What I charge (just for info)

[SunChariot]

I scheduled a reading with a client a few months back and told her the price would be $30 for a half hour and $50 for a full hour. She got very flustered and told me she thought that she was just to pay what she wanted at the end. Not having any kind of reference for what to do in this situation I lowered it to $40 for a full hour. I ended up going into overtime by 20 minutes and did not get any extra moola from her. The other day she left a voicemail to schedule a reading and asked for a "good price." I feel pretty guilty but I just erased the voicemail.

This was such a contrast from a party I read for. I charged $100 and ended up reading for 4 1/2 hours straight. The hostess was so surprised and happy she tipped me $50.

Well the fault is certainly the clients' there. If she knew there was to be a payment involved, she should have verified how much it was not just assumed. It could well have been more than she could afford for all she knew. I certainly know I would have. Maybe she had one before with someone else and that is how it worked, but you can't just presume everyone charges the same thing. If I go to one dentist and switch, I can't just presume the other charges the exact same amount....It certainly seems to me that if you are going to be paying money for something you ought to find out how much first, not just presume.

I think she is asking for a good price now because she saw it worked last time. There's a good chance that if you keep reading for her "at a good price", she would send you referrals and tell them you do that, and before you know it you could end up with a whole bunch of people thinking your price is flexible. If it isn't, then I think maybe you were right to not read for her again.

In a sense it seems as though the first time was an accident. The second time, you can already told her you had a "set" price and what it was and it sounds at this point like she is trying to "use/take advantage of you.

Although maybe I would have answered her calls and told her that I do have a set price, and only made an exception because of the misunderstanding last time...I might have told her, that I would read for her again if she can respect that. Since this is all theory to me, as I have yet to start, , does that makes sense?

Babs

 

[SunChariot]

Here is a question would love the answer to :

For those of you who read over the web....how long does one of your readings tend to be at what price?

Babs

 

[MercyMe]

I read through a web service at currently 99 cents per minute. Average readings tend to last about 15-20 minutes, some are longer, some are shorter, but usually not much shorter.

--Mercy

 

[SunChariot]

Sorry about that, I think my question was unclear.....

I meant about how many pages long are people's readings on average per the price they charge??? Really curious to know,

Bar

 

[Shade]

Well the fault is certainly the clients' there. If she knew there was to be a payment involved, she should have verified how much it was not just assumed.

Oops I made that a bit unclear in my post, she met me when I was reading for donations at a Goddess festival, I told her about my prices but she had selective memory about it and went into the reading thinking she was going to donate again. When we settled on $40 she said "Oh I'll have to write a check then," which tells me that she was planning on paying less than $40 for an hour reading. If I was going full steam as a reader I definitely would have called her back but since it's a side business I don't have a lot of extra time for I decided she's not worth the trouble.

To your question about internet readings... I've heard people rave on this site about how the Orphalese program makes things easier to put together online readings, I think the people using a program like that charge more (but I could be wrong).

 

[MercyMe]

Bar, when I've given email readings, they have been one page long and I've charged $10.

I've heard people rave on this site about how the Orphalese program makes things easier to put together online readings, I think the people using a program like that charge more (but I could be wrong).

I use Orphalese when reading for the internet service. It's quicker and I don't need extra space at my desk to lay out real cards I also can see the cards at the same time I am speaking with my client and quickly shuffle and pull new spreads as necessary. I really like it for such readings but only for such readings. When I first began using the program it felt odd and disconnected, like removed a bit without physically handling the cards, but as I worked with it more, I felt more comfortable with it and it has been VERY useful for reading online. But no, I don't charge more than I would if I used a regular deck. The program doesn't cost THAT much, lol.

--Mercy

 

[SunChariot]

Well, I looked at the Orphalese programme, and thanks everyone for telling me about it. Always love to learn new things about Tarot. I can see it's not for me but it was interesting to learn about. To me Tarot and reading Tarot are highly spiritual things. For me it's a direct communication with a higher power, with myself asking the questions, and then receiving the answers from that source. ....I need my trappings, scented candle in the background to meditate on...There's something very very beautiful in all that for me. I think the programme would remove too much of that from my experience.

But that is just how I am. And of course Tarot is such an individual thing. If it's working great for other people, and I can see it is, then that's a great thing I'm really happy for them.

And thanks everyone for all the advice about pricing too, which is really invaluable to me at this stage.

Babs

 

[agedog1]

NEVER EVER charge under $250.00 for a party! That's starting at a 2 hour party going up from there.

People starting an active bidding contest on my halloween party's beginning on November 1st (yep the day after Halloween), I haven't done a Halloween party under $1,500 in 10 years.

O.K. gals/guy, why are you selling yourself short?

oops (edited here) I only DO 1 party a year

 

[Shade]

I think the programme would remove too much of that from my experience.

I think one way online readers have been using Orphalese is to give the client a visual copy of the reading. You can still do a reading with physical cards and then later "assemble" it for the client so that they can see what cards you pulled and what the laout looked like.

Like you, I prefer the "trappings" but if I started doing online readings I would probably use Orphalese to help the client understand the reading.

 

[SunChariot]

I think one way online readers have been using Orphalese is to give the client a visual copy of the reading. You can still do a reading with physical cards and then later "assemble" it for the client so that they can see what cards you pulled and what the laout looked like.

Like you, I prefer the "trappings" but if I started doing online readings I would probably use Orphalese to help the client understand the reading.

That makes sense.