I hope this newsletter finds you well and enjoying the summer.
As many of you know, I decided to stay in Den Haag and spend my summer vacation in a very different way...working!
During the month of August, I opened my agenda on Monday and Tuesday mornings in addition to my regular Night Barber hours on both of those days. That way, I was able to offer my services to those who needed them while spending the rest of the week with my family and—during the few occasions where they travelled down south to visit family—have some time to myself to read, write, play piano and get my house in ship shape for the autumn.
While I wasn't surprised to have filled 100% of my slots this summer (not everyone goes on vacation at the same time!), it was nice to hear about so many of your travels and pending holiday plans. It looks like Greece, Scandinavia and France were some of your top destinations and there were quite a few trips that involved long bike and hiking adventures.
Now on to some important news and changes that I'll be implementing starting September 1st.
From 1 September, I will no longer be using the Treatwell booking platform as I have decided to manage my own bookings via my website www.nightbarber.nl, which is powered by Wix. All current customers have been added to my client list, so all you need to do is log in on the booking page just as you did before.
For your convenience, cash payments will once again be accepted. Debit and credit card payments are, of course, still welcome as is the possibility to pre-pay online at the time of booking. Convenience is king!
From September 1st, there will be an across-the-board price increase of five euros on all services. Over the past four and half years since I started The Night Barber, I have made it a point to keep my prices both accessible and competitive and the decision to raise my prices did not come easy and was well pondered. And while many businesses raise their prices to confront inflation and the rising costs associated with doing business, that was only part of my decision. The average price for a men’s haircut in The Hague is €44,75 (based on the top 12 most reviewed venues). Furthermore, since 2019—and all through the COVID-19 pandemic—I modestly raised prices on only a few of my services in an effort to support my customers during times of uncertainty. So, I believe that the increase is not only justified, it brings my pricing in line with the industry, not to mention the added value of after-hours service in a venue where you are the only customer in the shop.
By popular demand, I will once again be offering my hot steam, lemon and eucalyptus straight razor shave once I have completed a refresher course in late September (I've become a bit rusty after not having done shaves since the beginning of pandemic!). If you'd like to try a free shave, send me an email as I'll be needing 10 models during my master class).
After more than four years of building my business and the trust of so many loyal customers, I have nearly reached the limit of customers I can serve as a part-time barber. Therefore, I will be limiting the addition of new customers mainly to referrals and word-of-mouth advertising. This way, you can be assured to always get your four, six, or eight-week re-booking without delay. As such, I would still encourage everyone to book their next appointment at the shop after each and every visit.
Finally, I'll be going back to a four day workweek in September (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in Den Haag and Saturday nights in Amsterdam Oud West). I will also continue offering four slots on Monday mornings in Den Haag.
So, that's the roundup of news and information for now. I'm looking forward to welcoming everyone back for their last haircuts and beardwork of the summer and hearing about your summer adventures, both past, present and future!
Richard