A friend just called me to ask for advice, and I said I’d consult my panel of experts (that would be youse guys).
We both go to the same hairdresser and have been for several years. “Mary Lou” (not her name) is the manager of the salon, which is one in a local chain of 10 salons in the city. Obviously, all of them are shut down right now. Mary Lou is married and her husband worked as a security guard at a bank, which I assume is also shut down. They have kids, but I think they’re grown, which doesn’t mean they don’t still live at home.
My friend DeeDee wanted to figure out some way to help Mary Lou out financially, although neither of us has any idea what her financial situation is. DeeDee kind of wanted to send a check “just because,” but we don’t have her home address (although we have her cell # so we could find out). I’m guessing DeeDee had an amount in mind in the neighborhood of $100 or maybe $200. Then she thought maybe grocery store gift cards or Favor/Door Dash meal delivery. But she would want to do something truly helpful, not just a gesture. With a close friend, you might be able to get them to tell you what would really help, but Mary Lou isn’t a close friend.
A hairdresser or manicurist that you see every 4-6 weeks for a couple of hours… it’s a unique kind of closeness. I mean, you do tend to bare your souls to them as to a priest in the confessional, but it’s not the same as a friendship. I had a hairdresser years ago who used to say, “Wet their heads and they’ll tell you anything.”
How are others handling a situation like this? Providers whom you saw and paid regularly for specific services and who are now not working and presumably without income (at least at the same level), but who aren’t close personal friends?
If the barber doesn’t work for himself but works for a company, will that money benefit him personally? I can see that it would help the company stay in business. Which is a good thing.
He owns the business. The other barbers there rent chairs, he’s a good guy, I’ll bet he shares something with them if he can, but it’s important for all of them that he is able to re-open someday.
There’s another local restaurant that has a link up on their website to give $10 to their servers, except the link is broken. If they fix it I’ll do that to.
These are local businesses that I want to support anyway. I can afford it, it’s money I’d be spending if we weren’t in this situation. And there’s not much more I can do to help.
We have housekeepers and we’re continuing to pay them at half rate at the times when they’d normally come clean (every other week).
We’re very fortunately in a position where we can afford to do that. If it stretches out for quite a bit longer I may ask them whether I can do a “credit” thing.
Back when this first started, I wondered the same thing.
Someone here advised me to purchase gift certificates, which I did. They are small, interest free loans which i can choose to collect later when things are better. Of course, I promptly “lost” the gift cards, so it really was a money gift, but the business with the certificates made it seem less like charity.
If my stylist is able to re-open her one person shop, she might call me on the deception in some way or another but I think I’m OK with the other businesses.
We are paying our housekeeper the same amount even though she is not coming. The yard guy is still working, so he got a permanent raise. Tomorrow, I am going to tape an envelope to the top of our trash can. It will be boldly addressed To The Trash Guys, and will have a couple of 20’s inside. I SERIOUSLY appreciate those guys!
My plan is to Venmo my hairdresser the amount of my normal haircut + tip, once per month (we’ve only had one month so far…sending a second on Friday). I put it on my calendar to do on the 17th of each month. Maybe “Mary Lou” has a Venmo or Paypal account?
These are all good ideas. I’m still paying my house cleaner, too, even though she’s not coming. The stylist Mary Lou works for a corporation. Gift certificates will certainly help the company (and it’s a great idea), but DeeDee is looking for a way to put $$$ directly in Mary Lou’s pocket.
I guess you and DeeDee have to ask Mary Lou if she needs help. Maybe get some kind of gift card that can be used anywhere, ask her if she could use the help, or maybe she knows someone who does. You oughta tell her right off how much you and DeeDee value your relationship with her and it’s all about everyone paying it forward.
Mary Lou, ThemaLou, and DeeDee - there’s a song in there somewhere. Good luck with this, hope it works out.
My wife has been with her hairdresser for 10+ years, so she’s fairly friendly with her. She contacted the hairdresser and asked how to help her out. The response was that she’s on unemployment now, so doesn’t need financial help, but buying a gift certificate to the salon was the best way to help her out in the long run.
At least in Illinois, banks are considered essential, so presumably at least some security guards are still working. Our bank has kept a handful of branches open for business that can’t be transacted online.
