this is a great and relevant question cos over the past year or so, i have seen plenty of women raise their fees. some who had only been in this bizness for a few months, some who had been in for many years.
Honestly, if I was the girl, I think the best way to do it would be to ask to set an appt and when she says yes, say "it's $xxx, right?" And most likely she'll say "well I raised my rates, but since that's what you've always paid, it's okay." And if she grandfathers you in at that rate, whenever you can, toss her a bit extra.
Worst case scenario when you say "it's $xxx, right?" She'll say "no it's $x more" and you say "oh, I'm sorry, I've really enjoyed the time I spent with you but that's out of my price range" and maybe she'll grandfather you in then. And if she doesn't, she must not really value you as a client anyways.
Originally Posted by Jillian Price
two paragraphs - best explanation in the thread so far.
in my book, if she lets you know her fee increased and for whatever reason you dont want to pay that], i'd think it be easiest to just say "thanks for all the great times, but i'll pass."
that way, you
DONT make it complicated
or say her new fee "prohibits your continued visits"
or attempt to explain why you cannot pay her new rate
or make an offer you may not be able to fulfill (willing to commit to see her x times a month) [esp cos some of us are not able to commit to x times a month]
I thought the norm is to grandfather guys in at the rate you saw them at originally.
I say pay her what you paid her before she raised her rates and if it's a problem, then she will let you know. Apologize, pay the difference and move on.
Originally Posted by thathottnurse
while i wish that grandfathering were the norm, unfortunately, the new norm is "no norm". i would guess that if we asked 50 well known providers how they handle this situation, we'd get at least 10-20 different policies.
plus, i wouldnt want to schedule an appt w/out clarifying fees, then show up w/ cash for the prior fee, and then be told (either during, just after, or after i left) "oh, pm! you were short by <insertDiffInFeesHere> dollars!"
talk about akward and embarrasing!!
...Partly because not being aware of the rate change before attempting to book, or assuming it didn't apply to me, could be perceived by the lady as rude ...
==>pmd: just what i dont need - to be considered rude.
... she didn't initiate an offer to grandfather or at least contact me after awhile when I faded away, it was likely a conscious decision not to grandfather me.
==>pmd: so are you assuming/suggesting that providers contact their prior clients and tell them they are grandfathered?
seems like a lot of work for a provider to contact all her prior clients. or at least those she wants to keep in the future.
Originally Posted by Chevalier
thus, whether or not the provider contacts me about her new fees, i believe it's up to me to confirm the fee for the session i want to schedule.
and secretly hope it's the fee i paid the last time i consulted w/ her.
when i run into this problem(*), i'll let you all know how i handled it and what the provider's response was.
(*)problem - any question or matter involving doubt, uncertainty, or difficulty.
1350-1400; Middle English probleme < Latin problēma < Greek próblēma orig., obstacle, (akin to probállein to throw or lay before), equivalent to pro- + -blē- (variant stem of bállein to throw; cf. parabola ) + -ma (noun suffix of result).