How can I get my clients to stay still?

[Lee-Ann10]

Hi ladies

I wonder if anyone has any advice about keeping your clients still? I find that my clients jump around (for want of a better word) and when I am painting on dark colours, I end up with a mess around the eponichium!!

I am by a window so it may be that (they are people watching) but I have to keep asking them to keep still and it gets so frustrating.

Any ideas would be appreciated as I don't want to come across as rude or abrupt?

Thanks

Lee-Ann x

 

[Biljana]

Honestly it is a problem all around and I personally have had to adapt to a moving client I make sure their elbow is always rested on the table and I hold their hand/finger particularly "hard" to the point where I apologize for the "death grip". When painting/sculpting etc... I have learned to anticipate their movement before it happens, hard to explain what I mean


Cleen Cheeks Spa

 

[ch-ela]

Are you sure that they are sitting on a comfortable chair? And certainly one without wheels! I hate those, I find the clients moving further and further away from me.
As Biljana says, firm grip is all it takes for me. Have your fingers positioned at the lateral folds to pull these back a bit too.

 

[Ashley Blakemore]

I tend to talk and it grabs their attention and makes them concentrate on me and what I'm doing, or to relax them I ask them a question and they just go into a world if their own answering while I try to listen and get on with painting! I have a tendency of gripping the finger tightly, one of my clients taps me on the hand slightly if I grip her too hard lol☺️ But I would rather get a perfect polish than let their finger slip and I have to go around with an orange stick!! I am a perfectionist and that irritates me

 

[Lee-Ann10]

My clients are sat in a stationery chair, it does not have wheels and I always ask if they are comfortable.

I will just have to make sure that I keep a better hold on them so as not to make a mess with the lovely, rich dark colours they want!!

Thanks ladies x

 

[Trinity]

How about just asking them :biggrin:

It doesn't have to be rude, when the start fidgeting say 'oh hold still or this is going to get messy..(laugh)', they don't realise they're doing it. Usually a throw away comment is enough to make them realise.

I'll say something like the above comment and add something like 'this stuff will end up everywhere if I'm not careful, up my nose, down my bra and all sorts', this tends to make them laugh and any uncomfortable moment is gone.

If there is an atmosphere when you say something, it's usually because they are embarrassed, so take the moment away by making a lighthearted comment. Also don't look directly at them when you say it, it's not confrontational then, concentrate on the finger when you say it, it reinforces that you're trying to do a good job.

Its all about confidence, you're not doing it to be nasty, you're doing it so you can do a perfect job for them as they're paying for it :hug:

 

[Lee-Ann10]

I had a lady last night that was moving about a bit, she was chatting about her wedding etc and I did ask her to keep as still as possible for me or else her hands were going to be painted lovely as well. She laughed and apologised, she then went totally rigid on me lol so that one I couldn't win.

Thanks for the tips ladies, I will just keep making light of it and see if I can get them to keep still and relax x