Becoming over familiar in business

[Kristalinx]

The first thing I was taught at hairdressing college was how to talk to clients and how you would adapt your conversation depending on who you were speaking to. So people might use hun or other words like that if they had assessed the situation and knew that was ok for that client.

In the same way that if I had a client who was an older lady I might ask her if she prefered to be called by her first name or "Mrs/Ms Surname". I think a lot of people would agree that it is a completely situational thing.

 

[classixuk]

I think it's simply a case of mirroring the client to build rapport.

If a client comes in to my salon and says, "Oh my god, it's fab in here Hun. Absolutely love it! It's gorgeous!", I might reply with a, "Thanks very much Hun. We worked hard to try and make it fab for you!"

The next client might say, "Darling, the decor and ambience are simply exquisite! How wonderful!", and my reply might be, "Why thank you so much for your kind compliments! I hope you enjoy your visit with us today and find the services we offer equally as satisfying!"

I have no issue in changing my approach to suit the customer's needs and make them feel as welcome as possible. I think this is what everyone does in some form or other?

 

[adventuregirl]

I think it's simply a case of mirroring the client to build rapport.

If a client comes in to my salon and says, "Oh my god, it's fab in here Hun. Absolutely love it! It's gorgeous!", I might reply with a, "Thanks very much Hun. We worked hard to try and make it fab for you!"

The next client might say, "Darling, the decor and ambience are simply exquisite! How wonderful!", and my reply might be, "Why thank you so much for your kind compliments! I hope you enjoy your visit with us today and find the services we offer equally as satisfying!"

I have no issue in changing my approach to suit the customer's needs and make them feel as welcome as possible. I think this is what everyone does in some form or other?

Spot on!

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[virtues2011]

Hmmm you don't mind been called
SNOB but you don't want to be called HON



Ha ha ha that made me chuckle. The probability of being called a snob when addressing me is pretty slim...."Hi snob..how are you today" ....ha ha personally i'd rather hear that than "Hi Hun" ! At least it's different.



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[virtues2011]

Does anyone think age has any bearing on how you talk to a client or how a client talks to you with names like hun/babe etc?

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[Rachul123]

Hmmm you don't mind been called
SNOB but you don't want to be called HON



Ha ha ha that made me chuckle. The probability of being called a snob when addressing me is pretty slim...."Hi snob..how are you today" ....ha ha personally i'd rather hear that than "Hi Hun" ! At least it's different.

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Haha we'll have to remember your nickname when we're replying to posts, snob x

 

[Rachul123]

I think it's simply a case of mirroring the client to build rapport.

If a client comes in to my salon and says, "Oh my god, it's fab in here Hun. Absolutely love it! It's gorgeous!", I might reply with a, "Thanks very much Hun. We worked hard to try and make it fab for you!"

The next client might say, "Darling, the decor and ambience are simply exquisite! How wonderful!", and my reply might be, "Why thank you so much for your kind compliments! I hope you enjoy your visit with us today and find the services we offer equally as satisfying!"

I have no issue in changing my approach to suit the customer's needs and make them feel as welcome as possible. I think this is what everyone does in some form or other?

I think you've got that spot on! We've all got a variety of clients and everybody is different.

Where I live alot of people use hun, lovey, love, flower, sweetie etc and they're not being patronising, they're being friendly

 

[Shiv9mbs]

A north thing or a class thing? I'm asking this being serious plenty people in scotland will call you hen, Hun, babe but they're lets say unrefined!

ARE YOU BEING SERIOUS?!!! I'm hoping this is a joke as I am having to refrain from letting fly at this remark!!!


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[Rinn]

I call people missus all the time . :biggrin:
What does that make me sound like . lol

 

[dandelionpoppy]

I have absolutely no problem, whatsoever, with people calling me any affectionately meant name. In fact, I quite like it.

In my former, more formal, career I was very measured in my speech.
However - despite being told, quite often, that I have a "posh" voice, and by one client that I sound like a BBC announcer (!)- I often call people "sweetheart" now.

 

[izzidoll]

ARE YOU BEING SERIOUS?!!! I'm hoping this is a joke as I am having to refrain from letting fly at this remark!!!


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Please don't let fly, stay restrained and move on....nothing to see here folks.

Awright hen?

 

[virtues2011]

In all honesty this site is a joke. You can't have a debate, or a discussion or hold a conversation for that matter without being told off by someone who's emotionally attached to a word or comment, or it being taken personally, or being told "the thread is going off track"....or being told your offending people...or "you're rude"...the only threads that seem polite to a degree are people stating "I've opened a business ...how do i turn the kettle on" and if you think that's rude and sarcastic ....you're right it was meant to be..hold on i'll pass the tissues....give me all the abuse you can for this post. It makes no difference to me whatsoever!

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[Mommabear]

In all honesty this site is a joke. You can't have a debate, or a discussion or hold a conversation for that matter without being told off by someone who's emotionally attached to a word or comment, or it being taken personally, or being told "the thread is going off track"....or being told your offending people...or "you're rude"...the only threads that seem polite to a degree are people stating "I've opened a business ...how do i turn the kettle on" and if you think that's rude and sarcastic ....you're right it was meant to be..hold on i'll pass the tissues....give me all the abuse you can for this post. It makes no difference to me whatsoever!

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Nobody is telling each other off, were having a debate over something we all have very different views about. The thing with this site is you cant take comments to hard as you cannot tell what peoples tones are when they are replying! Thats the key to getting along here, yes some people may take it the wrong way and have a bit of a bitch fit, but its soon defused when they say i didnt mean it like that or sorry i wrote that in a way it wasnt meant to come across.

If your comments reflect how highly you feel then why do you feel the need to stay as a geek?

<3

 

[wonderwoman]

i recently couldnt stop calling people "my darling" i dunno where i had picked it up and apologised perfusly to clients as i felt like a creep/ creepazoid saying it! The funniest thing is that they all loved it!! Just goes to show you might feel bit awkward but if the client doesnt mind, happy days! xoxo

 

[virtues2011]

Nobody is telling each other off, were having a debate over something we all have very different views about. The thing with this site is you cant take comments to hard as you cannot tell what peoples tones are when they are replying! Thats the key to getting along here, yes some people may take it the wrong way and have a bit of a bitch fit, but its soon defused when they say i didnt mean it like that or sorry i wrote that in a way it wasnt meant to come across.

If your comments reflect how highly you feel then why do you feel the need to stay as a geek?

<3

Your comment earlier in this thread ...."So because i say 'babe' 'hun' 'chick' 'lovely' im basically a crap therapist?!?!?!? "......

Enough said!

This thread is the only one (that I can remember) that I have started. It's not even a question that I would take in a serious manner, due to the fact I would never change my mind over what others post. If I wanted serious advice it would never be open for discussion on here. I would research and find out myself and make my own decisions. ...but that is my personal preference and I know that is not the case for most. Nothing wrong with that either. I have 36 likes for being on here a month intermittently - so I do give small amounts of advice where necessary I even have private messages asking me questions so it's not all bad. I disagree with the site being for professionals when questions of "I've just qualified and started a business how do go around answering the phone" (or posts as equally ridiculous) are consistent. The site should be "for professionals and opportunists". I have no problem speaking my mind - at all!...but if you can't take it then don't dish it. (these are my words to myself not to others by the way..)

 

[Zooks]

This thread makes for an interesting debate, let's not turn it into an argument.

It is very possible that there is a therapist calling all of her/his clients "Babe/Hun" whatever and being extremely successful with many returning clients just as it is possible that someone who keeps uses first names and last names to have a failing business and vice versa.

As has been stated it very much depends on your client base I feel. I choose to call my friends Hun and Lovely, personally I do not call my clients anything other than their preferred name/surname no matter how familiar I am with them I would rather be able to call my client Emily "Em" rather than Hun should we become that familiar but that is my personal choice. I do feel it makes me come across as more professional but it certainly doesn't make me any more able to perform a treatment than a therapist who chooses to call her client Hun.

It is all about relating to your client and creating a rapport, as a good therapist I feel you need to be able to read the situation and the person you are treating. That is exactly what I do.

My landlord calls me Hun I call her by her name. That is my choice. I have no issues if people call me Hun and the like but I like to maintain my side of the relationship in the manner I choose.

 

[Belle Vie]

Virtues, this *is* a professional networking forum for many of us sole traders fellow geeks are our colleagues and so for the most part people will give honest responses that aren't sugar coated, you know, like in a board room. We work in an unregulated industry where anyone can set up shop which explains why we have more than our fair share of 'what do I say to this customer' type threads but there is also a wealth of knowledge and support here from experienced professionals you never know, you might even pick a few things up yourself.

Back on topic, lots of us have come from corporate backgrounds and I'm sure you'll agree its a very very different industry. If someone called me Mrs Vie whilst giving me a Brazilian I'd run a mile. I live and work in Essex, as do my clients some I'm sure any geek who's ever met me has been called darling, hun , lovely or similar by me. Most love it, I'm sure some probably hate it; I am what I am, darling.

 

[squidgernetball]

i recently couldnt stop calling people "my darling" i dunno where i had picked it up and apologised perfusly to clients as i felt like a creep/ creepazoid saying it! The funniest thing is that they all loved it!! Just goes to show you might feel bit awkward but if the client doesnt mind, happy days! xoxo

Probably from me!!!

 

[nicole333]

I'm also a believer in adapting to your clients, but I will always remember a situation that still makes me chuckle.

I'm from down south and was a Bridesmaid at a wedding in Edinburgh and it was only my second ever visit to the city (love it btw). I was booked in by the bride to have my hair styled at a salon on the day and it was the first time I had met the stylist so we just got on with it.

It was one of the funniest experiences of the whole trip. I was called Hen constantly and plied with wine and she also had her fair share whilst doing my hair! I'm not sure whether it was her broad accent or the wine, but Hen was one of the only words I could make out.

My hair turned out fine and was not affected by the wine or the endearing term.

 

[jillybob]

Personally I don't like the whole hun, chick thing as I think they sound insincere, but it's probably more of a generation thing. I use doll, flower and sweetie and I care not if I am called them too be whichever environment I am in and yes I am an educated, articulate person who has been in many a boardroom. When these terms are used they are used as a term of endearment and ahould be taken as such. If you find offence in being called any of the names given, just walk away from the conversation knowing that no offence was meant and it was given in a friendly manner. peace out x