Hi Carl,
Well firstly try not to take it so personally, next don't let her treat you like **** either. I have had many clients like this over the years and often they turn out to be the most faithful in the end but you have to be firm and kind with this type. I would ring her if you have to with the nicest, happiest voice and say " Hi it's Carl. I'm just seeing how your nails are going since you missed your appointment or were you able to get in elsewhere?" She'll have her way out and make some weakish excuse why she had them done elsewhere but probably still lay the blame with you, " so still happy say" I'm glad you could get them seen to in a time appropriate for you and if you would like another appointment when you are ready, just call and we'll try and book you in." Blah blah blah all nice , bye! Hang up ! At least you can acknowledge each other down the street, she can't slag you off to her friends for being rude and if she decides to come back you will both know silently she wants YOU to do her nails! Good Luck

I know this thead is ages old but still worth a reply

As you know her nails have been done by someone else & she doesn't know you know.
I personally would feel I have the upper hand & when she comes in for her next appointment look at her nails & say this is a different inferior product to what you use & unfortunatly it needs to come off as it would really affect the products you will be using, (throw in a line like: It would be like gold plateing tin)

Then soak the nails off & start from scratch.

Thus you end up with more money (as you charge more for removal & a full set)
She has learnt her lesson (cost her more) & you haven't had to say anything to her directly.

(Also she won't go back to the other salon as you have noticed the quality is poorer without being told she has gone elsewhere) (You haven't directly said anything about the other salon so no harm there either!)

I agree with GEEG obnoxious clients are a pain but it is our job/role to give our clients all of them a professional service, i wish i had a penny for every client who has gone to the local chop shop just because we could not book them for the time they wanted, but guess what they always come back, we even recomend the other professional salons in our area if we cannot fit clients in what we never do is bad mouth any salon, or tech

we regulary get clients arriving early or late, we do our best to accomodate that in our bookings obviously it doesnt always work and sometimes it is our fault, a treatment set of nails whatever for one reason or another has been dificult and ran over

That said we have barred clients from our premises when they have been either abusive to other customers or staff, stolen, or damaged our property, i can think of no other reason for refusing a client,

i would just ask her how it went at the other salon when she returns as she definatley will, then you will be the winner both ways

Come on Carl, we're all dying to know if you've seen her yet . . . .

Put us out of our misery.

(Better than the soaps, don't you think?)

Professionalism and customer service is of paramount importance. Clients can choose where they go, for whatever reason. Of course you're going to feel bent out of shape, a bit! But treating her with absolute respect, and possibly a bit of love bombing, will keep her as a client. And keeping clients is what keeps your business afloat!

Just know that when people love your service, chances are they will only share their secret (you) when asked or complimented on your work. However if someone is unhappy with your service, they will tell 11 people of their bad experience.
You did the right thing by taking 50% of the responsibility in this situation, but leave it alone until you see her again.
When you do see her, offer her a complimentary service (paraffin/salt scrub) and just refresh her of how bad you felt about the miscommunication last time.
Let her know she is special and suggest that you offer her a standing appointment so it doesn't happen again.
You will have a solid schedule and it will make her feel important.
It's a win win.
~Maya~

Hi Carl I am new to this site but I completely sympathise with your situation. If I were you I would take great pleasure in inspecting her nails upon her return to you ( and yes she will return) leaopards never change their stomping grounds, particularly selfish ones who covert their nail techs and not share them with friends.
Look over her nails with glee and point out the 'terrible mess' the other place has made of them and that you will do your best to get them back to the state they were in before she decided to pay the local chop shop a visit and then watch her squirm as you re-do a fab job on her nails. She will have learned her lesson hopefully and if not, then dont take it personally. At the end of the day she isnt your only client and we all have 'one' client who can always ruin our day. But we are professionals and just smiling through there moans only annoys them more. haha
Take care and keep us posted on what happens.

Great advise! I am so confused at those who want to "punish the client"! This in my opinion is unprofessional!

Don't worry about it. As long as its not you she's complaining about, it shouldnt be that bad? My most loyal client does go elsewhere to have her nails done sometimes, but she always, always comes back (leaving me having to fix all the lifting, and yes, she makes sure its the same brand). You can even get some good out of it, cuz u can coax out of her what she liked/disliked about the salon. Some people relax through complaining about others. Im not saying thats good, but half the job is listening, innit?

she will never have enough friends to effectively ruin your business..............you have to decide what your happiness is worth.........I have a horrible woman that I call the energy vampire......she said to me at her last visit, "you are making it very hard for me to insult you", (i do gels on her and have switched to a 1 step to expedite the service), I keep my head down and go to work........she is after all, insignificant to me................she has become nothing but a set of nails and I don't react anymore

I agree with her 100%. We cannot act (or react) in anger. She is angry, that's why you said she's a bitch. Take from someone that very often was impulsive: I was always regretting when I acted in anger. If you breath deep, eat a chocolate, drink a glass of wine and treat her as nothing happened, she will feel so bad, you have no idea.

The way I see is that she can choose where to go. She might regret her choice, but it´s still her choice and you need to respect that. You can explain to her what are the consequences if she goes to another place, explain your work and she will understand.

Good luck,

Ariadne

thats crap, excuse my french.........offer her a complimentary service...think about what u are saying .......the woman is abusive........and doesnt mind being that way.............bowing to the abuse and offering free service will only encourage the abuse to continue.....she'll see it as a "kiss up" gift and find ways to enable the prospect in the future........bad idea

Funny you should mention this,
I haven't seen her, but I saw her best friend (we were in a lineup at the supermarket).
I said "did you hear I had a run-in with K"?
She said "NO", I explained the situation to her and she said "that's typical, if she wasn't so aggressive she might just meet a man, you would think the fact that she studied psychology would make her more aware of her behavior) "

She then went on and on and I just said, "there is a difference between being assertive and being aggressive and I was sorry she took things the way she did, it was an honest mistake on someones behalf".

The funny thing is ........ they day of the "event" I actually was following this girl all the way up the street and she went into the chop shop for company (she always visits the salon when "K" gets her nails done).

Yet she said she hadn't heard the story .... I caught her out bigtime, but didn't let on ..... Birds of a feather,.......... I was very genuine and ever so polite and she was bloody fake from the first word that came out of her mouth.

I actually don't care now, I replaced her with another French Fill client (very polite and a fab conversationalist) who's bestie is the editor of Vogue .....

Ha Ha .. as I always say, Liars always get caught in the end.

They are not worth spending an ounce of energy on and stupidly because of the way they have acted, she now will most likely be too embarrassed to or too arrogant to return (for at least a year anyway~!! )

You are such a popular fella that I bet it is hard to get new ones in ... so she's opened the door for you and now someone who could be important to you has filled the space. Yay!!

We missed you at the EVENT Carl. We talked about you and you were really there in some of our hearts kiddo.

Has this client tried to contact you back yet Nailzoo? she would be due her re-balance by now.