Georgia Salon Charges Overweight Customers More For Manicure

Should Heavier Customers Pay More For Salon Services?

August 23, 2010

It seems wrong to even suggest that your weight should determine how much you pay for a manicure, but that's exactly what one salon outside of Atlanta is accused of doing.

Customers weighing over 200 pounds were being charged $5 extra for nail services, ostensibly because larger people may damage the salon's expensive chairs. But that seems less a reason to charge extra and more a legal liability for the salon — after all, it's seating people in chairs not safe for their size. Is it fair to charge larger patrons more for salon services, or is this just clear-cut discrimination?

Source: Thinkstock

24 Comments

lindzers 2 years 36 weeks

I won't go back to any salon that charges me extra for having longer hair. Usually it's the shorter haircuts that require more technical skill and more of the stylist's time. I go for some pretty simple low-maintenance layers. The product argument is bogus too - though I may require the eensiest bit more conditioner, my hair doesn't have to be loaded up with all of the gels, pomades, and styling sprays. Charge based on the complexity of the cut or charge everyone the same price.

2 years 38 weeks

not for nails! I'm pretty sure they're the same size on most people. The chair defense is completely ridiculous. For other services, sure. I know a bikini wax is $30++, the ++ meaning they'll adjust based on how much hair you have. Girls with longer hair also pay more for haircuts, as luv mentioned. So i guess for things like a full body wrap or massage it would make sense.

Ellenora 2 years 38 weeks

It is discrimination to charge overweight people more money for a nail service. HOWEVER, I firmly stand by the rule that if you break it, you pay for the entire or a partial cost for the replacement. It shouldn't be just up to the owner to pay for an expensive piece of equipment that you, the customer, broke unless the equipment was damaged or had some defect in it PRIOR to your breaking said equipment.

Ellenora 2 years 38 weeks

Rjs baby girl 2 years 38 weeks

@luvlior : I do not agree with you about hair stylists charging more for long hair. You do get a longer service, because she has to spend more time on your hair and use more product than someone with short hair. The time she spends with you could have been spent with another customer, so I think they are right to charge more for long hair. For the nails service I think it is totally unacceptable to charge more. It was an excuse to discriminate against that woman and not having overweight people in her salon. The owner should be ashamed of herself. If someone weighs 90 pounds is she gonna charge them less because they use her chairs less? Ridiculous.

Rjs baby girl 2 years 38 weeks

@luvlior : I do not agree with you about hair stylists charging more for long hair. You do get a longer service, because she has to spend more time on your hair and use more product than someone with short hair. The time she spends with you could have been spent with another customer, so I think they are right to charge more for long hair.For the nails service I think it is totally unacceptable to charge more. It was an excuse to discriminate against that woman and not having overweight people in her salon. The owner should be ashamed of herself. If someone weighs 90 pounds is she gonna charge them less because they use her chairs less? Ridiculous.

Paradox28 2 years 38 weeks

That is just wrong. I am over 200lbs, and while yes I am overweight I am also very tall so it is not that bad. I don't hear any chairs creaking when I sit down. That is one weak chair, and was totally discrimination! I thought this would be about body masks or waxing, but NAILS!?!?! Come on....

luvlior 2 years 38 weeks

While I do not condone obesity, I think charging heavier people more is out of line and unprofessional. What are they going to do, have a scale in the lobby and weight every customer that passes through the door?I hate being charged more for a hair cut/ colour because I have long hair. Everyone should pay the same price if they are getting the same services. The salon should just splurge on some decent chairs so they don't need to cheap out, and embarrass their customers.

luvlior 2 years 38 weeks

While I do not condone obesity, I think charging heavier people more is out of line and unprofessional. What are they going to do, have a scale in the lobby and weight every customer that passes through the door? I hate being charged more for a hair cut/ colour because I have long hair. Everyone should pay the same price if they are getting the same services. The salon should just splurge on some decent chairs so they don't need to cheap out, and embarrass their customers.

WarEagleNurse 2 years 38 weeks

Discrimination!

WarEagleNurse 2 years 38 weeks

Discrimination!

bluesarahlou 2 years 38 weeks

It's discrimination. The difficulty of your job does not increase as the size of your client increases. Now if your client came in with nails that haven't been cut in 9 years....I might understand a price increase.

bluesarahlou 2 years 38 weeks

stylinfabqueen 2 years 38 weeks

I just saw the video on this and I really think that this is wrong. Actually the chairs can hold more than 200lbs. That woman should have sued the nail salon owner.

eneriyma 2 years 38 weeks

It would be one thing if weight meant extra work for the manicurist (as longer hair often means the price for a haircut is higher).

2 years 38 weeks

I might say yes for waxing, or something that actually reflects their size.. like the salon had to use more product for their service. like how long hair is charged more for a hair wash sometimes.

POPSUGAR Beauty 2 years 38 weeks

I think the chair defense is pretty weak. Seems like this is a fairly clear-cut example of discriminating against someone because of her size.

postmodernsleaze 2 years 38 weeks

Yeah, to use weight as an excuse to charge more in a nail salon seems ridiculous to me. Seems like a frivolous excuse to make more money. Maybe they should invest in better chairs. What happens when a skinny girl moves the wrong way in her chair and it falls over and breaks? You can't assume the only accident facing chairs is obesity. If the salon is that concerned over chairs, they should include a $5 chair fee for every customer. Oh, but, wait... that would be... what's the word for it? STUPID, right?

postmodernsleaze 2 years 38 weeks

Yeah, to use weight as an excuse to charge more in a nail salon seems ridiculous to me. Seems like a frivolous excuse to make more money.Maybe they should invest in better chairs. What happens when a skinny girl moves the wrong way in her chair and it falls over and breaks? You can't assume the only accident facing chairs is obesity. If the salon is that concerned over chairs, they should include a $5 chair fee for every customer. Oh, but, wait... that would be... what's the word for it? STUPID, right?

amandachalynn 2 years 38 weeks

I think at a nail salon it's ridiculous. It's not like a massage where there's more area to cover or a total body masque where more product is used. Even in those cases I'm not sure how I would feel about charging someone more for their weight.

vals2saucey 2 years 38 weeks

While I'm not promoting obesity, I think that more attention should be given to the chairs.

onlysourcherry 2 years 38 weeks

I voted "that's business" because I'm not sure that it should be illegal, BUT i do think this will hurt their business. A smart business owner would invest in a few reinforced chairs and just quietly lead an overweight client to an open reinforced chair...

onlysourcherry 2 years 38 weeks

2 years 38 weeks

I'm particularly hurt by this story because I live only a few miles from Dekalb County (part of metro Atlanta). I think there is a strong bias against being overweight within Asian cultures especially, and that's definitely showing here. If your repair costs are going up, you need to raise prices for everyone. If there's a weight limit for the chairs, you need to politely enforce it for both the safety of the chair AND the client. Technical specifications exist for a reason. This salon owner made a terrible mistake and I'm sure her business will suffer.

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