Need help fast!!

[Da Cute Dude]

Okay, I have been doing massages at a law firm for the last 4 years. I have taken a break for the last several months because the law firm was growing and they gave my conference room away to a new employee. Anyway, they want me back and now they want to re negotiate my fee. I have been doing regular deep tissue work on his employee with my table. Each employee gets a 20 min. massage. I was doing about 6 employees and charging him $70 an hour. I raised it from $20 per person to an hourly rate, because I felt my time wasn't being valued and employees would gingerly walk in for their massage when they felt like it. Which meant I would be there for hours and walk out with little money. So, way way back I upped it to an hourly rate. Now they have 15 employees and now they are asking me to give more massages for less money. Right now I am really pissed off!! I am sick of people always wanting discounts. What upsets me is, I know this Lawyer can afford me and I believe he can write this off on his taxes. What should I charge this guy???

 

[Captain Jack]

I think your $70 is VERY reasonable. You are coming to him, changing lots of sheets, doing switches 3x per hour. If you feel you need to come down in price in order to keep his business, I think I'd MAYBE only offer to knock $5 off per hour.

 

[LRonCupboard]

Yes 70.00 sounds pretty good to me too. Local rates here for an outcall like that would be about 90.00. YOu may just want to stand your ground. Being attorneys they are used to arguing their case. You know what your time is worth though. Don't do something you are just going to feel irriated everytime about. You could approcach it like this:
"I am happy we have been able to work together. I do need to let you know I am actually increasing my rates. I know that being a business person also you understand all that is involved in maintaing a business. But since we have had such a good working relationship in the past I would love to extend my current rates to you for the next year."

Remember you have to value yourself or no one else will. Are they offering you a discount? Probaly not. I know it can be hard to stick up for yourself. But I bet if you had a friend being treated the same way you are that you would encourage them to stick up for themselves. Be as good to you as you would be to them.
Best of luck

 

[josho]

Oooh! I love the discount on their services tack. They are trying to negotiate for a lower rate. Fine.
Things that are negotiable:
who provides the table
who provides the sheets and does the laundry
who provides the lotions, supplies, tools, etc.
compensation for time spent waiting vs. working on employees
medical benefits for working on so many more people (because face it it is hard physical labor esp. deep tissue)
discount on their fees

10 to 1 when presented with those arguing points they will back down and be happy to pay the $70 hr.

And if it were me? Never go down on your price unless there is a monetary reason in your interest. Since the number of employees that are taking advaneforum.xxxe of the service is actually going up... Economics 101 teaches Increased demand = Increased cost of service. If increase in demand rises by x% then so should your services increase by the same %.

 

[orly]

Increase in gas prices driving there!

LeContefairy

 

[MyLILJohhny]

Do you have a space there?

I would(as stated above) tell them that you were increasing your prices but would be happy to keep them at the current rate ...
Le them know that for any discount to be considered you would need them to purchase a table...and get a linen service...if they did...you might think about giving them a small discount.

Robyn

 

[shealynn r]

Okay, this is how I handled the situation. I asked the office manager what they all together wanted. (She is my friend, which made it even harder for me) Anyway, They want table massages, which is what I have been doing for years anyway. I decided charging $25 per person for a 20 min. deep tissue massage was more than fair. I would be dedicating my entire day to them, but told her I would like to stick to a schedule as much as possible. I have figured it takes me 75 minutes to do 3 people. So it really comes down to $1 per minute. Which is the average here for chair work. I think that's very fair. So in other words, if they were paying me by the hour like they had been, the charge for the day would be around $430. Doing it by the person with my new rate would be about $375. I really upsets me that people think the more people I do the less I should charge. That gives me a bitter feeling inside. Am I wrong? I don't do my business in bulk. I feel like if you want my above average service, you should pay for it. I have run an established business for years and offer techniques other therapists are not using. The office manager made a comment that ("Well, we are bringing you more business) I am not sure what she meant by that, but I don't have a commodity or a product to hand to people with no physicial effort. I work very hard physically. How come people don't understand this??? If your boss were to ask you to work longer and harder and offer to pay you less, how would that sit with you? If I am wrong, please set me straight. I am just frustrated that as long as I have been in the business, people still don't value my work and don't take into consideration how physically demanding it can be. Maybe I am looking at this all wrong and I am not seeing another side of this. Thanks for letting me vent!!!!

 

[x_x]

If I am wrong, please set me straight. I am just frustrated that as long as I have been in the business, people still don't value my work and don't take into consideration how physically demanding it can be. Maybe I am looking at this all wrong and I am not seeing another side of this. Thanks for letting me vent!!!!

You are not looking at this wrong AT ALL! When she says that they are "bringing you more business" tell her that you appreciate that, but that more business brings a greater physical toll on your body and that you must charge accordingly for your time, effort, knowledge and experience. You are not Walmart where a larger quantity is EASIER for them to sell-you are a MT where a larger quantity means you are MORE exhausted at the end of the day. Heck, if she truly understands that, she'll offer to pay you MORE as the "quantity" goes up!

Stick to your guns. I wouldn't back down either. In fact even when I was just out of school, I had the owner of a B&B call me and ask me to come do two 30-min outcall massages for a couple for $50. Oh yeah, this was outside in this harem-like tent... in Florida... in August. I told her that that wasn't the price I would charge for something like that. When she told me so-and-so would do it for $40, I told her to call so-and-so.

hang in there, you're right, and you're worth it.

 

[Pompal 09.]

Stick to your guns Sandy.

Try as best you can to explain to your "friend" that you don't discount based on quantity. And you sure don't discount quality.

Personally, sometimes when a customer thinks that all massage therapy is the same the best thing you can do is to let them experience cut rate therapists (not to say that cut rate therapists can't be good but you know what I'm saying...)

The only discount I would give would be if they provided the massage table, linens and laundry service, lotions. Or some combination. Fine discount your services rate but only if there is a compensating flat rate. 4 hours of available massage service (this is regardless of whether you put your hands on anyone or not) and a discounted rate per person. The two rates together should be greater than or equal to what you would charge if someone came to you at your studio/clinic. Make sure you figure your travel time and gas involved. Nowadays that is a major expense.

But above all, please don't let anyone guilt you or try and intimidate you into discounting something. One way to burn yourself out is to not charge enough. Your spirit will know it because it knows the value of what you do. You will end up pissed off and that energy WILL communicate itself to your clients. From there it is a downward spiral. Bad energy = bad massage = fewer clients.

 

[Yeah]

If your boss were to ask you to work longer and harder and offer to pay you less, how would that sit with you?

I actually had a boss who tried this!

Just couldn't understand why I wouldn't jump at such a "great opportunity"

t102

 

[Dr House farted.]

I guess that's when you give them an "aww geez! Thanks but I think I'll have to pass on that. But if I run across someone who is willing to work longer, harder and faster for less money I'll be sure and give them your name!"

I wonder if it's because we are in such a caring profession. We do it because we love to touch people. Granted, I do love my profession. I am good at it and I come by it naturally but... would I do it if I weren't getting paid and paid well for it? Hell no!

Sandy, just an idea, what if in response to statements that you should be charging less. What if you said "No. These are my rates. If you and/or your employees don't feel that that is fair then I'm afraid we can't do business." They then have a choice, pay your rates or try and find someone else. Unless, there are starving therapists that are willing to work for nothing then they will be calling you.

This is a poker game. They are trying to make you blink. Just remember you hold the high cards.

 

[eldridan]

Anyway, They want table massages, which is what I have been doing for years anyway. I decided charging $25 per person for a 20 min. deep tissue massage was more than fair. ..... I have figured it takes me 75 minutes to do 3 people. So it really comes down to $1 per minute. Which is the average here for chair work. I think that's very fair.

wow, deep tissue at their place for the same as average chair rate - that is more than fair that is a serious bargin. Chair massgae you don't go through all the consumables you do with table work, no oil, no sheets/towels to wash, etc That $1 per min for chair massage average would be for chair massage where you go to the chair, not for onsite chair massage? You're lugging a table to them! 3 20min sessions and you're going through three times as much linen as a 1hr session and probably at least twice the oil. You should charge more than the average chair massage rate for deep tissue - bit late now since you've put your offer in, BUT it would be worth saying you will review the price structure in 2-3 months/end of the year in regards to them scheduling in a sensible manner. If you mention gas prices it will be the "you're using the same amount of gas but seeing more of us so that means you should cover the gas increases" eg if each massage factored in $1 for gas, double the number of massages, you can double the price of gas without it affecting what you charge them - that could be THEIR thinking.

You went from $20 per person to an hourly rate ages ago because they weren't organised. Even going to an increased $25 per person rate they're probably going to slip back into being disorganised. Also now you will be working over lunchtime - going to an hourly rate with less people you'd just turn up in the afternoon and work and leave? Now it will be a full day. You're going to have to have a break, that's going to make it a bit more complicated with them scheduling in a sensible manner, they're going to want their lunch, if you come in at 11, they could end up saying everyone wants lunch at noon and you're not needing a break yet.

 

[crazy bug <3]

Yes, I am a little pissed off at myself for not standing my ground. On the other hand, I felt I would lose their business, if I didn't compromise. I have learned in this business NO ONE is loyal. If they find a better price for something, sometimes regardless of the quality, they will go else where. So, I will be there every other week. I will start around 10am and take lunch with some of the office people, since some are friends of mine. I figure I will leave with $375 plus tip. It could be worse. With all the competition in my area, I know they're would be several therapists who would take this job at a much lower rate. So, I don't think I did too bad.

 

[JuJuB]

I figure I will leave with $375 plus tip. It could be worse. With all the competition in my area, I know they're would be several therapists who would take this job at a much lower rate. So, I don't think I did too bad.

Um, yeah.............$375........you definitely could have done worse. That is a nice chunk of change for a day's work, and all in one place, and lunch with friends.

good job.

 

[Pompal 09.]

I agree!! I will just have to keep close to my schedule and there should be no problem. Thanks for everyones input.