Am I being mean?? Sorry, it's long!!!!!!!!

[Tilly Ann]

Hello all!! I could use some opinion on this please!
I have a client who quite frankly is a pain in the posterior!!!!!!!!
She has bounced two cheques on purpose, is always late, I am a mobile technician and I have been to her house on a bout three seperat occasions and she has either not been in or she just answers the door and says that she has forgotten and tells me to come back another time! She lives about 30 mins drive from me so it's not really like I can just pop round!!!
Lastnight I hit the roof a bit!! I had her booked in at 6.30pm last night! She text me at 3pm and asked if I could do he a full set instead of a re balance as she has lost 7!!!!!!!!! of her nails!!!
I felt bad about her nails suposedly just dropping off so I said that this would be ok but she would need to be at her house for 6.30 on the dot as I had another appointment straight after her and I would be pushed for time!! She then replied saying that she did not finish work until 6.30 and it takes her 20 minutes to get home!!!!!!!!!!!! I was doing her neighbours nails by this time and she told me that her nails were fine when she saw her on Sunday morning and that she saw her picking and biting them off on sunday night!!!!!!!!
I am annoyed because she tried to make out that it was my fault that her nails came off, she was planning on being 20 mins late for her appointment without telling me and she knew on sunday night that she would need a full set and yet she chose to let me know about it three hours before her appointment!!!!!! She then called and said that she coule not make it for 6.30 and i told her she wouyld have to wait til next week!!!!
This client expects me to move heaven and earth to fit her in for an appointment when she cannot keep her original!!
Is this all making sense?
Please don't get me wrong, I will always try to accomodate people when they need to change and for this lady I always try and fit her in within a couple of days whenever she cancels or whatever but I'm really getting peeved now!!
What do you think I should do? I don't know how to approach it with her either as I'm a bit soft! Please help me!! I feel like I'm being a right cow!

Thanks!!!

Tilly Ann xx

 

[vicky]

I think we ALL have one of these..! Is her name Suzi..lol

I have near on the same as you, cheque's bouncing all over the place and her nails also just fell off. What the lady forgot about was i also did her sister in law whom informed me that she was always bitting them off. In the beginning i felt really bad i would replace free but as time when on and the advice i got from here i decided to charge for every single thing i did, and NO MORE CHEQUE'S..!!

It worked and we only had the odd one the would be off after 2 weeks.

Be tough, its your business not a hobby :wink2:

 

[clairep10]

Hi

In an ideal world you'd not have this problem,
Say to her the bank is now charging for you to bank the chq and if they bounce your going into the red and getting charged, So from now on any one paying by chq will have to pay an extra £5 on top to cover the charges, Explain this is to encourage the use of cash.
As far as being late got a good one here for you

Fashionably late is great for parties, but murder on manicurists. If you arrive more than 15 mins late (or don’t show at all), If your late, don't show or change your app with less than 24hrs notice, on more than 1occassion, I will have no choice but to charge you for that app and receive payment before I can book you in again.

Hows that?​

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You can put it in your "NEW" price list and post it to her.​

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[Sassy Hassy]

I had a client like this, no probs with payment, just always cancelling right at the last minute. So after the third time I said that I was very sorry but I was running a business and that I was not prepared to carry on being her nail tech. 6 weeks later she was on the phone begging me to come back, and I never had a prob from thereon in. You don't have to do their nails, you can say no!!

I bet you felt great though when you found out that she had bitten them off, you see clients really are economical with the truth sometimes! Oh and live with the satisfaction that she'll be getting stung by the bank big time for bank charges for those rubber cheques!

 

[Fab Freak]

I would not take that kind of messing it's too far to go as a mobile technician to be let down.

I would get tough and say cash only from now on and if she cancels you again I would tell her to find another technician.

This person is taking advantage of your good nature and that's not good for business.

You are not being awful by telling her you are being sensible and a good business woman.

Hope it resolves its self.

 

[Peter Pan]

I would not take that kind of messing it's too far to go as a mobile technician to be let down.

This person is taking advantage of your good nature and that's not good for business.

You are not being awful by telling her you are being sensible and a good business woman.

Hope it resolves its self.

i totally agree with this - i used to have a client that messed me about (for about 6 weeks) not anymore tho. i told her to go elsewhere, as i wasnt willing to be put upon anymore.

 

[colorflair]

Well I think you have got the patience of a saint

I am dreading the day I get a client like that!! but all the advice you have been given so far does make sense I love the "being late" clause Claire uses! You just need to be braver remember it is your business!!and not be such a sweetie

Good Luck
Jeanne xx

 

[Tilly Ann]

Thanks ladies!!!

Feel a bit better now!!
I bet I don't stick to my guns though and I'll end up ringing her and telling her I have an appointment available before next week!!!!! I'll try to be a hard ass though!! lol!

Thanks again!!!

Tilly Ann xx

 

[Kim Lawless]

KICK HER TO THE KERB.

Peace Love and Light :evil:

 

[24claire]

I have recently had a very similar problem with a close friend, it was awfull as she had let me train on her and she had gained me a couple of extra clients, which were gratefully recived as i'm just starting out.

Last week she couldn't stick to her appointment only giving me a couple of hours notice so i did tell her she would need to rebook, well that eavning the truth unfolded and after two ignored phone calls and a couple of text at 8.30 ( iwas pretending to be with another client) to inform me she was home and could i do her nails that eavning as she now had some cash a .Ifelt really annoyed well i think she got the picture as i recived some flowers the following day to appologise and to see if she could still get her nails done that week which after a few white lies i told her she would have to come to my house that day at a time i selected which worked a treat no traveling,childcare costs and all she thought i was doing was fitting her in as a great friend needless to say i don't seem to think i will get the same problem from her again.

I would surjest being unavailable for a appointment for a while then if she does still wait inform her it is a cash only service from now on and that any appointments not cancelled with an aggreed period would incure a charge if you lose this client you will only be set to gain either way she must tow the line or she looses out these people need to learn we do have a bussiness to run and that they are dispensable if they are a pain if you were an nhs dentist she would have been struck off !!

Hope my rant helps you a little bit as it has deffinatly helped me let off steam (hahahaha)

 

[*Glynis*]

I had a cheque bounce once and had to threaten Court action before she paid up. Because I have a business account the bank charge me £4 a time to bounce a cheque (I also added that to her bill). Now I take cash only or cheque with cheque card for new/iffy customers.

She needs to know your policy for late cancellations or her being late for appointments. Charge her for it and if she doesn't like it lose her!

 

[maidofstone]

no your not being mean...if she'd been my client i'd have "BINNED HER"