Charging more for larger bodies?

[Stuart]

JinShin,

You sent a pm to me with the heading 'judgemental'.

I replied in a truthful manner, to your post so that you would understand just how horrible your idea sounds. I see that we all got through to you.

Enough said.

PS... get a better table.

 

[Big Hard Hammer]

Well, JinShinDOH, I'm a 6'2" female and I'm equally offended by your suggestion as well, since I would qualify as one of your larger bodies you would need to charge more for.

Your hair stylist example doesn't make any sense either. It takes more time to wash, cut, dry and style long hair. Are you allotting extra time for your "larger body" sessions?

What if I expect a discount as your client because I am tall and muscular, and seeing as you are a wee, bitty therapist*, I don't think your wee, bitty hands are large enough to give me an effective massage? You'd rightly call BS on me, much like everyone here is called BS on your suggestion.

By the way YOU foster the "cultural stigma surrounding the overweight" by utilizing the label as an insult towards Breathe.

*no insult to wee, bitty MT's... some of my best friends are wee MTs...

 

[HardcorePunk]

Perhaps some of the replies to JinShinDOH's orignal post were a bit harsh and sarcastic, but I think it hit a raw nerve with many people. My first response was, "Whaaat?" and I am very petite, in great shape, so there's no chance I was taking it personally. It's just not a good idea, for all the reasons stated here, and it sounds like (although you are still defending it) you have decided not to go that route.

Given that this came from a new-to-this-board poster (although not a new MT) let's ease up and welcome her. She may have other things to contribute that we'll never see otherwise. This board is about sharing ideas, some good, some not so good. Many of the ideas on this board are impractical for me but would work well for therapists in the U.S. Some ideas have sparked others. Let's welcome all discussion!

JinShinDOH, your input on other topics would be most appreciated. Please don't be shy because your first post got shot down so readily.

 

[yotu]

The suggestion that salons charge more for long hair vs short hair, men vs women, well there have been a lot of debates as to whether it is ethical to change your price based on your gender. A man with short hair, probably takes just as long to cut, as a woman with short hair. And a lot of long hair styles, are easier to cut than short, trim, take a bit off, and you are done (not always I realize). But this is a really poor argument.

My argument back would be, your doctor doesn't charge more for a large person, as opposed to a small one, a chiropractor doesn't charge more for a large person, how about a physiotherapist (physical therapist). Does the gym charge a large person more because they might be harder on the equipment?

I really don't like the idea of penalizing someone for something that may be outside of their control, height, weight, genetic make up. You may be able to put this to a man, and not get negative feed bay (big maybe!) But I think a whole lot more women are going to be offended by being told you are a "big" so I am charging more.

I am glad you heard some of the arguments and decided to raise your prices across the board. You will get over paid for some massages in your mind (for small people) and paid what you feel you are worth for the large people. [/quote]

 

[CHARLES A]

This could have been a useful topic, instead of pricing by the pound - which is clearly offensive - we could be having a valuable interchange about "pricing for effort". Price is one of the 4 Ps of marketing, and a very powerful tool when used correctly.

One of the by-products of the "split" mentality is when facilities charge different rates for different modalities, though the service time is the same.

Deep Tissue is more work, so in order to pay the MT more, the price is higher, the % being constant, or so goes the theory.

Too often, spas, other facilities and even sole proprietors populate their menu with every modality possible, with $5 - $10 pricing difference just to have an extensive and impressive looking menu.

You then face the client-unfriendly situation of someone booking the cheap-o Swedish massage, then asking you to bust up their knots, work more on their feet, etc "Sorry, that will be an extra $10...."

Yes, offering more modalities means you invested more in CEUs and training and possibly even special equipment. But majority of your income from offering Lomi Lomi will come from getting that new client in the door, not from the Lomi Lomi surcharge.

You don't need 100 Lomi Lomi clients paying a $10 surcharge to justify spending $1000 on the CEU - you only need 15 clients paying your usual $70 rate.