Raffle prize win - what would you do

[ihaircut101]

Writing this without saying which side I am, would be interested in knowing who you think is 'right'.

Jill won a raffle prize of a cut and blow dry at a new salon owned by Mary. When Jill attended to claim her prize she also booked in for a root tint, which she expected to pay for.

During their session Mary mentioned business was not so good and she thought it partly due to her website content. Jill told her that her business was website marketing and offered to take a look at Mary's website, which she did. Jill made a lot of suggestions, she rewrote some of the content and suggested mary implement an online booking facility. Mary was very happy with the changes and as a thank you waived the cost of the colour.

About a month later, Mary contacted Jill and asked her to set up the online booking system, Jill was agreeable to take this on and explained her fees. Mary was taken aback at being asked to pay as felt as she had waived the cost of the hair dye treatment, that should cover the cost of the website work.

What do you think? Should Jill charge for this extra work? If yes, would it be ok for Mary to ask Jill to now pay for the colour treatment she had?

I don't think Mary is a person I'd want as a friend or as a client to be honest. You won a raffle and she gave you a free root tint in return for your advice and some improvements to her website and now she wants you to set up a booking system for her for nothing extra. She will grudge every penny she spends on it and will have you on speed dial for anything that goes wrong for possibly years.

depends on the comparable value.

To me, it sounds like a root tint and rewriting some content for the website would be a roughly equal value (assuming this was actually done, and not just casually discussed).

I'd say creating an online booking system would be much more valuable than a root tint though, so would probably expect someone to pay for this.
May have perhaps been a good idea to offer some kind of 'mates rates' discount, or offer to set up a swapsies type situation if it would be mutually beneficial tho - "It'd usually be £150, but I'll do it for £50 for you if you will do me a full hairdye and cut next week?" Type thing

No, I don't think it should be mates' rates. Women are just too ready to devalue their services, usually at the suggestion of other women too. Things should be on a proper businesslike footing and the OP should be charging her usual rates.

This exactly.

The free hair colour was in return for a consultation report about the website

Setting up an online booking system is extra and needs paying for.

You have to tell her how many hours work it is - people have NO IDEA about IT!!

Would the initial advice and changes made by Jill be in same price as the root tint (I expect they would be more expensive personally)

Iv no idea of prices but what would be the ball park for setting the online booking system up? I'm guessing more than a colour?

So:
Mary made a good decision in donating the cut and blow dry as a raffle-prize. The generosity would be noted by all in the raffle and her name would be out there. If she did a good job she might also have won a future customer.

Jill was lucky to be the raffle winner. She might also have found a new hairdresser. Her offer of IT help suggests she was pleased with the experience. (Her offer of help was generous and suggests a promising start to this relationship.)

Mary made a good decision in offering the tint for the IT help. Things were going well with this customer and both gained.

Mary made a poor decision in attempting to extend the original gift of IT help.
She probably isn't aware of the value of the original help.
Sadly though, she is likely to have lost this customer and that of her friends and relations.

Mary is unreasonable.

How much would you normally charge to provide suggestions and rewrite some of the content?
How much was the tint worth?
And how much does it cost to set up an online booking system?

Team Jill. Mary, as a business owner, should be the first to understand that work = pay.

Mary’s a cf and you are really, really daft for not explaining your prices and exactly how much work she could expect for the price of a free tint.

In order for her to feel like you should be providing her with more free IT services, she’s either got to feel like you did hardly anything, or be charging so much for her hairdressing services that it would be cheaper to have Trevor Sorbie pop round to do you a complete restyle one evening after work. The only way she’s going to feel that she hasn’t been cheated is if you provide her with a breakdown of what you did and how much you charge for it, compared to the price of the free tint. Tell her if she’s not happy with that, you’re more than happy to pay the full price of the tint and send her your bill for the full price of your work.

I think this friendship is already dead in the water because Mary is clearly not the lovely person you first thought she was. She’s likely to always feel slightly aggrieved with you, and like you have conned her, because she clearly doesn’t understand the value of what you do. I’m quite sure she doesn’t spend her weekends giving her friends free haircuts because it’s only a quick trim while they’d be chatting anyway. So why does she think you should be providing her with free ongoing IT support in return for nothing but her ‘friendship’? That’s insane. And also, very much not a good basis for a friendship.

Barter. Offer to do the work in exchange for hairdos. Everyone is a winner. Except the tax man.

Ah, that old chestnut - doing it for exposure, or good word of mouth.

No self employed woman anywhere has had a business success down to that sort of bargain. And yet somehow it’s suggested by people all the damned time.

When mortgage providers and utilities companies accept exposure as currency, then the OP should consider working for it.

Until that mythical day, it’s a hard No.

If this booking system is something that will take you an hour or two I would do it (at your leisure) to foster the friendship. If it is going to take you two days then you absolutely can’t do it for free and should tell the lady how long you expect it to take and that is why you cannot do it for free - that you will do it for “mates rates” and offer a good price - (but one that is absolutely worth your while and doesn’t cost you too much compared to your full rate). If you have other work to do then a job on a mates rate would have to wait. Keep in mind she might choose not to go ahead with the project if she has to pay.

Could you compromise on
mates rates in exchange for a good review? If you are just moved to the area and hope to build business locally, then it’s a whole different angle. If you are not bothered about local businesses as you already have clients elsewhere, then don’t do the work unless she pays you the full rate.

You really don’t need friends like Mary. It will end in tears, trust me.

My eyebrow lady works in a room in an accountancy firm and has an ongoing arrangement that she does their eyebrows between clients and they do her books every year. I feel like thats pretty fair and ongoing however could easy tip in to CF territory.

What happens if there is a problem with the website/booking form? Do you just forever provide support because she gave you one free haircut?

I think Mary is a bit cheeky (or maybe a bit naive regarding the value / cost of IT assistance).. but if you genuinely like her and would like to build a friendship maybe waive this one but let her know your prices etc in case she wants further support..

Offer mates' rates

Cut and blow dry was a raffle prize and was free regardless

Website advice/rewriting copy = free root tint

So Jill is right to charge for further work (online booking system) and Mary can't now charge her for the tint

I thought it was totally obvious you are Jill!

though as far as getting your business out there, she has a good idea! Offer the prize of ‘a free (1 hour or whatever) consultation/website review’ to some summer fairs!

Mary and Jill are even, nobody owes anyone anything at this stage.

The cut and blow dry Mary donated as a raffle prize was won by Jill.

The additional hair work / dye done by Mary was offset by the website work Jill did. So they did a contra-deal.

Now they are at an even point where nobody owes anyone anything.

If Mary wants additional work done on her website, she will have to pay for it.

I am Mary

I also think you are quite at the moment and if she wants a booking system then she needs to pay.
I would probably text back and explain setting one up would take 10 hours or whatever and you charge £50 an hour. Then she can see the value is way higher than the hair colour (even though you are quite on that).

You won’t build a successful business by undervaluing your worth.

😂😂😂😂