How to tell clients about a price increase

01Why raising prices feels so hard

Materials get more expensive, rent gets more expensive, but prices stay the same.Many professionals don't raise prices for years, afraid clients will leave. They end up working more for the same money and start resenting work they once loved.

A price increase on its own doesn't drive clients away. Surprise does: a new price discovered at the till. This article has the steps to raise prices calmly, plus ready-made texts for the announcement.

02When it’s time to raise prices

A few signs your price is too low:

• Your calendar is full weeks ahead, and new clients can't get in.
• Material and rent costs have gone up, but your price hasn't changed in a year or more.
• You've learned a new technique or work faster and better than a year ago.
• The sums don't add up: after costs and taxes, less is left than you'd like.

Many professionals review prices once a year, for example in autumn or January. A small regular step is easier than a big one every three years.

03How much to raise

• Round numbers. €44 looks like a calculation, €45 looks like a price.
• Not necessarily the same for everything. Raise popular treatments more, rarer ones less or not at all.
• One step, not several. Two increases in six months annoy more than one bigger one.

04How much notice to give

Two to four weeks is usually enough. It gives clients time to adjust and, if they like, to book at the old price. Announcing it a day before looks like hiding, even if it wasn't meant that way.

An important rule: bookings already made keep the old price.The client booked knowing the price, and that agreement doesn't change. The new price applies to appointments from a set date, booked after the announcement.

05How to say it

A good announcement is short and confident. It contains three things:

1. What changes and from which date.
2. One sentence of reason, without long justification.
3. Thanks and a booking link.

What to avoid: a long apology, a complicated explanation of inflation and the line “I hope you won't be upset”. Apologising suggests you're doing something wrong. Raising prices is a normal part of running a business.

06Regular clients: should they keep the old price?

Some professionals want to keep regulars on the old price forever. It sounds kind, but a year later you have two price lists, and the clients who come most often pay the least.

A better thank-you: tell them personally and first, and let them book at the old price until a set date. That is a thank-you, not a permanent exception.

07If a client objects

Most clients accept a price increase without comment. If someone objects, answer calmly and don't reverse the decision on the spot. One discount for one client quickly becomes a new rule.

08How it works in RINDIQ

In RINDIQ you can schedule a new price for a service from a set date. Appointments before that date keep the current price, and for appointments from that date the system applies the new one on its own, even when booked today. Clients also see a note on the booking page, such as “From 01.11.2026: €45”, so the new price is never a surprise.

Bookings already made keep the price they were made at. Before you save, the system shows how many bookings will keep the old price. You can raise every service at once by a percentage or a fixed amount, rounded to 50 cents or a whole euro.

If the price is up and a client still cancels at the last minute, read A client cancelled at the last minute. What now with the empty slot?.