going to leave and not have a blow-dry

[Myshinynewname]

Why should the customer bear the extra cost? Unfortunately it's something that is required for the hairdresser to run their business at the moment. The customer is already paying for their own PPE to attend the appointment. It's like asking a customer to pay for their scissors to be sharpened. Disposable masks and gloves are also nowhere near £5 a set.
I run a business and am not asking customers to pay me for the PPE I need to wear to visit them.

[Inspiralcarpetry]

Not complaining by the way, this is just to get honest opinions from you lovely folk! Thanks for all thoughts and also on the blow dry.

[justchecking1]

"Why should the customer bear the extra cost"??

The customer beats the cost of everything (including the scissors being sharpened). It would hardly be a profitable business otherwise!

[lindyloo57]

£5 IS that every customer, wow, buy the end of the day that's a good deal for the hairdresser, I would buy a cheap mask for her to use, .i don't understand how they can put prices up because of being closed, it's not the customer fault, have they not claimed help from the government.

[Janaih]

Mine is putting prices up from September. Seems fair enough.

[MrsHuntGeneNotJeremyObviously]

I think this is cheeky. £5 is too much - £1 or £2 covers the cost of a paper mask and a pair of gloves. I think this is a fist of running the business, like electricity and shouldn't be used as a money making enterprise. My dentist is introducing a temp charge but makes it clear that it is literally to cover costs, not for profit.
I know it must have been really hard for hairdressers but presumably they want people to be pleased to go back and not feel exploited. I suspect this charge will benefit salon owners but ultimately come out of the tips of lower paid staff.

[RedCatBlueCat]

By putting it as a PPE charge, it's easy to drop again when PPE is no longer required.
Salons are experiencing lower customer numbers (spacing, cleaning etc) and higher costs - PPE. Prices will have to go up to cover costs, or the business isnt viable. This seems like a way to temporarily put up prices. Seems sensible to me.

[itsbetterthanabox]

The rules and restrictions put in place will mean huge loss of profits for the industry.
They can do far fewer customers a day. These costs need to be made up. I don't think that's a huge amount to increase. Don't go if you don't want to pay for the service.

[BreathlessCommotion]

I think it is usually a disposable gown too.

I'm booked in for July, but my hair treatment require a hairdryer/blow dry, it can't be done without it. So no idea how that is being managed.

[Floralnomad]

I think in general most businesses are putting up their prices to try and recoup some of the losses , it will be interesting to see if the prices ever actually go down again but FWIW I don’t mind paying extra .

[QuestionMarkNow]

PPE IS expensive.
They also need to allow for extra timr fr cleaning which I assume you will EXPECT from them too. All that has a cost.

What it is NOT about is making up for the losses during lockdown.

If your hairdresser hasn't included an increasein price due too PPE then that hairdresser is stupoid. Im sorry (I woud also wonder where they are cutting corners to avpid making the price increase btw)

[QuestionMarkNow]

@MrsHuntGeneNotJeremyObviously

I think this is cheeky. £5 is too much - £1 or £2 covers the cost of a paper mask and a pair of gloves. I think this is a fist of running the business, like electricity and shouldn't be used as a money making enterprise. My dentist is introducing a temp charge but makes it clear that it is literally to cover costs, not for profit.
I know it must have been really hard for hairdressers but presumably they want people to be pleased to go back and not feel exploited. I suspect this charge will benefit salon owners but ultimately come out of the tips of lower paid staff.

Do you think £2 will also cover the extra time cleaning so less clients, the extra cleaning/disposable for towels etc... for example?

PPE is not just wat you see (a mask and a pair of gloves)

[Inspiralcarpetry]

Price increases to cover additional cleaning and fewer customers - makes sense.
My hairdresser isn't stupid, he's absolutely fab and reaps that back in well deserved tips.
This thread has been super useful though thanks, it hadn't even occurred to me that there will likely be a PPE charge for my own hair next week and why that might be a reasonable ask, as long as it isn't too expensive!