Reneice And Company Are Out Of Control

thatscuteright

Well-Known Member
I called the other day to make an appointment with Shannon to have my hair straightened/flat ironed and I was informed that the fee had gone up from $65 to $100 o_O and I am like why???
She then proceeds to tell me that the yearly increase applies to all the junior stylists and that there are some people that come in every two weeks to have their hair straightened. Le sigh, its not that I cant afford it, I just think its outrageous and exploitive. I know there are many that feel differently, but I just cant justify spending $100 to flatiron my hair and have it only last for about 2 weeks.
 

ms.blue

Well-Known Member
Wow, $100 to flatiron. It's not about affording or not affording the proces but the huge increase. A $35 increase is a lot for a short temporary style. A $10 or even $15 increase could have offset the rising cost and still make profit especially from those who come bi-weekly.
 

bklynbornNbred

Well-Known Member
So do you work at your job for years build up skills and never get a raise? Would you rather they move to the business model of other salons where they maximize the number of clients and sacrifice the quality of time and attention?

I'm not sure why people insist that natural hair is cheaper. It's not. I used to easily pay $100 when my hair was fully relaxed. You had a bargain when the stylist was in training. She has the right to earn a living. I'm not messing with anyone that isn't charging market prices once I'm fully natural.
 

thatscuteright

Well-Known Member
So do you work at your job for years build up skills and never get a raise? Would you rather they move to the business model of other salons where they maximize the number of clients and sacrifice the quality of time and attention?

I'm not sure why people insist that natural hair is cheaper. It's not. I used to easily pay $100 when my hair was fully relaxed. You had a bargain when the stylist was in training. She has the right to earn a living. I'm not messing with anyone that isn't charging market prices once I'm fully natural.

I am so confused. Its market price to charge $100 for a flatiron? If so don't find the nature of the Black hair industry exploitive then?
 
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mz.rae

Well-Known Member
It's kind of funny how that with so many people being natural the prices of flat ironing services have gotten outrageous. I remember in high school I would get my hair flat ironed for $45 and that was it. I can see a relaxer or something being $100 cause it's permanent. But a flat iron on natural hair that's going to get sweated out, may swell up on a humid day as soon as you leave the salon, and just doesn't last long I don't see it.
 
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SugarRush

Member
Yeah I noticed that too. Went for a sew-in with Shamira a few weeks ago and the price went up from $140 to $180. I was surprised by the sudden change, I asked and I was given the same explanation about prices going up for junior stylists
 

DarkJoy

Bent. Not Broken.
Ive worked in business 20 years.

A normal annual cost of living increase for most industries from construction to wall street is an annual increase of 2 - 5% (minus annual bonuses for performance to individual workers). That increase goes to workers' pay and ultimately is offset by an equal 2 -5% increase on the customer.

This 30 some% (?) (my math sucks) overnight is a bit much. Thats ridiculous.

So do you work at your job for years build up skills and never get a raise? Would you rather they move to the business model of other salons where they maximize the number of clients and sacrifice the quality of time and attention?

I'm not sure why people insist that natural hair is cheaper. It's not. I used to easily pay $100 when my hair was fully relaxed. You had a bargain when the stylist was in training. She has the right to earn a living. I'm not messing with anyone that isn't charging market prices once I'm fully natural.
 

moneychaser

Well-Known Member
Considering how huge of a setback it would be for me if my hair became heat damaged due to an incompetent stylist frying my hair I have no issue shelling over $100 for the added insurance that my hair is in good hands. I never have to worry about excessive trimming or heat damage when I go to Reniece and crew, thats for sure.
 

junipertree

Well-Known Member
So do you work at your job for years build up skills and never get a raise? Would you rather they move to the business model of other salons where they maximize the number of clients and sacrifice the quality of time and attention?

I'm not sure why people insist that natural hair is cheaper. It's not. I used to easily pay $100 when my hair was fully relaxed. You had a bargain when the stylist was in training. She has the right to earn a living. I'm not messing with anyone that isn't charging market prices once I'm fully natural.

I think the issue is the extreme jump in price. I'm fully natural and I don't even spend $65 for straightening, certainly much less than that when I was in NY. At the end of the day, the stylist isn't even who is reaping the most benefits in salons. It's the owner. Certainly the stylist should get an increase once she has built up her skills but that adjustment would not be so obvious and so dramatic if the salon owner absorbed some of the impact. Reniece needs to reconsider her business pricing model so that her regular customers are not so impacted. JMO
 

bklynbornNbred

Well-Known Member
Flat ironing relaxed hair is much easier than doing natural hair. It should cost more. Plenty of relaxed styles only last a few days. The cost isn't built on length of time otherwise braids/weave would cost more.

Business models change. Especially with the cost of everything going up. Found an old cell phone bill where I used to pay $49.99 for the top plan on AT&T. Today's price is what a car payment used to be.

At end of the day there are plenty on here who have hundreds of dollars of products they will never use. I just don't understand the constant complaints on here over stylists but to see this especially when R shop has a long time standard of improving clients hair. The money you're not spending on products should cover the stylist. Or just go once a month. There is a waiting list full of people wanting to get in.
 

thatscuteright

Well-Known Member
So... nothing else. No wash, dc, trim, style... just to flat iron is $100? Like, you sit in her chair, she flat irons it, and says "That'll be a hunned bucks"? I'm having trouble wrapping my head around this. :lol:

No, you get a wash, conditioning etc... standard salon fare, set in "spa" atmosphere.
It just that I have had my hair flat ironed before and I know the process takes only 20 minutes due to my hair texture and length. The last time I paid $65 plus 25% tip.

ETA: fixed amount :lol:
 
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thatscuteright

Well-Known Member
Flat ironing relaxed hair is much easier than doing natural hair. It should cost more. Plenty of relaxed styles only last a few days. The cost isn't built on length of time otherwise braids/weave would cost more.

Business models change. Especially with the cost of everything going up. Found an old cell phone bill where I used to pay $49.99 for the top plan on AT&T. Today's price is what a car payment used to be.

At end of the day there are plenty on here who have hundreds of dollars of products they will never use. I just don't understand the constant complaints on here over stylists but to see this especially when R shop has a long time standard of improving clients hair. The money you're not spending on products should cover the stylist. Or just go once a month. There is a waiting list full of people wanting to get in.
My dear no one is complaining, but rather discussing the state of Black Hair and Salon prices. No one is discrediting the training that one takes to learn their craft and the proper compensation that should be received, but rather the exploitive nature of the prices. Reniece's salon does well and will continue to do well as many other Black salons, but some of us do find the price increases exploitive. Yes, there are many on the waiting list, and good luck to them getting appointments as she does great work and they don't mind the prices, but some of us do.
 

virtuenow

Well-Known Member
So... nothing else. No wash, dc, trim, style... just to flat iron is $100? Like, you sit in her chair, she flat irons it, and says "That'll be a hunned bucks"? I'm having trouble wrapping my head around this. :lol:

Good question. How much do the senior stylists charge? And, again, does this include a wash & deep condition or are they simply flat ironing? I know how hair salons operate. They tell you one price, then the wash [which is required] is extra and deep condition is extra-extra.

I paid around $85 in 2011 the last time I got a flat iron. So I'm surprised Reniece was only charging $65 in 2015 (even for a junior level). Anyhoo, I vowed never to go to a salon again. ETA: It was more about my hair being burned straight and extremely long wait period (at a top salon)- and stylist not knowing natural haircare or healthy hair practices. Since restarting my journey, my hair has never looked better. Nothing against Reniece, she's probably the only one I would go to!

As far as natural being cheaper, I don't think anyone was talking about "salon" cheaper, just generally cheaper. Anyway, I don't think most people go natural to save their money so much as saving their hair.
 
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whit923

Well-Known Member
Meh, this doesn't surprise me, especially with the caliber of work she does. I've paid that for much worse service at many a mediocre salon. From a customer service perspective it probably would have been better to increase gradually, so I can understand OP and other's being upset at the extreme price hike. Ultimately, if people are paying the prices she sets and there is a substantial wait list, then she is for all intents and purposes worth the price she has set.
 

thatscuteright

Well-Known Member
It's kind of funny how that with so many people being natural the prices of flat ironing services have gotten outrageous. I remember in high school I would get my hair flat ironed for $45 and that was it. I can see a relaxer or something being $100 cause it's permanent. But a flat iron on natural hair that's going to get sweated out, may swell up on a humid day as soon as you leave the salon, and just doesn't last long I don't see it.
Maybe she's trying to weed out her clientale. She may want a new crop of clients or something!

Nothing wrong with that, we get the message loud and clear :lachen:
 

lux10023

Well-Known Member
Its also important to go to someone who is familiar with natural hair..i made the big mistake of going to the Dominicans because i missed my scheduled appt time at my usual spot..heat damage up the wazoooooo...i was so upset at myself for that--you get what you pay for and yes it was about $50 for the flat iron....

i go to my tried and true..and further more

I've actually learned how to flatiron my hair salon level..using the right products and trial and error and of course the right flatiron makes a world of difference..
it just the time and patience and my arms hurting doing it but if it means the hair on my head is healthy then so be it...

$100 is about where the market is going..re-re may have just said *** it..my business my way which is fine...as you dont bargain with your time and skill level...
 
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SugarRush

Member
I was more surprised than upset. I go regularly for sew-ins and it just seemed out of the blue when I was told as I was being rung up at the register.

Nonetheless, I'll still keep going there regularly because of the awesome customer service and great improvement I've seen in my hair (and the price is still reasonable).
She mentioned the new price list was emailed to all clients but I didn't receive it.
 

danniegirl

Well-Known Member
So do you work at your job for years build up skills and never get a raise? Would you rather they move to the business model of other salons where they maximize the number of clients and sacrifice the quality of time and attention?

I'm not sure why people insist that natural hair is cheaper. It's not. I used to easily pay $100 when my hair was fully relaxed. You had a bargain when the stylist was in training. She has the right to earn a living. I'm not messing with anyone that isn't charging market prices once I'm fully natural.


Oh please who the hell gets a 53% pay raise a year for doing the same exact work as the year before

NO ONE THATS WHO
 
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