Genderless pricing is a hot topic at the moment. Is it something you are considering if you haven’t made the move already? We asked two successful salon owners for their thoughts on why they have opted for genderless pricing…
Callum Standen-may – Co-owner of STANDENMAY Salon
Many salons are now starting to look at genderless pricing structures and at STANDENMAY we are delighted this is something we decided upon for our salon.
From doing this we are able to simplify our cuts to make sure our clients only pay for how long our stylists spend on their hair. A ‘short cut’ means any style that’s pixie length or shorter, sculpted around the head or cut with clippers, and a ‘long cut’ means anything longer than a pixie length look, including technical cropped bobs.
At STANDENMAY gender is irrelevant to us and we want to better reflect a modern society, whereby the structure allows us to base the price on the client’s needs rather than their gender. With us having a genderless pricing structure, we are able to take into account what needs to be done to their hair in terms of cutting and styling judging by the length and price this accordingly for the work that has been carried out and the time of the stylist, which is a lot more fair on both the clients and our stylists.
For some time many salons have had separate male and female pricing, when now more than ever, many woman are opting for shorter cropped hairstyles and men are opting for longer hairstyles. Men are also becoming a lot more conscious of their hair and are looking for additional services, such as hair treatments and colour and are happier to come to a salon and spend their money of these services and treatments.
There are so many reasons salons should consider a genderless pricing strategy. Not only is it a great way to show the community that you are fair and inclusive and that you ensure transparency with what people pay, but it also can help you achieve more revenue, with clients paying for exactly what they are receiving and the time they are spending in the salon, rather than getting a discounted price for the same service and time.
For those who are transgender or non-binary, having a genderless pricing structure can also make them feel a lot more comfortable and at ease coming to your salon and not having to feel anxious and worried about being misgendered.
At STANDENMAY having a genderless pricing structure is so important to us and something we believe all salons should now have to promote equality and show clients that you are a friendly, welcoming salon that accommodates everyone.
Brian ‘Leo’ McCallum – Owner of ROAR Hair and Beauty
From the day we opened we offered gender-neutral pricing. When working on our salon in the planning stages, one of the most important things was our decision to offer gender neutral pricing – it was a perfect fit for us at ROAR Hair and Beauty. As a brand we believe wholeheartedly in inclusivity, respecting others and encouraging and celebrating individuality. It’s 2021 and in our opinion, it’s time we changed how we do certain things as an industry. For us, our price list was one of these things. Lots of gents have long hair and lots of ladies have shorter hair. In our opinion it didn’t make sense to charge more for a ‘ladies’ cut if she was having a barber hair cut as a gent would.
So that’s the logistics and sense behind our decision, but we considered client emotions when making this step too. I’m a member of the LGBTQ+ community myself and I empathise and understand how confronting the question of gender can be for some people. Being asked to tick a box if you like, saying ‘male’ or ‘female’ can present complex issues and bring emotions out in our clients that we don’t want them to associate with their ROAR Hair and Beauty experience. Our price list instead offers clients the option to book a ‘Design Haircut and Style’ or a ‘Barber Cut and Finish’.
Our design cut includes a full consultation and advice on face shape and suitability etc. for each individual with longer hair, regardless of their sex. Our barber cut is for shorter hair that maybe requires some clippers or razoring for example. This service also comes with our complete consultation on suitability and will be tailored to the individual based on their needs.
At ROAR Hair and Beauty our prices reflect the skill and experience of our stylists as well as the length of time it will take them to carry out the service – hence why we split into shorter and longer hair.
