Boss from hell! - Can I liberate my clients?

[Pika]

I did the exact same as has been mentioned above, left the salon (busy shopping town) went mobile so obviously to start with had a lot of time on my hands! So went 'shopping' all the time and ended up bumping into a lot of my regular clients who all asked me for my number when they had asked where I had moved to. And fortunately Some of them knew other clients that had come to me (colleagues they worked with etc) so I ended up with about 70% of my clients back. I couldn't possibly have given my number to them in the salon as there was always somebody nearby, but I had respect for my salon manager, it was the overall company I had issues with.

 

[laurakate]

I have a question...

Are you employed or self employed? Where you mention that you're not being paid overtime I assume that means that you see youself as employed?

If this is the case, in your shoes I would move on and try to find another job with new clients.

I think you need to establish whether you are an annoyed employee who feels that your employer doesn't treat you well (in which case I'd look for a new job) or whether you are a self employed person who wants to grow your own business renting a room from someone else where you can aquire a fresh client base and make a new start in an environment that suits you.

Wishing you the best of luck. The "trying to keep old clients" thing sounds too messy to be honest but I'm all for moving onto new salon if you're not happy with your current one.

 

[Steph86]

I think u should leave, then put ur pic in the paper stting where to find u- also put posters up with ur number...

From what I've read ur salon won't be there much longer-Shame really, if they listened to u they could keep their business. Xx

 

[Lynne Baker]

So sorry, but we old fogies have no clue how to decipher txt spk!
Could someone translate please!

 

[chazz!!]

So sorry, but we old fogies have no clue how to decipher txt spk!
Could someone translate please!

The only txt speek i can see in the above post is the word u. I think its quite clear that means the word you!! Unless of course u ( you) are talking about a different post i havent seen. I find it hard to see txt speek as i read that more than normal words.

Also pic but i think its quite clear it means picture. If read in a sentance txt speek makes perfect sence. X

Sent from my GT-P1000 using SalonGeek

 

[Lynne Baker]

The only txt speek i can see in the above post is the word u. I think its quite clear that means the word you!! Unless of course u ( you) are talking about a different post i havent seen. I find it hard to see txt speek as i read that more than normal words.

Also pic but i think its quite clear it means picture. If read in a sentance txt speek makes perfect sence. X

Sent from my GT-P1000 using SalonGeek

I was being facetious; it's actually against forum rules to use txt spk.

 

[chazz!!]

I think you should leave, then put your picture in the paper stating where to find you also put posters up with your number...

From what I've read your salon won't be there much longer Shame really, if they listened to you they could keep their business. Xx

i have corrected the text speak. X

Sent from my GT-P1000 using SalonGeek

 

[chazz!!]

I think the odd u and ur is exscusable in this modan day world. Where most people understand simple text message words. A bit differnt if the whole post was in text. I know what the rules are i have been a member for nearly 7 years. X

Sent from my GT-P1000 using SalonGeek

 

[Lynne Baker]

I just think that it doesn't portray a very professional image on what is a publicly accessible forum.

 

[taggyboy]

I get a little confused with these type of posts about owning clients!

Presume if your self-employed then the clients would be considered to be yours. However if a salon has employed you and you did not have a client base to start with, then that salon or owner should be able to protect their business. After all they have helped to build this client base by advertising, promoting and paying you as an employee.

Our contracts also help protect our business.

Some clients will seek you out but that is exactly it, they find you.

If I found out staff were giving out personal numbers I would look at it with suspicion and they would be given a warning.

Have I been a bad boss, no just wise to what some staff will do when moving on.

Be professional at all times, poaching can also work against you, believe me I've seen it in the few years I've had our business.

 

[mollie1985]

If your self employed the clients are yours if your are employed the clients belong to the salon I left a salon after 10 years never took any of my clients as they belonged to my boss even though I never had a contract I wouldn't do that to him as he's paid my wages for the last 10 years but it's amazing how many clients have contacted me via Facebook or through friends of friends an dthey explained they were not going back to the salon so I agreed to do their hair if a client really wants to follow you they will sear h high and low to find you x

 

[glitznglamour]

I do not wish to be rude or blunt but!

At NO point in a contract does it state that a CLIENT is the property of a stylist/ therapist!
Any client who walks into a salon is the business's client.

I own my salon but take great pride in nurturing my team, we all know that clients belong to the salon, not any employee, and sorry but BUMPING into clients etc out of salon hours and telling them anything about where you work or what you can do mobile puts you in direct violation of your contract of employment, please remember this contract protects you as an employee also! Employment law written in a contract is not made up by an employer to stuff you up!

There are bad employers out there i know, and i totally sympathise with any employee working for these fools, but do the right thing and have a clear conscience, if after you leave the business fails because of this bad employer and clients hunt around for a new salon/ mobile and find you then fair do's.

If this reply appears after anyones particular note please do not think i mean you, i am speaking in general.
Kindest regards

 

[Essential Bliss]

Personally,I don't own a salon but have managed one for just over a year,and although I have my regular clients,I do not class these as MY clients,they are the salons.
If I was to leave,I would tell my clients that I'm leaving,and I no full well a few would like to stay with me,so if they were to ask if I could still treat them I would,but I wouldn't go giving my number out to every client,I'd let them ask me or find me if they want to, its disrespectful to my employer,wether she treated me right or not or wether I agreed with her way of running a salon.
It's her business and she's the one who has worked to build up the salons clientele.

And if you signed a contract stating that you cannot take clients,then you agreed to it,a breach of contract is just that and will stand up in court.

Put an ad in the paper and advertise yourself,people will find you if they want to

Good luck x

Essential Bliss Beauty Therapy

 

[Beautygirl1977]

My friend did this and when it came to rebooking the clients she just booked them in at her new place. She got a solicitor letter from her ex boss but apparently the way round it is to say you were told if you didn't sign the contract you wouldn't get the job. At the time there were loads of therapists/stylists left and did this. One of them even opened a shop across the road from her and took all her clients! So there is a way round it. I don't think clients belong to anyone. It's up to them where they want to go.

 

[taggyboy]

A contract is put in place to protect both the employee and employer. There are lots of threads on here about staff never getting one. I understood it to be law that a contract is given and signed after so many weeks/months. I dare say if he/she hadn't received one they would complain about that to!

You will always get the employee and employers views being different. However, when employees turn into employers their views often change.

Just remember though if a mobile business starts and fails and employment is sought in a salon, who do you ask for a reference?

For the staff member who opened opposite her old salon, let's hope their staff don't do the same.

I truly believe in treating others how you wish to be treated.

It's no wonder professional business people who manage staff correctly get a bad name when employees start behaving badly and employers toughen up to protect themselves.

 

[WaxGirl]

My friend did this and when it came to rebooking the clients she just booked them in at her new place. She got a solicitor letter from her ex boss but apparently the way round it is to say you were told if you didn't sign the contract you wouldn't get the job. At the time there were loads of therapists/stylists left and did this. One of them even opened a shop across the road from her and took all her clients! So there is a way round it. I don't think clients belong to anyone. It's up to them where they want to go.

How unprofessional, sneaky and underhand of your friend!

That approach to business will bring her no luck and some day one of her staff is going to leave and do the same back at her and she will deserve it.

How we conduct ourselves in business and our professional reputation is an indication of our character and morals

I've worked hard to build my business and came across the people who set out to steal customers

In my experience they never last that long or do that well as they have to leech off others success and never put in the hard work that it takes to build from scratch.

 

[Beautygirl1977]

They are all doing very well and it's the salon that everyone left that is having the problems. They were terrible to work for apparently. I'm not saying it's right or wrong. The op asked a question and I answered. What she decides to do is up to her.

 

[theextensionist]

My friend did this and when it came to rebooking the clients she just booked them in at her new place. She got a solicitor letter from her ex boss but apparently the way round it is to say you were told if you didn't sign the contract you wouldn't get the job. At the time there were loads of therapists/stylists left and did this. One of them even opened a shop across the road from her and took all her clients! So there is a way round it. I don't think clients belong to anyone. It's up to them where they want to go.

I think this is an awful thing to do really and very unprofessional and shows absolutely no integrity. I think the best way sometimes is leave with your dignity and integrity in place and ask yourself how you would feel if it was the other way around.

Regardless if a boss did not handle a business the way you would have I don't think anyone is in a place to do this. As a business owner this would downright infuriate me. Obviously I would try never to get to a place like that with my staff but I could only imagine! But to know there is people like that really angers me.

This business owner, even if she was mean or whatever, has most likely put her whole life into this salon, along with her savings. She has spent lots of money advertising and marketing so she can get the clients through the door so she can pay the STYLISTS wage and keep her employed (unless self employed). Obviously she employed people the clients like both professionally and socially but for that person then to take advantage of the situation in HER salon sickens me.

 

[Alpenrose]

Working for others and trying to establish my own business, I would like to stick my twopence here. :o

What amazes me that people often don't want to build up their own thing from scratch, but try to use other's hard work to their advantage. "To rebook clients and promote other services is the job of the boss, not me. I only do treatments." - this sort of attitude.

Many employees don't even realize what effort goes (financial, intellectual and physical) into building a successful business and don't have guts to do it themselves, hence they see poaching clients as an easy option.

My advise would be to focus on yourself - both, skill (no matter how good you are at the moment) and advertising (bumping into clients and handing out phone numbers is not advertising). If you have professional attitude and technically good then you will be able to build your own client base fairly quickly.

 

[Melk]

I consider my clients to be mine not the businesses, I offer the service they want not the business. I wouldn't poach clients but would let them know I was leaving. However I have to take my clients history with me if I leave as it's part of the privacy laws, so business that I work for dosn't have Any connection to my clients. Depends on what you do really. Loyal clients to the business will stay adapt to different treatments or follow you because your style is reason they are there not the business.