Woman Says High-Priced Hairdressers & Nail Techs With A ‘Know Your Worth Attitude’ Are The Ones Contributing To Inflation
Some agree that prices have become excessive, while others argue that rising costs of living justify higher service fees.
Olena Yakobchuk / Shutterstock A woman firmly believes she has decoded the underlying reasons behind the surge in inflation over the past few years — and it all has to do with the attitude of certain customer service workers.
She blames their entitlement as the driving force behind inflation in the United States and encourages them to adjust their expectations.
The woman said that hairdressers and nail techs with a ‘know your worth attitude’ are the ones contributing to inflation.
In a TikTok video that has been viewed over 100,000 times, content creator Sam, wondered aloud when “people are going to admit that something that is contributing to inflation is this ‘know your worth attitude.’”
She specifically pointed out the attitude among hairstylists and nail technicians. “It’ll be someone charging $600 for a very simple haircut,” Sam said. Some people will come to the defense of the hairdresser, claiming that they “know their worth.” And therein lies the problem, according to Sam.
While Sam believes that hairdressers and nail technicians deserve a living wage, some of the prices they charge are unreasonably expensive for most of their customers.
“$600 for an hour [haircut] is a little bit more than just a living wage,” she argued. “]For] the nails, you got a little design, and all of a sudden it’s $200 for a manicure.”
Sam was quick to sympathize with service workers who charge extra if they purchase their own supplies or rent out space to perform their work. However, she argued that some of them go overboard with the expenses they incorporate into their "worth," charging customers far more than they should to cover costs.
“Living wage, decent wage, yes. This [expletive], no,” she said.
Sam added that most school teachers purchase their own classroom supplies, yet do not get paid extra by the school or charge students to use them.
Some people believed that Sam made valid points in her argument.
“Yes!!! There’s a balance. 10 years ago acrylics were $35. Now I’m comfortable spending $80-90 because yes, inflation, know your worth!!! But $300 for plain nails is absurd,” one TikTok user commented.
Photo: RDNE Stock project / Canva Pro
“FOR REAL. Like at this point, I’ve learned how to do my nails, eyelashes, and hair myself because it’s affordable,” another user shared.
“Totally agree. I had a high schooler tell me that $25/ hour wasn’t enough to babysit in the evening for a couple of hours because she knew her worth. So wild,” another wrote.
However, others argued that the cost of living impacted the costs of services offered by hairstylists and nail technicians.
“I'm not saying this scenario isn't overcharging, but the reason the cost of services is going up is that the cost of living (rent and food) is,” one user brought up.
“While I am in the beauty industry and fully agree that it has gotten ridiculous, there are bigger contributors to inflation. Like I’m just trying to make a living in the same economy as you,” another user shared.
According to Macrotrends, the inflation rate in the U.S. has continued to climb over the last several years. The 2022 rate was 8.00%, a significant jump from 4.70% in 2021. While several factors have played a part in rising inflation, the primary contributors have been more jobs, higher wages, increased household incomes, and a rise in demand for consumer goods.
Photo: Denys Kurbatov / Shutterstock
As expenses continue to go up, some customer service workers, especially those who operate their own businesses, may increase the prices of their services to make ends meet.
Their attitude may not reflect one of egotism, but one of desperation to earn a decent living.
Some people argued with Sam that since most full-time employees get a raise each year from their companies, hairdressers and nail technicians deserved the same.
Still, Sam insisted that some of them are asking for too much from their customers.
Additionally, she claimed that she had only received a raise at her job when she made a lateral move to a different position and had some “leveraging power.”
In another follow-up video, Sam noted that even if hairdressers did not earn their stated hourly rate due to taxes, they were still making decent money.
She further asserted that the reasons hairstylists and nail technicians give for charging higher prices are unfair given that most employees, no matter what their profession, deal with the same struggles.
“Then they get into the whole, ‘Oh, we have debt from going to school,’ yeah, but so do a lot of people,” she said. “You are not special, and what you are saying is not justifying your prices.”
It is important to note that while some hairstylists and nail technicians may charge more than the average, the reason may not always be because they feel entitled to more.
It may be because they are struggling to pay bills or put food on the table, and simply need the extra money.
According to a survey by the comparison site Uswitch, two-fifths of hair salon owners in the U.K. claim that they are anxious about their future, with nearly a quarter of them struggling to pay their energy costs and one in five having to ask friends and family for financial help.
Over a quarter of hairdressers considered closing their shops or reducing the size of their salons to pay off rising expenses.
Photo: t.max / Shutterstock
Their attitudes are most likely not the ones causing the inflation spikes, and like most of us, many of them are doing whatever they can to make ends meet.
Still, there is nothing wrong with “knowing your worth” at your job.
Understanding your worth helps you set boundaries in the workplace, such as refusing tasks that are beyond your role or asking for support when needed.
In this ever-changing economic climate, awareness of how much your work is really worth will only propel you forward and help you succeed.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.