"You don't deserve to be treated like trash just to earn a living."
How to thrive in the face of clients that test your patience.
Rude clients are inevitable in the beauty industry. As much as we all love interacting with the vast majority of our clients, you will likely find yourself in front of a bad apple every once in a while. How do you handle them?
To start, avoid them in the first place! Identify your ideal clientele: the clients most likely to be satisfied by your service offerings. Monitor your online reviews closely to determine which type of clients are the most pleased by their results, and continue targeting them within your marketing efforts. Be extremely clear about your business protocol and regulations - maintain a detailed and clear website or add information within Highlighted Stories on Instagram. Even better, you could require the completion of waiver forms prior to the start of your appointments to ensure that everybody is on the same page.
No matter how hard you try to keep Negative Nancy's out of your chair, one is bound to find her way into it. Having grace and empathy for clients goes a long way - you never know what hardships a client may be facing that might result in less than desirable behavior. However, you also have a duty to yourself to protect your mental health and well-being from corrosive interactions. Keep reading for more great tips on coping with rude and disrespectful clients within your salon, spa, or massage business.
Manage expectations.
Never "over-promise" and admit where you have gaps in your knowledge. If you make a mistake, admit it and offer a redo or refund. A rude client will turn a simple mistake into a huge deal, so only bite what you can chew. Also, let your expectations of mutual respect be known on your webpage.
Be assertive!
Speak with confidence! Many low-vibrational people prey on those they perceive as weak. If you are new to the industry, fake it till you make it! Always speak up for yourself in a respectful, yet firm tone if the client is out of line. Maintain a professional line between your clients and your personal life - don't be overly "friendly".
Take a picture, it lasts longer.
Photos of desired looks help you to make sure you and your client are on the same page, and that a realistic outcome was expected based on her "before" picture. Clients don't always use the correct terminology to describe what they want - try to meet them at their level.
The customer is always right - until they're not.
Be kind, and give clients an opportunity to express their satisfaction in the salon without feeling intimidated. It's way harder to be mean to someone who is nice. At the same time, dealing with a snobby witch can ruin your entire day and demoralize you.
Set your boundaries.
You do NOT deserve to treated like trash just to earn a living - learn when to cut toxic clients off. Give a gentle warning, and then if things don't change send a kind message informing her that you don't think it's a good fit.
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