Can I use groupons twice? Since I want to get my hair done by Thanksgiving, I went ahead and called the salon to see if they had availability before buying the Groupon again. However, I think they should totally mention on the Groupon that you aren’t to use it more than once if that’s the case! If I have to pay full price this time out of guilt, I might just tip the standard amount. That went in our pockets. asked ty groupon GetHuman: Let's quantify your experience contacting Groupon. No matter your preference, habits, or location, there is a Groupon and Living Social deal for you, if you know what to look for. I’m tired of businesses offering Groupons or other such deals, then making the customer feel guilty for actually using it. You can use the groupon you paid for once over and over at the […]. My guess is the salon gives up nothing on the groupon and the discount comes out of the stylist’s share. Dealing with an individual is much different than dealing with Comcast! Most of them are only up for a few weeks! He has been named "Best Server in Kansas City" the last three years by the local weekly paper. I know how you feel. My wife experiences that as a violin teacher. You’ve already decided you’re not going to be a regular customer at the full price, so why worry about what the stylist thinks? Also, think about how much time your stylist spends on your hair cut, color, and style. I actually feel like it’s kind of tacky for her to say that too you. use groupons twice, About Tips²: Tips For Improving Your Tips, Money Saving Scams For Restaurant Guests And Owners, The Greatest Customer Complaint Response Ever, My Response: 25 Things Chefs Never Tell You, Random Thoughts from a Server 65: Beer Glasses, Random Thoughts from a Server 64: Chef Gordon Ramsey, Random Thoughts from a Server 63: Jealous Boyfriends, Random Thoughts from a Server 62: Wine Keys. If it were me, I’d find a different salon. The Groupon was the only reason I called to make the appointment in the first place! Can I Pay My Mortgage With a Credit Card? They take the coupon once you use it for a purchase. That ok?”, Sarah: “Well…errrrr….yeah. Like others have said, the idea is to get someone in the door at a deep discount and then keep them at a client. They have great deals on them, especially for Christmas. lol. So actually, groupon takes half of what you pay. If the stylist has to give the salon a percentage (in our shop the house keeps 50% and supplies all the products) then that’s even less. that offers Groupons probably once a year or so, with a limit of FIVE. If I were in your shoes and had already asked about using the Groupon, I might go ahead and use it. The problem? I mean, we don’t make any money on those. On the other hand, the friendly hairdresser made me feel really, really bad about my desire to save money. There’s also room in the market for a Groupon alternative that takes 20% or less instead of 50%. Relocating abroad is not something to take lightly. Since then, I’ve gotten one haircut and have simply let my color go. I guess I would probably go ahead and pay full price this time. I get HEINOUS coupon guilt. I love awkward conversations! For $55 (plus tip), I could get the cut, color, and style I wanted and at a salon just ten minutes away. Ok I do not agree with this. That’s the thing- she is NOT an independent contractor (I added that detail to the post). I think its fine, they are the ones offering it and if there is no fine print restricting it why not. I’ve bought Groupon deals twice (or more) and will continue to do so as long as they are offered at a business I am interested in. Here’s how it went down: Me: “Hi! You are still saving money. Delta SkyMiles Gold Credit Card Review: Who Should Get It? At this point, I’m wondering if she gets a reduced pay rate when one of her customers shows up with a  Groupon in hand. If not, it’s fair game. Groupon: You can check the fine print of the deal page and it mentions the same … Personally, I wouldn’t use a groupon twice at the same place. The Best Travel Pillows We’ve Ever Purchased, How to Start Investing: A Guide to Investing for Beginners, California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) Policy. I love fall and everything, but I absolutely hate winter. We have friends that own a Dairy Queen and they have groupons constantly for their ice cream cakes because the volume of business they get totally offsets the discount for them. Her fee was $65 normally. I only get my hair cut, not styled or colored, so I’m really not that picky at all. “Limit one coupon per purchase” is meant to enforce the point that you can’t use two of the exact same $5 off coupons for the same item and get $10 off. Companies use Groupon to get their name out there, and hopefully attract new customers. Retailers need to know what they are getting into when they offer Groupons. The appointment is 2 days away so I don’t want to cancel. There are so many daily deals, one would not do the same deal twice. You’re (the business) the one that needs/wants business so bad that you are offering your goods or services for 50% or more off. I’m all for it when we’re talking about a larger service provider such as a cable company who we know is already sticking it to us. Also, after reading other comments, I realize that it may be that the owner may be screwing the stylists by not paying them on the Groupon deals. Since that time, he has worked for over a dozen different restaurant companies. I have always wondered about how the money is split between Groupon and the retailer. Like CoupFlip, CoupRecoup offers the option to both buy and sell. I also tip on the regular price when I do so (and it sounds like you did as well) so while the business as a whole might take a loss, actual servers or hair stylists should still come out fine. 4. I agree. Ummm….I am cheap? Why keep it up for 3 months with “one per visit” if you don’t want people to take advantage of the deal? This is not true! Groupon Is On Sale: Should You Buy? As someone who has run to groupon campaigns I can tell you that in this case because she’s an hourly employee and not working on her own she is not directly off acted by the groupon however I can tell you that these group on’s do not make the salon any money they are and advertising expense and they are marketing it at a loss I’m a group on takes no less usually than 50% of what your paying so if you paid $55 for the groupon then the salon is actually getting $27.50 for all of the work that they’ve done for you and that also depends on if you Ted whether or not she would receive any additional benefits so think about that $27.50 om depending on how long your process took it could take 2 to 3 hours so whatever she is getting paid per hour the salon is paying that cost plus the cost of supplies X cetera and the hopes are honestly that you enjoy your product and/or service and are enticed to become a regular at bats salon and by regular that also means a regular price paying customer that being saying said there is nothing wrong with purchasing a groupon for a second time technically but if you really want to support the local economy and support the salon then keep in mind that those groupons are the salon making an investment of time and money to bring in new customers and not for existing customers to continue using the reduced rate. A lot of servers don’t like when people use coupons for their meal, because people tend to tip on the discounted amount. (I kid, I kid). I’m a daughter of a small business owner. I would definitely use the Groupon. Never got a repeat customer “99.9% just want a deal” tips are horrible. The site has been vetted with the Huffington Post, TechCrunch, USA … So ok Groupon burned you once shame on them. The trouble here is that it is a one on one service. It’s like when someone you’re with isn’t very nice to a waiter or waitress. Now Groupon can … To be honest, I’m pretty torn on this one. Seems like the salon is putting their stylists in this awkward position and you are the innocent bystander who happened to find out. Im pretty frugal so this may be biased but…….you can’t control the decisions of the business. Then, after the contract is signed, and you agree to get your 40-50% of the income, their fine print says they also take their fees out of your cut!!! Either way, I have been shamed out of my Groupon strategy at this point, and plan to pay full price. The Groupon is likely a loss the salon is running to bring in new customers. They also state that a Groupon can only be used by the same person once every 90 days. By default they take 50% of the discounted price, but I’ve successfully negotiated that down to 20% for my clients in some cases. As much as they complain, making some money is better than making none. I never feel bad when I get like ten boxes of cereal for super cheap either, even if that is a loss leader for Kroger or whoever. I tend to be very generous in tipping them – so I’d hate to think they didn’t make any money off their serve ice to me. That’s the rent the stylist pays for their chair. But if their prices are over the top for you, finding a place that is cheaper is best. Haha! You can use the groupon you paid for once over and over at the […] … With Kroger, there is more of a chance you will also buy lots of other groceries. Club Thrifty and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. We don’t either. We just can’t survive on groupon income so it is disappointing when someone in an attempt to save money wants to use a Groupon again. All Rights Reserved. That said, I’d be tempted to just ask her, “what’s the deal with the groupons” and ask if she personally didn’t get paid (but maybe that’s rude?). I agree that the salon should have put limitations on the groupon. Since Groupon.com is underhanded in their dealings, I have contacted the Attorney General's office in my state to file a complaint. Salons have so many different ways of paying their stylists, from renting their space, to splitting the fees, to hourly plus tips, that it’s hard to say how she’s getting paid, and who is losing out on the Groupon. As a customer who has felt irritated by the limited availability for appointments and having to schedule so far out (example bought a mani/pedi Groupon for Mother’s Day and wanted to go with my mom but could not get an appointment together) – I honestly appreciate hearing the experience from the business. But she is tactical and finds new inventive ways to keep up. There is no money to be made in Groupon, its more a sacrifice to generously get business in the door. I had a bitter taste in my mouth when they would come in, get a really good service, then not rebook. If it’s truly just to attract new customers for a one time savings they should update the groupon deal. I AM CHEAP and proud of it (as long as it doesn’t result in a direct cut in pay for someone else). In actuality I was losing money minus $11 an hour. I might mention it to the owner if I can do so without a bunch of fanfare! Eventually after it turned out to be impossible to find a reasonable hair cut for $40 or less around here, I ended up at a $70+ place. This is the "group" element of Groupon. Also, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if the stylist isn’t on an employee basis with the salon, but is rather an independent contractor and her pay really is cut dramatically when customers use Groupons. Thanks Robin! If our service isn’t good enough for you to pay for it, DON’T FREAKING USE IT! Make the rules that you want people to follow. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that they shouldn’t have made the Groupon for $55 if that meant taking a loss. I suppose I’d just figure out if this is going to be a one or two time thing, or if you think you’ll have a long term business relationship with this hairdresser. I think I just caught her off guard =/. She made it sound like she got paid by the hour, which is why I’m confused. I worked for a company that used Groupon as well & worked 8 hour days for $0 an hour. Users aren't your typical coupon clippers; in fact, they make a lot of money. Otherwise it doesn’t make business sense because I’m sure a lot of people only go to that place when there’s a Groupon. Your continued use of this site means you accept the use of these cookies. Take some accountability and setup your Groupon at a price that is acceptable to your bottom line and/or set strict limits on their usage. My short answer is no. Groupon’s 50% is flat out greedy and sets up businesses and clients to have very mixed feelings. I especially love to buy the picture canvases. But all my competitors use Groupon so if I don’t, I’m not going to get any new customers. If you only want one per person, say so! So like my friend’s wife used to do my hair. I buy five of those suckers every time they’re available, and then I get my empanada on every chance I get. I also got off groupon! I’d probably do the same thing you’re doing by not using the groupon this time, but then I wouldn’t ever go back since I’d be too cheap to pay full price. Their customer service is very bad, they dont have any warnings on the website before you make trade ins and groupon … I ended up doing nothing but groupons for three months straight, hardly time to answer the phone, booking people 4-6 weeks in advance and people getting pissed off left right and Center. Bottom line, if you are opening a new business and do your research to know the Groupon’s will actually lose money for you, then you need to weigh the long-term benefit of driving business and only run the campaign for a very short period of time. And since I’m not too picky about how my hair is done, I absolutely loved the results. Different personalities. It’s Monday morning as I write this, and I am chugging as much coffee as I can get down. These restaurants run these Groupons year round for years on end, and seem to be well run businesses, so obviously Groupon can work well…. We didn’t ever dishonor a coupon or make the patients feel bad, but it helped us learn how to place limits on promotions. There are literally ten salons with groupons in my area at any given time. I am a Groupon merchant and run an ad on groupon. I haven’t used that God awful, greedy site again. Below, the five best things to buy and shop for on these sites to ensure you live … Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by this website or our advertisers. Everyone- PLEASE GIVE A HUGE TIP when you use a groupon/couponn. It’s me, Sarah! So being booked for months on end that is your own greed circling back at you. ... and revenues in the rest of the world expanded by 23% versus the same period in the prior year. And when they decided to take a loss on the Groupon, that is their own fault. Awesome about the massage! I hate feeling awkward. You can’t generate a book full business in just two weeks. I agree with you though =) If you don’t want to take a loss on something, don’t provide people with a coupon. Most that I’ve seen do. Business Credit Cards: Using Rewards to Earn Free Travel, Subsidized vs. Unsubsidized Student Loans, FedLoan Servicing Problems and Alternatives, How to Use a Personal Loan to Pay Off Credit Card Debt. There really wasn’t an opportunity to purchase anything else OR to tip. Yes you have to print them out and no you can't use the same one twice. I’m all about Groupon for haircare and dental appointments. The issue is these companies using Groupon are not taking the time to do their research on the process and setup their Groupon accordingly. Set the date and time to send the Groupon. In fact, the rules simply said “One Per Visit,” unlike the many other Groupons I’ve seen that say “One Per Customer” instead. Typically, after you buy a deal voucher, Groupon or LivingSocial gets out of the way and hands things over to a travel agent, or an online tour operator like Go-today or Great Value Vacations. I’m not trying to be rude, just openly honest. I am a bookkeeper for a restaurant that participated in a Groupon promotion two years ago. She is the co-founder of Club Thrifty, co-author of the book Zero Down Your Debt, and is recognized as one of the top credit card experts in the field. if you use it correctly and stop expecting customers to abide by some unwritten rules you have come up with to fix your mistake. My husband’s employer did Groupon – once. Since many hairstylists have to rent their space, she is probably right, she isn’t making any money off the groupon (other than the tip). Honestly, if you can talk to the manager/owner, the best thing you can do for them is let them know that Groupon rates are usually negotiable. In the past, we have done coupons and promos at our office that backfired because we didn’t word them right and got burned by people combining with insurance. The $10 is split between Eatsa Pizza and Groupon itself, which usually involves both companies taking 50 percent [source: NPR]. You can send it immediately or have Groupon … But even that isn’t really your responsibility. He has waited on over 100,000 guests and trained hundreds of servers. Here are some quick tips for staying motivated while destroying debt. Not that I think using it is bad(they are the ones that did not put limitations on it) but in a hair salon, typically the fee you pay is split between the salon and stylist. I also believe that, if they want to limit the Groupon to one per person, they should say so explicitly in the fine print. So you should be ok buying them 2 days in advance as long as you make sure you make a return claim if you … “ Make sure you know and read everything about trade in deals and groupon bucks before you make any kind of purchase on groupon. Required fields are marked *. He has held both hourly and salaried positions at independent and corporate restaurants. While I think groupon can be very useful for some business model, especially ones where you can control bookings and cross/up sell. Holly Johnson is a financial expert and award-winning writer who has traveled to over 40 countries and counting. The theory is that the customer would come in and love our service so much that they would actually become a regular paying customer (imagine that). I'd stay … I want that deal! I loved my hair cut so much that I resolved to just get it cut once a year for $80 – same cost, but a better cut that actually continues to look great for a year. This is though. It must come out of her pay- otherwise why would she mention it (or even necessarily know)? A few months ago, I was in desperate need of some sort of a hairstyle or change. Your email address will not be published. We as merchants discount usually close to 50% and then only get half of that after groupon is paid the other half. Get your discount!