How to price a color correction series as a solo beauty pro

June 13, 2026 · 22 min read · back to blog

Most solo colorists who end up undercharging on correction work do not undercharge on session 1. They undercharge on sessions 2 and 3 because they never established a total investment framework at the intake consultation. The pricing conversation that determines whether correction work is profitable or loss-leading happens before session 1 starts — not at the chair during session 2 when the client says "I thought we were almost done." This guide covers the complete pricing system for multi-session color correction work: why correction pricing is structurally different from per-service pricing, how to choose between per-session and series pricing, how to estimate session count and present a total investment range before the client commits, how to structure deposits across a multi-session series, how to handle the client who wants to stop before the goal is reached, and the revenue-per-chair-hour math that makes corrections the highest-value service in a solo beauty menu — when the pricing model is correct.

Why correction pricing is structurally different from per-service pricing

Single-service pricing is a straightforward transaction. You have a defined service — a balayage, a root touch-up, a gloss — with a known scope, a known duration, and a price that reflects both. The client knows what she is paying. You know what you are doing. The invoice at checkout matches the quote at the consultation.

Color correction pricing has none of those properties. The scope is unknown at the time of the first quote — you can estimate based on the intake form and strand test, but the actual number of sessions required depends on how the hair responds to the first session, which you cannot know in advance. The duration of each session varies by what you discover during the work. The total investment to reach the client's goal may span three, four, or five appointments, each billable at the correct rate for the work performed.

This structural uncertainty is not a problem to apologize for. It is the accurate description of what color correction is. The error most solo colorists make is trying to price correction work as if it were a single-service transaction — quoting session 1 and leaving sessions 2 and 3 as an implicit future discussion. That structure sets up the session 2 invoice as a surprise, because the client's mental model at session 1 was "I am paying $350 for my correction," not "I am beginning a 2–3 session series that will cost $700–$1,050 to complete."

The pricing system that makes correction work sustainable is one that presents the total investment at the intake consultation, before the client makes a booking decision. The client who decides to proceed after hearing the full scope is making an informed commitment. The client who hears only the session 1 price and proceeds is making a decision with incomplete information — and will feel deceived at session 2, even if nothing deceptive actually happened.

Per-session vs series pricing — which model to use

There are two pricing structures for multi-session correction work. Each has a specific use case. Using the wrong structure for the situation is a common source of correction revenue problems.

Per-session pricing means charging a flat rate for each session, stating that the number of sessions depends on the starting condition and the goal, and collecting a deposit per session. The client commits to session 1. At the end of session 1, she decides whether to book session 2 based on where her hair is and what you tell her is needed to reach the goal.

The advantage of per-session pricing is simplicity: the scope of session 1 is defined, the price is clear, and you are not exposed if the complexity turns out to be different from your estimate. The risk is that the client builds a session-by-session mental model of the work — evaluating at each checkout whether to continue — rather than committing to the full series at the start. A client who makes a session-by-session decision is more likely to stop at an intermediate result when the work is two-thirds done.

Series pricing means quoting a total investment for the complete correction from starting condition to goal, stating the approximate number of sessions, and collecting either a deposit on the total or per-session deposits booked at the intake consultation. The client's decision at the intake is about the whole series, not each session individually.

The advantage of series pricing is that the client's commitment happens once, before session 1, with full information about the total cost and the expected session count. There is no session 2 invoice surprise. The risk is that series pricing requires accurate session count estimation at the intake, which is sometimes not possible when the starting condition is complex.

When to use per-session pricing: when the path forward after session 1 is genuinely uncertain. Complex chemical history with multiple overlapping systems, significant breakage that may change the approach after you see how the hair responds, or a starting condition that requires the strand test result to determine the realistic endpoint — these are situations where committing to a series price at the intake is imprecise enough that you will either overquote (the client bails before booking) or underquote (you complete 3 sessions for the price of 2). Use per-session pricing, but pair it with total investment framing so the client understands the likely range before she commits.

When to use series pricing: when you can confidently estimate the session count from the intake form and strand test. A client with box color growing out over natural hair, aiming for a medium warm blonde, is likely a 2-session correction — you can quote that as a series. A client with a specific balayage toning issue is likely a 1-session correction. Series pricing works best when the scope is definable and the session count range is narrow (1–2 sessions, not 2–5).

Estimating session count at the intake consultation

The goal of the intake consultation is not to predict the session count with certainty — it is to give the client a realistic range and explain what determines where on the range the actual result falls. An honest range with a clear explanation is more valuable to the client than a false precision that turns into a surprise at session 2.

The factors that determine session count:

Starting level vs target level. The number of levels of lift required is the most reliable predictor of session count. Moving from a level 4 to a level 9 is a 5-level lift — that is almost always a multi-session process on any previously colored hair. Moving from a level 6 to a level 8 is achievable in fewer sessions, depending on the chemical history.

Chemical history type. Relaxer history with permanent color overlap: typically 3+ sessions. Box color with significant underlying pigment: typically 2–3 sessions. Semi-permanent color or direct dye from a professional product: typically 1–2 sessions. Balayage toning correction (wrong tone, not wrong level): typically 1 session. The more chemical systems in the history, the more sessions required to work safely toward the goal.

Porosity condition. Highly porous hair lifts faster per session — which sounds like an advantage but often means the result is uneven, requiring additional sessions to correct the unevenness. Low-porosity, resistant hair may lift more slowly, requiring either more sessions or more aggressive chemistry (which increases the risk of damage that then adds sessions). The strand test tells you where the client's hair falls on this spectrum.

Goal clarity. Platinum (level 10) from a dark starting point requires more sessions than level 8 from a medium starting point. A client whose goal is "lighter but not necessarily platinum" has a shorter correction path than one whose goal is a specific high-lift result. Nailing down the exact goal — not just "lighter" but a specific level and tone — allows you to give a session count estimate with a narrower range.

What to say when you can't be precise: "Based on your starting condition and your goal, I'd estimate this is a 2–3 session correction. I can't confirm the session count until after session 1 — the way your hair responds to the first session will tell me how aggressively we can work in session 2. What I can tell you is that the total investment range is $700–$900 if it takes 2 sessions, or $900–$1,050 if it takes 3 sessions. I want you to have the full picture before you decide to proceed."

This framing does three things. First, it gives the client accurate information rather than a false promise. Second, it establishes the total investment range as the context for the session 1 price — she is not paying $350 for "the correction," she is paying $350 for the first session of a process that will cost $700–$1,050 in total. Third, it screens out the client who can only budget for one session and is hoping one session will be enough — better to discover that mismatch at the intake than at session 2 checkout.

Total investment framing: the conversation that changes session 2

The most consequential pricing decision for a correction series is whether to present pricing as a per-session price or as a total investment range. These two framings create different client mental models, and the mental model the client forms at session 1 determines her response to the session 2 invoice.

Per-session framing: "Session 1 is $350." The client's mental model: she is spending $350 on her correction. Session 2 arrives with another $350 invoice. From her perspective, the scope has changed — she thought she was paying $350, and now she is being asked for another $350. Even if you told her at the intake that multiple sessions might be needed, the framing of session 1 as a standalone $350 service anchors her expectations to that number.

Total investment framing: "The correction will require 2–3 sessions. Each session is $350. The total investment is $700–$1,050 depending on how your hair responds. Today's deposit is $175 — 50% of the first session. We'll book sessions 2 and 3 at the end of each appointment and collect the session deposit then." The client's mental model: she is committing to a $700–$1,050 investment for a defined goal. Session 2's $350 invoice is not a surprise — it is the second installment of a commitment she already made.

The mechanics of this conversation are not complicated. What makes it feel uncomfortable for many solo colorists is that it requires stating the total cost before any work has been done — before the client has experienced your skill, before she has seen any results, before she has built trust through the service itself. That discomfort is real. But the alternative — leaving the total cost implicit until session 2 checkout — is worse for the client (she makes an underfunded commitment), worse for you (session 2 becomes a negotiation), and worse for the correction outcome (a client who stops mid-series because she runs out of budget leaves your chair with an intermediate result that reflects on your work even though the issue was financial, not technical).

The practical approach: at the end of the intake consultation, after you have presented the strand test results and your assessment of the correction path, present the total investment range before asking whether the client wants to proceed. "Before we book session 1, I want to make sure you have the full picture on what this correction involves and what it costs, so there are no surprises later." Then state the session count range, the per-session price, and the total. Ask if she has questions about the pricing before you move to booking.

Deposit structure for multi-session correction work

Deposit sizing and collection timing for corrections differs from routine services in two ways: the deposit percentage should be higher per session, and the next session's deposit should be collected at the current session's checkout — not when the next appointment arrives.

Deposit percentage: For routine services, 25–35% of the service price is standard. For color corrections, 35–50% of each session's price is appropriate. The reason is not primarily financial protection — it is behavioral filtering. A correction client who completes a 50% deposit on a $350 session is paying $175 before she has seen any result. That commitment level selects for clients who have seriously evaluated the total investment and decided to proceed. Show rates for 50%-deposited correction clients run 95–98%, compared to 78–85% for undeposited service bookings. The higher deposit amount screens out the client who is "thinking about it" from the client who is ready to commit.

Collection timing — the rule that changes session 2 retention: The deposit for session 2 should be collected at session 1 checkout, not when the client books session 2 later. This is the most important structural change in a correction pricing system, and the one most often skipped because it feels presumptuous at session 1 checkout.

The data on why this matters: a correction client who leaves session 1 without a session 2 booked and deposited has roughly a 40–60% probability of not completing the series at all — even if she is satisfied with session 1's result. This is not because she is a bad client. It is because commitment fades when separated from the trigger event. The trigger event is the session 1 service, where the client is in the chair, seeing progress, trusting you with her hair, and feeling good about the work. Her motivation to continue the series is at its peak at session 1 checkout. Two weeks later, when she might normally book session 2, the day-to-day friction of scheduling, the memory of the cost, and competing priorities erode that motivation.

The session 1 checkout protocol: "You're at level 7 right now. The goal is level 9 — one more session will get us there. Let's get session 2 on the calendar before you leave so that slot is held. The deposit for session 2 is $175." This is not high-pressure. It is the correct completion of the pricing conversation that started at the intake consultation. The client who agreed to a 2-session series at the intake expects to book session 2 — you are making it easy to do that while the momentum is still there.

Three deposit structures for correction series:

Option A — Per-session deposits collected at each appointment. Session 1 deposit collected at booking (35–50% of session 1 price). Session 2 deposit collected at session 1 checkout. Session 3 deposit collected at session 2 checkout. This is the recommended structure for most corrections because it captures commitment at each stage without requiring a large upfront payment for sessions the client hasn't yet experienced. The critical execution detail: session 2 deposit must be collected at session 1 checkout, not after the client leaves.

Option B — Full series deposit at booking. Collect 25–35% of the total estimated investment before session 1. Use this when the client has been referred by a trusted source (existing client referral, before-and-after portfolio, word-of-mouth), the total estimate is narrow (2 sessions, clear path), and the client has signaled strong commitment. The advantage: the financial commitment is made once, before any session begins. The risk: if the actual session count differs significantly from the estimate, the accounting requires adjustment.

Option C — Session 1 deposit only, remaining sessions TBD. Collect a deposit for session 1 and defer the session 2 booking to after session 1. Use this only when the path after session 1 is genuinely uncertain (complex history, high damage, significant porosity variance). In this case, end session 1 checkout with a clear statement of where the hair is, what session 2 will address, what session 2 will cost, and an immediate booking if the client is ready. Do not let the client leave with the expectation of "I'll book when I'm ready" — the booking link being in your bio is not the same as having a specific session 2 date on the calendar.

The partial abandonment problem — when the client stops before the goal

The "we're done, right?" conversation is one of the most common friction points in correction work, and one of the least-prepared-for. It happens at session 2 checkout (or sometimes mid-session 2) when the client sees that her hair is significantly improved from the starting point, concludes that it is close enough to her goal, and signals that she does not want to proceed to session 3. This is her right. The question is how you handle the conversation and what it means for the invoice.

Scenario 1: The result is at or above the goal. No problem. She's done. The session 2 work is complete, the goal is reached, invoice session 2 at the agreed rate. This is the best outcome.

Scenario 2: The result is below the goal, and she is satisfied with the intermediate result. She is making a conscious choice to accept a different result than her stated goal. That is valid — people's goals shift as they see progress. The correct response is not to push her toward session 3 she doesn't want. It is to make sure the choice is informed: "We're at a warm level 7 right now. Your original goal was a level 9 cool blonde. If you're happy with the level 7, we can absolutely call this done — the result looks great. If you want the level 9, one more session would get us there. What would you like to do?" Give her the information, let her decide, respect the decision.

Scenario 3: The result is below the goal, she is not satisfied, and she still wants to stop. This is the scenario that the multi-session framing at intake protects you from. If you established at the intake that "session 2 takes you to a level 7, and session 3 takes you to your goal of level 9," and the client agreed to that framework, her decision to stop at level 7 is a decision to accept an outcome she was told to expect as an intermediate result. The documentation from the intake consultation — the session benchmarks, the total investment framing, the session count estimate — is what allows you to have this conversation without it becoming a dispute.

What you cannot do in any of these scenarios: adjust the session 2 invoice downward because the client is stopping early. Session 2 was priced as session 2 of the correction series. You did the session 2 work. The invoice reflects the work performed in session 2, not the number of sessions the client chose to complete. A client who stops at session 2 in a 3-session series did not receive a "partial" session 2 — she received a complete session 2, which produced a specific result that was always the intermediate session 2 result on the path to the session 3 goal. Invoice accordingly.

The framing that handles this conversation without conflict: "I hear you — and the result does look genuinely good at this level. Here's what I want to make sure you know: the work we did today was the full session 2 — it gets you to where you are right now, which is the intermediate step on the way to your original goal. Session 2 is priced at $350. If you decide later that you want to finish the series, we can pick up from here." Matter-of-fact, not defensive, no invoice adjustment.

When clients try to renegotiate mid-series

Renegotiation attempts during a correction series take two forms: price renegotiation and scope renegotiation. Both are easier to handle when the intake consultation established clear terms.

Price renegotiation: "I didn't realize it would be this expensive — can we reduce the session 2 price since I already paid so much for session 1?" This is not a question about whether session 2 was worth $350. It is a budget problem that the client did not fully account for when she committed to the series. The intake conversation — specifically the total investment framing — is your reference point. "I want to make sure we're on the same page — at the intake consultation, we talked through the total investment of $700– $1,050 for the series. Session 2 at $350 is within that range. I'm not able to reduce the rate — the work we're doing in session 2 is the full session." Direct, factual, no apology.

If the client genuinely cannot afford to continue (not a negotiation tactic but a real budget constraint), the honest response is to offer to stop the series at session 2 with her current result, note what would be needed to reach the original goal if she wants to return in the future, and invoice session 2 at the agreed rate. Do not discount the session because she can't continue the series. The session 2 work was performed. It is billable.

Scope renegotiation: "Can we also fix my ends while the color is processing?" or "I'd like to add a glossing treatment." Add-ons during a correction session are legitimate upsells if the service is genuinely addable without compromising the correction work. But the addition should be invoiced as an addition, not absorbed into the correction session price. "Absolutely — the gloss is $45 and runs during the processing time. I'll add that to today's invoice." Clear, immediate, no ambiguity about whether it is included in the correction session rate.

Revenue per chair-hour — the math that makes corrections worth prioritizing

Color correction has a reputation for being difficult, high-risk work. It is both of those things. It is also, when priced correctly, the highest-revenue-per-chair-hour service in most solo beauty menus — often by a significant margin.

The math:

Standard single-session balayage: $200 service price, 3.5 hours chair time. Revenue per chair-hour: $57/hour.

Root touch-up with toner: $120 service price, 1.5 hours chair time. Revenue per chair-hour: $80/hour.

Color correction session (correctly priced): $350–$400 per session, 4 hours chair time. Revenue per chair-hour: $87–$100/hour.

Color correction session with processing-window add-on (gloss or toner during processing, correctly invoiced as separate): $395–$445 effective revenue for the same 4-hour block. Revenue per chair-hour: $99–$111/hour.

The correction session's per-hour revenue advantage over a standard balayage is 50–75%. On a per-appointment basis, the difference is $150–$200 in favor of the correction appointment, for roughly the same chair time.

This math only holds when the correction is priced as correction work and not as a "complicated balayage" at balayage rates. A correction session priced at $200 (the balayage rate) because the colorist felt uncomfortable quoting the correction premium produces balayage revenue from correction-level complexity and risk. That is the undercharging pattern that makes correction work feel unsustainable — and the cause is always pricing, not the work itself.

The additional revenue argument for corrections: the client who completes a correction series is among the most loyal clients in a solo beauty operation. She associated you with solving a problem that other colorists either created or could not resolve. She will rebook for maintenance work at a higher frequency and with a lower price sensitivity than the average new client because the switching cost for her is now very high. A correction client who converts to a regular is worth significantly more in 12-month revenue than a one-time balayage client who rebooks at the median frequency.

The correction pricing conversation — sequencing it correctly

The intake consultation for a color correction is doing two things simultaneously: it is a diagnostic session (you are gathering information, assessing the starting condition, performing the strand test) and it is a pricing conversation (you are establishing the session count estimate, the per-session rate, the total investment range, and the deposit structure). Most colorists handle the diagnostic half well and the pricing half poorly — not because they don't know what to say but because they sequence it incorrectly.

The correct sequence:

First, complete the diagnostic — intake form review, hands-on assessment, strand test. Do not discuss pricing until you have enough information to give a meaningful estimate.

Second, present the assessment: what the strand test told you, what the starting condition is (level, underlying pigment, porosity, chemical history), and what it means for the correction path. Be specific: "Your hair is a level 4 with significant orange underlying pigment, and the box color history means we need to lift in stages to avoid uneven results. The strand test showed good elasticity, which is a good sign."

Third, present the correction path: what each session will accomplish, in specific terms. "Session 1 will take you to approximately a level 6–7. Session 2 will take you to your goal of level 9. This is a 2-session correction."

Fourth, present the investment: "Each session is $350. The total investment for the 2-session correction is $700. The deposit for today is $175. At the end of session 1, we'll book session 2 and collect the session 2 deposit."

Fifth, invite questions: "Do you have any questions about the process or the pricing before we book session 1?"

Sixth, make the decision clean: "Do you want to proceed?" The client's answer should be a yes or no to the full correction series, not a "yes to session 1 and I'll decide about session 2 later." If she wants to "think about session 2," that is fine — but make sure she understands that session 1 begins a process, not completes one.

Common sequencing errors: Discussing the price per session before presenting the assessment (the price has no context without the explanation of why the work is complex). Presenting the session count estimate without explaining what determines where on the range the actual count falls (the client hears "2–3 sessions" as "2 sessions, and 3 is a worst case that won't happen to me"). Skipping the session-by-session outcome framing (not telling the client what session 1 will specifically achieve means she arrives at session 2 with no benchmark for whether session 1 succeeded).

How deposit-first booking changes the correction client relationship

The deposit-first booking structure changes the correction series dynamic in ways that go beyond the financial protection of the non-refundable deposit. The deposit creates a commitment asymmetry before the first session that changes the client's behavior throughout the series.

A correction client who completes the intake form, pays the 50% deposit, and books session 1 has crossed a meaningful threshold before she walks in the door. She has read the booking description (which states the duration, the multi-session reality, and the deposit requirement), she has completed the chemical history intake form, she has paid $175 before any work has been done, and she has a confirmed appointment. That is four commitment signals before session 1 begins.

Compare that to the correction client booked through DMs: she asked for an appointment, you agreed, she showed up. The only commitment filter is "did she show up" — which runs at 78–85% for undeposited appointments. The deposit-first client's commitment to the session is deeper because the process of booking required more of her, and because forfeiting the $175 deposit is the consequence of not showing up.

This behavioral difference compounds across the series. The deposit-first correction client who completes session 1 and books session 2 with a deposit at checkout is 85–90% likely to complete the series. The DM-booked correction client who leaves session 1 without a session 2 deposit is 40–60% likely to return at all. The series completion rate difference is 30–45 percentage points — which translates directly to revenue: on a 2-session correction at $350/session, the difference between a 90% series completion rate and a 60% completion rate is $105/client in expected revenue loss (0.3 × $350 = $105).

At a correction volume of 10 series per month, that $105/client difference is $1,050/month — $12,600/year — from the structural choice of deposit-first booking with session 2 deposits collected at session 1 checkout.

Setting your correction rate — and when to raise it

The correct correction rate for a solo colorist is not a fixed number — it is a function of the complexity of the case, your experience level with corrections, and your local market. What it is never a function of is what you think the client can afford to pay.

Starting point for correction session pricing, by experience level:

Early career solo colorist (1–3 years specializing in corrections): $250–$300 per session. This is competitive with the market rate for corrections at mid-tier salons and reflects the service's complexity relative to routine work.

Established solo colorist with a correction portfolio and referral pipeline: $300–$400 per session. The correction referral client is worth more than the rate suggests because she is pre-sold (your referrer vouched for you), highly motivated (she has a problem nobody else fixed), and likely to become a regular at full rates.

Specialist colorist with a documented correction record and a waiting list: $400–$600+ per session. At this level, the correction work is a specialty service with a premium attached to scarcity — you cannot take every correction client because your correction slots are limited, and the premium reflects that constraint.

When to raise your correction rate: when your correction slots are consistently filling 4–6 weeks out. Waiting list pressure is the market's signal that your rate is below what clients are willing to pay for this level of skill. Raise by $25–$50 per session, monitor completion rates (if series abandonment increases after the rate increase, the new rate is above the market ceiling for your portfolio and referral base).

The three-year compound — two colorists, same skills, same booth

Two solo colorists, same training, same chair, same city, both starting to accept correction work in month 1.

Colorist A — per-session pricing, no total investment framing: Quotes session 1 as a standalone service. Clients are surprised by session 2 invoices. Several clients stop at session 2 mid-correction because they ran out of budget or expected to be done. Some clients complain about the cost of "yet another session." By month 6, Colorist A has three clients who stopped at intermediate results, creating ambiguous before-and-after evidence in her portfolio. By month 12, she has stopped accepting complex corrections because the client relationship friction outweighs the revenue.

Colorist B — total investment framing, session 2 deposit at session 1 checkout: Every correction client hears the total investment range before booking session 1. Session 2 invoices are not surprises. Series completion rate runs 85–90%. By month 6, Colorist B has eight completed correction series in her portfolio — clean before-and-afters that show the full transformation. By month 12, she has a waiting list for correction slots. By month 36:

Colorist B's correction practice generates $2,800–$3,600/month from 10–12 completed correction sessions per month at $280–$300 average (blended per-session revenue after tips). Her correction clients rebook for maintenance at premium rates — root touch-ups at $140, glosses at $60 — because switching to another colorist would mean starting the correction history over. Her referral pipeline for corrections generates 3–5 new correction inquiries per month from portfolio and word-of-mouth alone, with zero acquisition spend. At month 36, the cumulative revenue difference between the two operators — same skills, same chair, same city — is $35,000–$50,000, driven entirely by the pricing model and the session 2 deposit collection timing.

Six common correction pricing mistakes

1. Quoting session 1 and leaving sessions 2 and 3 implicit. The most common mistake. The session 1 price anchors the client's expectations, making every subsequent session feel like scope creep. Fix: always present the total investment range before booking session 1.

2. Not collecting session 2 deposit at session 1 checkout. The second most common mistake. The client's motivation to continue is highest at session 1 checkout. Waiting until she calls to book session 2 loses 30–45% of series completion. Fix: make "let's book session 2 before you leave" a standard part of session 1 checkout.

3. Not specifying per-session benchmarks. Telling a client "this will take 2–3 sessions" without stating what each session will achieve means she arrives at session 2 with no basis for evaluating progress. "Session 1 takes you to level 7; session 2 takes you to your goal of level 9" creates a reference point for both of you. Fix: define the expected level and tone outcome for each session at the intake consultation.

4. Pricing corrections at or near routine color rates. Correction work carries higher risk, requires more preparation, and demands more precision than routine color work. Pricing it at balayage rates because the process feels similar from the outside is a systematic undervaluation. Fix: price corrections on a per-session basis that reflects the skill, time, and risk premium — not as a "complicated balayage."

5. Adjusting the invoice when clients stop early. Session 2 of a 3-session series was session 2 regardless of whether session 3 happens. Discounting the session 2 invoice because the client chooses to stop creates a precedent and undervalues the work you performed. Fix: invoice each session at the agreed rate, regardless of series completion status.

6. Accepting corrections without a written intake and strand test record. The strand test result and intake form are not just diagnostic tools — they are documentation that records what was disclosed, what was assessed, and what was agreed to. In the event of a post-correction dispute (the client claims the result was not what was promised), this documentation is your evidence. Fix: make the intake form and strand test result part of every correction booking, and keep the records.

Three operational checklists

One-time correction pricing setup (do this before accepting your first correction)

1. Set your per-session correction rate (minimum: 50% above your routine color rate)
2. Write your correction intake form with chemical history questions (see the color correction prep guide for the specific fields)
3. Write your correction booking page description including: duration range (3–5 hours per session), multi-session reality statement, 50% deposit requirement, intake form requirement, consultation-before-session statement
4. Set the deposit at 50% of session price in your booking tool
5. Write your correction consultation script — specifically the total investment framing section: "The total investment for this correction is $___ – $___ depending on [variable]. Each session is $___. Today's deposit is $___. We'll book the next session and collect the deposit at today's checkout."

Per-correction intake and pricing protocol (each new correction inquiry)

1. Send the chemical history intake form before the consultation appointment (not at the chair)
2. At the consultation: review intake form, perform hands-on assessment, complete strand test
3. Present the assessment: starting condition (level, underlying tone, porosity), chemical history summary, what the strand test told you
4. Present the correction path: what each session will achieve, in specific level/tone terms, with the session count range and the factors that determine where the actual count falls
5. Present the total investment: per-session rate, session count range, total investment range, deposit for session 1
6. Invite questions before booking. Make the booking decision about the full series, not just session 1.
7. After session 1: book session 2 at checkout and collect session 2 deposit before client leaves

Per-session ongoing management (each correction session checkout)

1. Document the session result: starting level and tone, chemistry applied, outcome level and tone, any unexpected behavior (porosity change, uneven lift, timing variance)
2. State the session outcome specifically: "You're at level 7 warm blonde right now."
3. State what session 2 will achieve, in specific terms: "Session 2 will take you to your level 9 goal."
4. Book session 2 before the client leaves; collect session 2 deposit immediately
5. If client wants to stop before the goal: give the informed choice framing ("you're at level 7; your goal was level 9; do you want to call it here or finish to the goal?"), invoice at the agreed session rate, note the client's choice in her record