Dear Jeanne & Leonard:
Iโm 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 Iโm giving these folks, so when a new customer, โGrace,โ 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 Iโm concerned, if I want to charge some people a little less for my services and others a little more, thatโs up to me. Moreover, the amount involved here โ $5 โ is so small that I think sheโs being pretty petty to care. Is there any reason why I should give her a refund?
โ T.M.
Dear T.M.:
Who says thereโs no inflation?
Kidding aside, if itโs โpettyโ 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, itโs not as if youโre selling one-of-a-kind works of art; youโre in a business that customarily has set prices for the services offered (indeed, youโve 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, thatโs 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 itโs $80 is lying, plain and simple.
We suggest you make things right with Grace before she tells others in your community that thatโs what you do.
Dear Jeanne & Leonard:
My husbandโs 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 heโs inherited?
โ Janet, Aberdeen, Washington
Dear Janet:
Now is the time, and the best thing for your husband to do is to be direct. We know โ that wonโt be easy. But his parents should be hard-pressed to refuse a straightforward request from their son for informationโ a request along the lines of, โAs a beneficiary of Grandmaโs trust, Iโd appreciate knowing how much Iโll be inheriting and about when Iโll be receiving the money.โ
P.S. They wouldnโt, however, be wrong to deny you an answer. So, if your husband drags his feet, focus on helping him develop his backbone, and donโt even think about speaking to his parents yourself.
