Dear Jeanne & Leonard:
Iβm a massage therapist, and recently I raised my fee for a one-hour massage from $70 to $80. When a few of my old clients complained, I agreed to continue to charge them the old rate. But I need to make up the discount Iβm giving these folks, so when a new customer, βGrace,β came in, and I could see that she could afford to pay more, I charged her $85. Well, Grace found out that my normal rate is $80, and now she wants a $5 refund. To me, this is ridiculous. As far as Iβm concerned, if I want to charge some people a little less for my services and others a little more, thatβs up to me. Moreover, the amount involved here β $5 β is so small that I think sheβs being pretty petty to care. Is there any reason why I should give her a refund?
β T.M.
Dear T.M.:
Who says thereβs no inflation?
Kidding aside, if itβs βpettyβ to care about $5, then how are you any less petty than Grace? You are, after all, disagreeing over the same five bucks. At least Grace can stand on principle; you appear to just want her money.
So to answer your question, yes, you definitely should refund the money, and apologize when you do. Plus, consider offering Grace half off her next massage. Look, itβs not as if youβre selling one-of-a-kind works of art; youβre in a business that customarily has set prices for the services offered (indeed, youβve said yourself that your price for an hour-long massage is $80).
For this reason, Grace had every right to expect to be charged your standard fee.
If you want to offer a discount to your longtime clients, thatβs up to you. But telling a new client who happens to make the mistake of, say, wearing a nice sweater on her first visit that your fee is $85 when in fact itβs $80 is lying, plain and simple.
We suggest you make things right with Grace before she tells others in your community that thatβs what you do.
Dear Jeanne & Leonard:
My husbandβs grandmother passed away six months ago. I know my husband is a beneficiary of her trust, but his parents, who are the trustees, keep things very close to the vest and are not easy to talk to. When and how do you recommend asking them about what heβs inherited?
β Janet, Aberdeen, Washington
Dear Janet:
Now is the time, and the best thing for your husband to do is to be direct. We know β that wonβt be easy. But his parents should be hard-pressed to refuse a straightforward request from their son for informationβ a request along the lines of, βAs a beneficiary of Grandmaβs trust, Iβd appreciate knowing how much Iβll be inheriting and about when Iβll be receiving the money.β
P.S. They wouldnβt, however, be wrong to deny you an answer. So, if your husband drags his feet, focus on helping him develop his backbone, and donβt even think about speaking to his parents yourself.
