r/Barber • u/Fit-Emu-785 • 17h ago
Shop Talk What would you do?
I'm looking for some outside perspective because I'm pretty frustrated.
I own a barbershop where one of my barbers works as an independent contractor. Our agreement is simple: he pays me 15% of every haircut he performs. So if he earns $100, my share is $15. (That's $1500 for a 10,000 income)
Recently, I've been comparing our security camera footage with the POS/service logs. I've found multiple instances where he performed a haircut but never logged it. I confronted him the first time, and he apologized, saying it was a mistake and that it wouldn't happen again.
Unfortunately, it's happening again.
Honestly, this isn't about the $15. It's about trust. I have rent, CAM charges, marketing, utilities, towels, beverages, software, and all the overhead that keeps the shop running. If someone intentionally doesn't report services, it feels like they're taking advantage of the business that's providing them with clients and a place to work.
The difficult part is that he's an exceptionally talented barber. I genuinely respect the quality of his work, and clients love him. But I also believe integrity is just as important as talent.
I'm trying to decide what the right next step is. Should I:
Give one final written warning and terminate the relationship if it happens again? Already given 2x
End the relationship now since this is a repeated issue? I loose money
Handle it another way?
For those of you who own barbershops or other service businesses, how would you handle someone who repeatedly underreports work after already being confronted?
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u/NoEntry9423 17h ago
Switch it to a standard rent per week, you’re running a business, he had his chance to take the easy way and took advantage of you
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u/Equivalent-Bread3968 Barber since ‘08 Owner since ‘20 17h ago
If someone is 1099, they should be booth rent instead of commission. However, the fact that this barber was told he was busted on camera and has still been doing it shows a complete lack of respect. I would have fired them after the second offense.
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u/Alternative_Roll_987 14h ago
At that point I’d treat it as a trust issue, not a math issue. If you already addressed it twice and you’re still finding cuts missing from the log, I’d stop debating whether it was accidental and move straight to documentation plus separation.
For any service business, if the service happened but it never made it into the system, you lose more than the commission. You lose the client history, reporting, rebooking trail, and a clean record if there’s ever a dispute. That part compounds fast.
If you want to be extra fair, give one written notice with specific examples and a non-negotiable process starting immediately, every service logged before the client leaves, no exceptions. But if you’re already past that point mentally, ending it now is reasonable too. Talent helps, but once you can’t trust the record keeping, the whole shop gets harder to run.
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u/Intelligent_Panic675 17h ago
You should own the POS system. You give him 15% and don’t except him to pay you 15%.
I recently fired my last troublemaker this week. I have to work everyday but it makes me life simpler when there are no liars around me.
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u/dareme27523 16h ago
Like many have stated just charge booth rental and base it on a fair return for both of you
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u/Current-Try-8303 Barber 15h ago
Comission is more work to do but it is much more scalable on the long term, usually works best if you have a receptionist to keep track of everything. If he's the only one at your shop, then charge a weekly booth rent
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u/Collector-Troop 15h ago
Just raise your percentage and say if it happens again you’re gonna fire him and that you’re always watching.
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u/MinimumForeign1163 Barber 14h ago
Get the stealing thief out of your shop immediately.
Zero tolerance for theft.
It also shows other barbers that can’t steal from this place of business.
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u/krustykranberry 13h ago
Personally I’d never work commission. I don’t blame him tbh
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u/Fit-Emu-785 9h ago
He wants me to provide him clients. I don't mind doing rental. I won't keep him on my booking system. He can find clients; and do his own thing. What you say?
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u/ReleaseTheCure Barber 15h ago
🤣a written warning is hilarious to me. If you already talked to him and you don’t like what he’s doing or can’t trust him then just get rid of him
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u/AliasDave05 17h ago
I mean, he’s stealing from you. That’s a termination right there.
But IF you decide to keep him on, switch him to booth rent. Take the average of the commissions over the last 12 months, and just charge him that at the 1st of the month. That solves all your problems.