Why valuing your beauty business is key to success & loyal clients
By Marie-Louise Coster | 08 September 2026 | Business & Education
Session nail stylist & salon owner, Marie-Louise Coster, shares what a haggling beauty client can teach about business success…
I was on a professional forum recently and came across a post from a beauty therapist, who was complaining about the behaviour of a new client and seeking advice. She shared screenshots of the conversation between them, which began with the client asking for the price of a course of a treatment. The professional replied with the cost, and the client responded offering to pay what she believed the service was worth.
This was dramatically less than the price quoted – which, for me, would have been enough not to treat her. The beauty therapist told the client that the suggested price would barely cover the cost of the treatments, but she had twisted her arm and would do it for that price. I could not believe what I was reading!
What would happen if other clients, who pay full price, found out? And why make a deal with someone who has shown no loyalty to your business and with whom you have no relationship? The client then replied saying that she could actually have the treatments elsewhere for a quarter of the price, and asked if the therapist would match this. At this point, the therapist said no – but was that too late?
A client haggling and bartering like they are on The Apprentice is a huge red flag.
The story continued that the client had two treatments with the beauty therapist, then expressed her disappointment that she couldn’t see a difference and asked for her money back. When the therapist refused, the client turned unpleasant and threatened to bad-mouth the salon, which resulted in the professional resorting to Facebook.
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Business takeaways
The saying, ‘if it sounds to good to be true, it probably is’, springs to mind here. If you went into a shop, picked up an expensive handbag, offered the salesperson £20 for it and they agreed, you would question the value of the bag. Your services are the same. If a client barters over a treatment and gets it a lot cheaper, it raises questions about skill, experience and professionalism.
The lesson here is to value your beauty business and services, and clients will too. From the beginning of this interaction, the therapist allowed the client to devalue her work, because she thought she needed the business. However, the type of client that haggles with you is not someone who will help you build a successful brand, and you have every right to set and enforce boundaries.
I am all for promotions, when they are done properly. Adding value to a service by way of an upgrade or added extra is a great marketing method, but offering treatments at rock-bottom prices opens the doors to a poor experience for everyone.
This also comes back to another saying: ‘treat others how you want to be treated’. If you provide excellent care and service within your boundaries, clients are more likely to remain loyal for many years to come. They should feel excited to be treated by you, and lucky that they are managing to experience that.
Follow Marie-Louise:
- Instagram: @mlcnailartist & @allaboutmi
- Facebook: Marie-Louise Coster Nail Artist & All About Mi
