New Salon Price Gouging

[engfant]

wait, wait...you don't allow Chinese food? I think we are being a lil...WEIRD?????

What ever happened to order up some chinks with Archie and crew?

Dammit, I'm surrounded by some of the best you can get and I can't get it. Lee Chen anyone?

[sol sister]

Great.. now you're a spanker...

The truth is, some things just make people uncomfortable enough to throw them off, doesn't make sense to them... and they won't continue to patronize. If they own it well they will hire people similar to their customer base as this is a tanning salon, not an ethnic foods restaurant. They would also re-do that pricing schedule if they want to stay in business... Unless, do you think they are comming in with money, pricing way low, hoping to weed out the area salons that did not plan well for the slow season and shut them down before busy? Maybe it is a strategy... Have you talked with them?

As a tanner, if you are treated well and have results, there is no reason (unless they offer something new and cool that you do not have) to change salons. I like the mailer ideas and maybe some incentives to sign up (or re-sign) for the next year... what about a special on your yearly package now that if they renew with a yearly package by 12/1/05 you will pro-rate and discount the amount they have left on their current package, sign 'em up for a year of tanning now so it's not an issue. So if they bought a 3 mo package for $100.00 and it runs out in December you'll credit 66 toward the yearly deal you are offerring THIS MONTH ONLY. Keep your current customers from even entering their business.

[Drew]

Now you are thinking. (they could have enough money to 'buy" the market though) Start to secure your customer base NOW. Any way you can.

[Natureboy]

Quote "Our market here would not support HP."

That is what my "competitors" around me that are either for sale or going under keep saying.

If you are already doing 200K a year now, you could make MUCH MUCH more with HP. If you have that kind of traffic, they now it is up to you to sell to them.

[Ezliving_Jim]

"You smell that? Do you smell that? ... Napalm, son. Nothing else in the world smells like that. I love the smell of napalm in the morning. You know, one time we had a hill bombed, for twelve hours. When it was all over I walked up. We didn't find one of 'em, not one stinkin' dink body. The smell, you know that gasoline smell, the whole hill. Smelled like ... victory. Someday this war's gonna end ..."

[imported_Rob]

People around here are not going to pay for an HP

Trust me Aloha, HP will work in your town. I live in a town of 14,000 people, thats it. Income level is below poverty.( in addition 50% of population is elderly who do not tan) I use to think my customers would never pay that price for HP or expensive lotions. I brought in a ultrabronze 818 ( for cheap, you can do this too) and wow. If you know how to sell it, they will pay for it. My bed is booked solid now! slow season! My sales are increasing by leaps and bounds. I need another 2 hp units NOW! NEVER EVER underestimate your clients. You limit yourself this way. Trust me, I use to do it with lotions. NO MORE. I discovered even welfare clients will buy an expensive lotion if you present it to them.

As far as chinese running a salon, no offence to them, but they can often make people feel uncomfortable,(do to a lack of understanding i'm sure, not intentional) and in alot of cases people avoid contact with them only because its hard to understand them. In business often they tend to be too pushy.

[kookyguy]

Smart thing to do is stop thinking of them as the "New Asian Salon" and just see them as "The New Salon" go over and check them out.

Treat them the same way you would if they were any other race.
Every day we see people get in to tanning that have no clue, maybe these new owners have no clue, maybe they do?

Dont base anything on race, just treat it like any new salon and go check them out. if they dont know what they are doing, they will sell the salon in 2-3 years.

[imported_tanspa]

Okay...yall...tell me what you think we should do about this!!!!!!

Three of the biggest and best salons in our largest town within hours...will be going to be out of biz by the "new" year...WHY???

Because some crazy ****** has this idea planted in his head to open a "coin operated tanning salon" how this happens...???...why anyone would want to laydown on a bed with some guys giz on it????

This is ****in nuts and Canada needs to get their **** together...there is no way I will let them take me down...no way...never!...

Any input????

[imported_MMB]

Tanspa, what city/province? There may be provincial or regional laws that stop this.

[imported_tanspa]

In Saint John, New Brunswick

[imported_tanspa]

I originally came from Ontario...have never heard of such thing being able to happen...it's real messed up out here! They have a Cosmetology Assoc. here in New Brunswick that has no idea what is what... but are strict as hell...they breath down your fricken neck about esthetic provisions...and the province lets this happen???? I dont get it.

[solarmeter®]

[imported_tanspa]

...nice...but thats too clean!...

[Natureboy]

Originally Posted by tanspa

Okay...yall...tell me what you think we should do about this!!!!!!

Three of the biggest and best salons in our largest town within hours...will be going to be out of biz by the "new" year...WHY???

Because some crazy ****** has this idea planted in his head to open a "coin operated tanning salon" how this happens...???...why anyone would want to laydown on a bed with some guys giz on it????

This is ****in nuts and Canada needs to get their **** together...there is no way I will let them take me down...no way...never!...

Any input????

Can someone move this to the Canadian forum? We need more canadians like this posting.

[imported_tanspa]

ooooohhhh....it's cozy in here.....

[imported_tanspa]

k...got anotha quest?....

If you ordered your beds from across country...and they were delivered damaged...cosmetically...should you have to pay full $$$ for shipping???

[Natureboy]

I don't know about NB, but coin op tanning beds (or non-operator) are illegal in many provinces. Is it policed? Probably not.

Why worry. Most won't bother. And the place will end up dirty, gross, vandalized and a bad name.

Most people when they think "coin op" think of old washer and dryers, dirty, peep shows, whatever.

[Natureboy]

Originally Posted by tanspa

k...got anotha quest?....

If you ordered your beds from across country...and they were delivered damaged...cosmetically...should you have to pay full $$$ for shipping???

Depends on who shipped them. Brand new? The distributor should have you covered. If you ship used beds, then you would need some sort of insurance to cover it. I personally use house movers to move beds long distances. Take them apart and send the parts. Cheaper sometimes too.

Good example. When my first Magic 636 arrived, one of the columns was squashed and scuffed (acrylic part), so my disty got me an entire new column acrylic right away. Depends on who you are dealing with sometimes too.

[imported_tanspa]

I bought the beds from the disty...out west...I can be a nasty biatch and say the name but the moons are aligned so I will keep my mouth shut....for now!

They were shipped via Canadian Frieghtways....and of course I have insurance...???

My question is this.....

Why should I have to pay Can-Tan...oppps it slipped... ...shipping for the beds if they were damaged beds when they arrived??????????????

[imported_bronzeman]

High Pressure tanning usually really separates you from the competition. I know it can be scary.....man i was scared to death. "This area will never support H.P." etc., etc. Well, we now have 4 H.P. units and they are pretty much the reason we've made it through the past couple of years.

Remember, they're the newbies on the block. Let them react to you. If you panic and lower prices you're playing right into their hands. The'll have to raise their pricing to survive. What will you do then.? Raise when they do ? Let them worry about you. You're the established area leader. In regards to H.P. , yes it's very expensive but alot of people are in a rush these days. W/ h.p. they don't have to tan as much. As far as how to respond to customers, just stress all the positives you offer. Go over to their salon ( hey, they have the balls to try & put you out of buisness ) and see how you stack up. See where you're already better and stress that to your clients. If you need to make improvements make 'em. But DO NOT comprimise the integrity of your price structure. You want to stay in buisness. They won't last !