Bit of a pickle

[JoJo1980]

Evening geeks
OK, this may take a while to explain, so please bear with me...
2 months ago, we had a really strange lady come in to the salon wanting to book a cut and finish. We were actually closed at the time for training (it was a monday) but she was banging on the door for us to let her in, so we did.
To be honest, my gut feeling then and there about her whole demeanour was "eh up, we got a ripe one here" but I ignored it, and my mangeress spoke to her and booked her appointment.
So, a few days later she came in for her cut and finish with a picture of DAVID BOWIE (I kid you not) saying she wants her hair like that (ziggy stardust style )
My stylist did as was asked and advised her on how to style it and what products to use. The lady left - only after she went round every client in the salon telling them how much she loved it. (im telling you, this lady was really odd!)
Fast forward 5 days later, she comes back in saying she has asked her milkman and he said it was too short, and that she didnt want the product she bought. I had the product back and refunded her but told her that as I had witnessed her service I dont believe that my stylist did anything wrong, so I wouldnt be refunding her cut.
She kicked off, was really loud and started asking my clients what they thought!!
At this point I calmly asked her to leave - which after my asking 5 times, she did.
A few weeks later I find she has written vile comments on online review sites about us - which the site owners wont delete. She is sending harrassing emails, and today I find she has posted horrid things on my salon Facebook page!! (which of course I have deleted and blocked her)
I have responded to a few of her emails and comments in a very proffessional way but have insisted that I will NOT refund and that I stand by the work of my stylist.
So - my problem is - how do I get her to stop harassing me? I know it shouldnt get to me, but it is.
Ive worked so hard to build my reputation, and the work my stylist did was exactly as she asked (she really did have the David Bowie she asked for!!!)

I just want her to go away!
Im worried that if I send her an email, I will add fuel to the fire. This woman is clearly attention seeking.

Help me wise ones! What shall I do?
xxxxxx

 

[carebears86]

Wow... after reading your post once I had to read it again! It sounds like this lady seriously has problems.

I would ignore the emails/spam her email address for starters! As you said she clearly wants the attention. I wouldn't worry too much about her online reviews either as I am sure you have plenty of brilliant reviews too.😃

Obviously it must be upsetting to read her comments, but sometimes you just have to let things go. However if she starts making threats of a violent nature you could go to the police.

It's a tricky one but I personally would ignore her completely! As they say "ignorance is bliss".😃

Hope you sort it out, or not hear from her again. xx

 

[PixieBeauty]

I'd call the police & ask their advice and ask for it to be logged. Start asking about defamation of your reputation (ie the website) or something to try make sure it's logged. Then if it carries on you have a record, at least X

 

[crazybek]

Hey chin up hun and dont let it get to you.
In a weeks time you will look back at this fruit loop and laugh about it all.
Ive had and still have a few clients like this and its bloody horrible but all you can do is ignore the rest of the emails and carry on as you are.

Is it a review site that you can respond to?
Maybe something along the lines of
"This situation was dealt with and will not be discussed further" as a response?

Believe it or not people will see through it and ignore it.

It wont ruin your hard earned reputation,and as my nan always says
"Theres always one Rebecca"!!

xx

 

[JoJo1980]

Ah thanks ladies :biggrin:
You're right, I'll keep on ignoring her. Ive done all I can do. I enlisted the help of lots of clients to write lovely reviews on the website after she posted the horrible one so hers looks pretty bonkers!
Ive asked about it being defermation and slanderous but qype are having nowt of it. hmmm cheers qype
I have responded to her via qype too and I was pretty proffessional but she wrote back and Im just NOT getting in to a public slanging match. Makes me cringe!
I all fairness actually, I had a new client in today who just moved to the area and found me via google and read the qype reviews. She mentioned one bad one but said the others were really lovely so she booked in anyway :wink2:
I think Im having a random panic insecure moment (they are rare!)
Its good to have you lot to offer support and reassurance
xxxxxxxxx

 

[crazybek]

Heard many things about that review site and not many have been good

Theyre coming up the rear of the infamous trip advisor i believe!!!

 

[JoJo1980]

Royal pain in my Arse! They keep calling me to get me to upgrade too. I wouldnt reccommend! They wont remove me now though.
xxx

 

[crazybek]

Did you read the article in the daily mail the other day about the guy suing t.a for reviews they wont remove which were written previously to him owning the hotel?

Hes suing them for loss of income due to it,and i hope he bloody wins!.
Review sites can be a really good thing but i always take things on them as a pinch of salt.
Last year we booked for a week in Spain and i stupidly looked on trip advisor to check out the hotel we were booked in.
Some of the reviews were horrendous and i had visions of traipsing around Alcudia with 3 kids in tow looking for somewhere to stay!!!

Needless to say we had the biggest apartment weve had yet with the nicest view,the friendliest and daily cleaners,which washed out and sterilised the baby bottles if i hadnt done them before we had gone to the beach.
They even left extra buggy clips on the table for extra bags so i refuse to even look on the review sites now!!

 

[lila22]

What a fruit loop!! I would try your hardest to ignore her but keep proof of all the things she sends, give it a week or two and if still happening I'd go to police.
Hope you get it sorted x x

 

[JoJo1980]

Thanks Lila x she had her hair cut in July so she is still pestering 2 months later!
I think her review comes accross as bonkers anyway so Ill just carry on ignoring her and hope she finds something else to fill her time with soon!
Crazybek, I always check trip advisor but to be honest, people only ever seem to want to write a review of any sort if its a bad one!
I hope you wrote a nice review after your lovely holiday :wink2:
xxxxx

 

[crazybek]

I certainly did!
I also left loads of sun cream,after sun,moisturiser,body sprays and a note for the cleaners to say thank you.

(just thought id add that the stuff i left was all un opened rofl!!!)

It was the best apartment ever and the kids loved it!
x

 

[JoJo1980]

I certainly did!
I also left loads of sun cream,after sun,moisturiser,body sprays and a note for the cleaners to say thank you.

(just thought id add that the stuff i left was all un opened rofl!!!)

It was the best apartment ever and the kids loved it!
x

Glad you added that. Leaving all your used bottles as a thankyou to the cleaners? hahahaha

 

[Mrs T]

My friend has just been through something similar with a customer ( bridal shop ) after repeatedly leaving abusive texts and msgs on website/fb, I urged her to go to the Police.
Long story cut short, she was warned re harrassment and she admitted it all. Her husband to be was shocked when Police turned up on doorstep and basically bollocked her in front of the Police.
My friend was more than pleased that I told her to report the woman as she was having sleepless nights, fearful of her turning up at the shop and the damage she was doing to the business.
Don't suffer.....report her...she needs a short sharp shock.
X

 

[JoJo1980]

Just thought I would update you. Ive managed to get her comments removed from qype and she is banned from leaving future comments, also she is banned from my FB page.
I also did a little research on her, and found she has been through some troubled times this year. I felt really bad for her actually. Clearly we were a bit of an outlet for some underlying issues.

I guess sometimes its not really about the hair.....
xxxx

 

[jimjamjarz]

Hey I'm pretty sure that you can press charges for unwanted harassment , call your local police and ask about it then say to her the police have informed me that if I receive one more email (or form of contact) it can be taken further as it is a form of harassment. I know this because when I was trying to buy a car on eBay I came across this crazy crazy woman who declined my offer I sent (the car was £3,000 and I sent a £2000 cash offer) and she emailed me this disgusting message saying it was an insulting offer how i was a young moron who should go and buy a scrap car and how I probably had something wrong with my brain to send her such a pathetic offer for her car .. (I'm sorry but it was on EBAY for buy it now or cheaper cash OFFER 'all offers welcome') LOL! I didn't think it was that bad an offer tbh hahaha!! .. Anyway I emailed back saying how rude she was ect and she sent me about five nasty emails so I replied to about three wronging her then I realised she had a double listing which is banned on eBay so I reported her and she messaged me saying shed contacted her local police who said she could take it further if I kept on messaging and harassing her! ??????..... Crazy woman obviously twisted the story LOl! But I looked it up and you actually can get in trouble for unwanted harassment!

Anyway sorry for the massive long story but if she persists it's something you could think about??? X

 

[jimjamjarz]

My friend has just been through something similar with a customer ( bridal shop ) after repeatedly leaving abusive texts and msgs on website/fb, I urged her to go to the Police.
Long story cut short, she was warned re harrassment and she admitted it all. Her husband to be was shocked when Police turned up on doorstep and basically bollocked her in front of the Police.
My friend was more than pleased that I told her to report the woman as she was having sleepless nights, fearful of her turning up at the shop and the damage she was doing to the business.
Don't suffer.....report her...she needs a short sharp shock.
X

Sorry didn't see this lol x

 

[Lynne Baker]

My first thought was this poor woman is clearly mentally unwell.
Who in their right minds wants a ziggy stardust haircut? I'm not sure I would have agreed to carry it out to be honest!
I do think these online review sites are a double edged sword, and I think a lot of businesses are going to suffer, either by having to refund or defend oneself.
With regard to suing for defamation it is worthwhile knowing that unless you can prove without a shadow of a doubt that you have suffered a direct economic loss, and you have very deep pockets, it is not worth trying to make a claim.