Bobbypins = Updo?

louxnoelle

I just booked my hair and makeup appointments for my engagement shoot (yay!), but the receptionist said something on the phone that I found really interesting.

She was very pleasant and attentive, so no complaints on the customer service side of things, but she asked if I was looking for an updo and I said that I just needed a blowout for volume, maybe some soft curls for a little bit of body. She said, "Okay, great! I'll put you down for a blowout, but just so you know, if they use any bobby pins at all, they'll charge you for an updo, even if it's just your bangs."

I lamely replied that that was fine because I don't have bangs, and we hung up.

That policy seems a little cray to me. I'm sure it comes from clients booking less-expensive services and then kind of cajoling the stylist into pinning their hair up or something, but you're telling me you would charge me an extra $30 for pinning my nonexistent bangs back?

In my experience, updo prices are determined by how long the style takes, to avoid charging too little for a more elaborate style or too much for something simpler. Why would a 2-minute bang poof cost $30?!

I appreciate the receptionist being upfront about it, and I don't expect it to affect me, but is that as weird as I think it is?

littlepep

Yeah that sounds bananas. My salon has a different price for blowout, half up and full up do. Half up takes less time than a full up, but still more work than a blowout so makes sense to me. 

lyndausvi

I find that strange.    

KatWAG

That is the rule at my salon.

They have to draw the line somewhere

southernbelle0915

I've never heard of this rule, but I could see customers trying to toe the line and pay for just a blow out. Like scheduling a blow out and then being like "well, can you tease the crown and put it half up?"  

They probably had enough of that before they drew the line somewhere. 

blabla89

I saw that rule listed on the bridal pricing sheet for the chain of salons I go to, although the difference was more than $30. FWIW, I mentioned it to my regular stylist when her salon had just been bought by the chain, and she was surprised by it.

louxnoelle

That was my assumption too, that it came from people trying to be sneaky. I'm glad it's their policy to tell people; that would be a nasty surprise.

ETA: sneaky, or ignorant as to what constitutes an updo

Maggie0829

louxnoelle said:

 In my experience, updo prices are determined by how long the style takes, to avoid charging too little for a more elaborate style or too much for something simpler. 

Actually in my experience salons have set prices for full updos and half up/half down dos and for wedding dos.  If the hairstylist wants to make a lot of money then he/she needs to be able to manage their time and not take forever on a hairstyle.  For example my hairstylist will schedule a quick hair cut for a man while in the middle of my cut and highlight.  So while I am under the dryer she will quickly cut the guys hair.

I think charging by the amount of time it takes could lead to a slippery slope of a hairstylist taking their good old time to make more money off of you.

theartistformerlyknownas

Maggie0829 said:

 In my experience, updo prices are determined by how long the style takes, to avoid charging too little for a more elaborate style or too much for something simpler. 

Actually in my experience salons have set prices for full updos and half up/half down dos and for wedding dos.  If the hairstylist wants to make a lot of money then he/she needs to be able to manage their time and not take forever on a hairstyle.  For example my hairstylist will schedule a quick hair cut for a man while in the middle of my cut and highlight.  So while I am under the dryer she will quickly cut the guys hair.

I think charging by the amount of time it takes could lead to a slippery slope of a hairstylist taking their good old time to make more money off of you.

The bolded has been my experience too. Pinning one chunk into a swoop to the side is not even close to an updo. I get needing to draw the line somewhere but... this is not where it should be drawn. 

lyndausvi

My salon has different prices for half-up and full.  But they also say "prices start at" and give a price.    So if a blowout becomes a half up then you will be charged accordingly at the stylist discretion.   A half up becomes a full, it's charged more.

  I'm sure if you have a relationship with a stylist then a simple booby pin isn't going to push you up to the next price range.  Or should I say if I had a relationship with a stylist and she charged me $30 for a booby-pin, she isn't going to be my normal stylist any more.

hellohkb

That is the rule at every salon I've looked at over here for bridal hairstyling. Half up half down I believe is considered an "updo". It's pretty weird. 

ETA: Wanted to clarify

stefuhknee

The one bobby pin for a bang should not equal the same price for an updo, that seems silly. At my salon when you want a volume blow out they will sometimes pin up the layers of hair to give your hair more body and they don't constitute that as an "updo" simply because they used pins. That seems strange to me but at least she did give you fair warning beforehand so you can watch your stylist carefully to make sure he/she stays away from the pins.

louxnoelle

stefuhknee said:

The one bobby pin for a bang should not equal the same price for an updo, that seems silly. At my salon when you want a volume blow out they will sometimes pin up the layers of hair to give your hair more body and they don't constitute that as an "updo" simply because they used pins. That seems strange to me but at least she did give you fair warning beforehand so you can watch your stylist carefully to make sure he/she stays away from the pins.

I've imagined both seeing her reach for one and me screaming "NOOOOO!" and diving on the bobbypin stash like a grenade, or her holding one at the ready and asking, "Are you sure?" and me closing my eyes and taking a big sigh before nodding.

Beware the bobbypins, knotties.

theartistformerlyknownas

lyndausvi said:

My salon has different prices for half-up and full.  But they also say "prices start at" and give a price.    So if a blowout becomes a half up then you will be charged accordingly at the stylist discretion.   A half up becomes a full, it's charged more.

  I'm sure if you have a relationship with a stylist then a simple booby pin isn't going to push you up to the next price range.  Or should I say if I had a relationship with a stylist and she charged me $30 for a booby-pin, she isn't going to be my normal stylist any more.

Snicker snicker.

I'M SORRY, I'm a child.

kvruns

lolo883 said:

Maggie0829 said:

Maggie0829 said:

louxnoelle said:

 In my experience, updo prices are determined by how long the style takes, to avoid charging too little for a more elaborate style or too much for something simpler. 

Actually in my experience salons have set prices for full updos and half up/half down dos and for wedding dos.  If the hairstylist wants to make a lot of money then he/she needs to be able to manage their time and not take forever on a hairstyle.  For example my hairstylist will schedule a quick hair cut for a man while in the middle of my cut and highlight.  So while I am under the dryer she will quickly cut the guys hair.

I think charging by the amount of time it takes could lead to a slippery slope of a hairstylist taking their good old time to make more money off of you.

I still don't quite get the difference between a regular updo and a wedding updo, other than the chance to charge people more.  I can see  prom updo being just as elaborate, if not more, than a bride or bridesmaid so it sucks that you get charged more just for it being bridal.  But I guess that's weddings as a whole!

Maggie0829

kvruns said:

lolo883 said:

Maggie0829 said:

Maggie0829 said:

louxnoelle said:

 In my experience, updo prices are determined by how long the style takes, to avoid charging too little for a more elaborate style or too much for something simpler. 

Actually in my experience salons have set prices for full updos and half up/half down dos and for wedding dos.  If the hairstylist wants to make a lot of money then he/she needs to be able to manage their time and not take forever on a hairstyle.  For example my hairstylist will schedule a quick hair cut for a man while in the middle of my cut and highlight.  So while I am under the dryer she will quickly cut the guys hair.

I think charging by the amount of time it takes could lead to a slippery slope of a hairstylist taking their good old time to make more money off of you.

I still don't quite get the difference between a regular updo and a wedding updo, other than the chance to charge people more.  I can see  prom updo being just as elaborate, if not more, than a bride or bridesmaid so it sucks that you get charged more just for it being bridal.  But I guess that's weddings as a whole!

I think it depends on the salon but either they title it wedding updo as a way to charge more and/or the overall service (like free champagne or wine or what not) is slightly elevated because OMG you are a bride!!

huskypuppy14

hellohkb said:

That is the rule at every salon I've looked at over here for bridal hairstyling. Half up half down I believe is considered an "updo". It's pretty weird. 

ETA: Wanted to clarify

Yes, half up and half down (or down do, if you want) is the same as an updo, in my experience. 

climbingsingle

Charging you for an updo for something like pinning your bangs back sounds totally ridiculous IMO. 

afox007

Hair stylists seem to have interesting definitions of what they do when it comes to pricing. The last time I got my hair cut and colored she asked if I wanted her to dry it. She didn't style it as she dried it she did no different than I would at home so it was a half flat half puffy mess. She threw in a little serum and did a few big curls to tame things. Then charged me 40 bucks over what she quoted for styling my hair.