Memo: 12/21/2022
Dear clients and prospects,
Thank you all for continuing to support Braids by Ms. Nelly with your business, social media following and sharing, referring, and so on. This is my livelihood and I take great pride in my work and in the way that I conduct business. That said, it’s important that I routinely review business policies in order to make both of our experiences the best they can be, from the point of interest to a satisfactory result, and on.
As of late, stipulations have been bent and courtesies have been extended that can no longer continue. In part, economic inflation is to blame. But I, too, have allowed too many exceptions and over time it’s cost me. The following must be re-enforced:
- MASKS: If you’re experiencing any cold or flu-like symptoms such as cough, runny nose, etc., you’re required to wear a mask. I recently got a severe case of Covid that put me out of work for a week. Regardless of how minor the symptoms may seem or your vaccination status, if you have any symptoms please wear a mask to protect us both. If you test positive for any virus, please cancel and we’ll reschedule.
- READY TO BRAID HAIR: It is critical that you arrive to your appointment with your hair detangled and blown out from roots to ends. Shampoo is an add-on option for most services if you prefer to have me do it. But if you choose to not book a shampoo and you arrive unprepared, there will now be a prep fee of $20 added to the balance. A suggestion to make it easier for you: plait your natural hair after a blowout to ensure your hair remains detangled and stretched. I don’t mind doing it :). But having to fully detangle and prepare your hair for a braid style can take up to 30 minutes that was not reserved. 30 extra minutes may not seem like much time, but it weighs a lot when time runs over on to the next client or when a tight schedule becomes convoluted from a domino effect. In extreme cases of hair not being properly prepared upon arrival, the appointment will be canceled and deposit forfeited… This is NOT to scare anyone. Many of you know that I’m pretty chill. I’m just re-enforcing an existing stipulation.
- PAYMENT: Due UPON ARRIVAL, BEFORE SERVICE IS RENDERED. Zelle not working at payment time, cash not fully counted, etc. is not ok. Bear in mind that this is written and required to be agreed upon before booking an appointment. Moving forward, before service begins, I will be kindly asking for your balance.
- PAYMENT METHODS: Cash and Zelle are the only accepted forms of payment for your balance. Small businesses subject ourselves to scams and fraudulent disputes with apps such as PayPal, Cashapp, etc. I’ve errored in allowing payment with other forms of payment and it has recently cost me. So, when your balance is due, if you don’t have cash or if you’re unable to pay with Zelle, you will not be serviced. I MUST protect myself and business.
- STYLE CHANGES: Your style cannot be changed without approval from me once booked. Please email if you’d like to request a change or add something on. In most cases, requests are granted. However, if you request a style change within 48 hours of your scheduled appointment time and it is for a lesser cost, you may do so but you’re also required to pay the balance of the original style booked. WHY? Time has been reserved for you and time = money. When a style is changed at the last minute or at the beginning of service, I now have excess time that could’ve been spent with another client. Given the economic inflation, I feel the financial hit when this occurs. It’s happened more times than I’d like to count and I can no longer eat that cost.
- PRICES: You’ll notice that most add-ons have been revised and adjusted. While most services are keeping the same base price for now, all add-ons have a slight price adjustment. More often than not (again, it’s my fault for not enforcing it), clients have received services with length and style add-ons without cost. Whether it’s an “in the moment” change or planned, these must be accounted for. I have eaten the cost of increased overhead, transactional fees, increased product costs, and increased web maintenance costs for your experience over time. These costs alone can easily run me in the hundreds some months. This said, along with several other factors, services must be accurately charged in order for me to continue to deliver an exceptional experience, environment, and service.
This is not a personal attack on anyone and I sincerely hope that no one has taken this memo as such. I hold myself accountable for failing to enforce my stipulations previously. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email me :). This public memo was thoughtfully written and I hope it is received well and respected by all.
With Love & Respect,
Ms. Nelly