All or Nope

It never ceases to amaze me how people will attempt to negotiate anything and everything, even when it makes no sense. I recently had a client ask me to discount my prices for doing natural makeup instead of glamor makeup. In case you’re clueless, here’s one for free: what makes makeup “natural” is the colors and style of application. It takes just as much of time and product as glamor makeup. Skipping steps is not an option - if I skimp on the primer or foundation there is no chance of a flawless face, or if I didn’t use eye primer on an outdoor shoot, it would be disastrous. And regardless, I still have to leave my house, drive to your location, and be available on set. Let me see if I can find an analogy for how ridiculous that request is.

If you need a filling in a back tooth as opposed to a front one, do you ask your dentist to cut her rates because it isn’t as visible?

When you order a cheeseburger, do you demand to be charged less if you tell them to hold the pickles?

Do you go to the salon and ask your hairdresser to give you a discount because you only want to take off a half inch?

Do you expect to pay less for a muted color sweater than a bright one?

If you go to the doctor for a physical and she doesn’t find anything wrong, do you think she should charge you less for the office visit?

If you go to get your oil changed and they’re done faster than you expect and don’t try to sell you a bunch of extras, do you ask for a discount?

No. No, you don’t. If you do, you need to reevaluate how you value people’s time and talents. And don’t ever ask me to do a job half-assed so you can get a discount. Because I do every job with a complete ass. Um.. That’s how that goes, right?