A client's stubborn color correction took me a full Saturday

A client came in wanting to go from a dark box black to a cool, ashy blonde, which I knew would be a project. The first round of color remover lifted to a patchy orange, so I had to do a second round and then a careful toner application. What I thought would be a 4-hour appointment turned into nearly 7 hours, including a lunch break to let her hair rest. Has anyone else had a simple color change turn into a marathon session, and what's your plan for timing these now?

3 comments

3 Comments

fionajenkins1mo ago

Honestly, I've started charging a flat day rate for any major color shift. It saves the awkward "we're going over" talk.

evan561mo ago

That "saves the awkward talk" part is so true, @fionajenkins. I see this everywhere now, like with mechanics giving one price for a whole repair instead of by the hour. It just cuts out the stress of watching the clock and wondering about the bill.

oscar3901mo ago

Wait, so how do you figure out what that day rate should be? I mean, color shifts can be a total nightmare and take way longer than you'd think. Do you just have a set price for like, any shift from dark to light, or does it change based on how much hair you're working with? I'd be worried about undercharging on a really tough case.