Dealing with difficult client

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eskimonailtech

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 26, 2010
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Location
Canada
Hi all,

So, I think I've finally had it with being harassed and verbally abused by my clients at work. I am an esthetician at a large spa that has many locations in Canada. It is a nice place, however I don't know if it's the location (inside a mall) or my bad luck, but in the past 3 weeks, I've had two clients who have been overly demanding to the point of ordering me around, telling me how to do my job (literally), one actually even messed with the water temperature in the pedi basin to make it look like I turned it to cold. The one tonight was extremely rude and kept telling me how to do my job. I would explain why I was doing what I was doing and it wasn't right, even though i was following protocol and I refused to buff her nails anymore as they were already thin. Finally I just shut up and didn't talk because I was afraid I would snap on her.

She proceeded to walk out of the spa after i asked her to wait for a few minutes so I could spray her nails with quick dry spray and went down to the reception area while I had stepped away from the pedicure area for a moment and had the audacity to say it was ME being rude, I was unpleasant and that my work was crap. I know it wasn't crap and I did my job exactly like I was supposed to. I'll admit that she did make me nervous so my hands were shaky and it took me a little longer to polish, but that was the only difference.

My problem is, is that the company I work for tends to put clients even before their own estheticians and wont back us up when a client is bordering on being abusive and completely insane.

I'm almost at the point of quitting, but I was hoping to get some other ladies' insight into the situation. And yes, I know there's bad clients everywhere. But I don't feel like I have any support at work for the upper management. And if someone complains and wants it redone for free, then they'll take away the money I made from that service and give it to the other person (even if the client is crazy and their claims are unfounded). So I lose like $130. And not to mention that one of my bosses is completely on another planet and harasses us about the way we look all the time. (we aren't even allowed to wear bobby pins or have our hair in a ponytail more than an inch above the nape of our neck).

What do I do? My ex even broke up with me a while ago because I was so angry when I would come home from work that I was taking it out on him. Ahhh!
 
I think you need to talk to your bosses and tell them exactly how this kind of situation makes you feel and the fact that you are loosing money because of it before you think about handing in your notice. If they don't take you seriously then start to look for a new job (it's always easier to find one and less stressful if you are working while applying). I could tell you to get a thicker skin and rise above the clients comments but if you are loosing money and being demoralised then this is not an option. Hopefully they value you enough to make some changes or they will loose a great therapist.:hug:
 
er excuse me but this is tantamount to bullying in my book and any company who allows that from anyone is surely going to end up in trouble. I'd approach it calmly at first to get your point across and make them hear your side of the story because there are always two sides to every story. If that doesnt work out have a look at the companies policies on bullying and quote it to them, taking it further if need be. Every company has a policy on bullying towards staff, i think they have to (i could be wrong though)

In the meantime hugs :hug:
 
thanks girls =(

I've about had enough of coming home in tears every few days. I've never had a job where I felt so beat down! I feel worse about myself now than I ever did in high school. every day I go to work, I just wait for someone to say something mean (whether it's a client or a manager). it's only actually one manager. i think she must've completely gone off the deep end a few years ago. she even yelled at me because my pants were dragging on the ground a tiny bit one day (my weight was fluctuating lately) and told me to pull them up!

I've decided to go back to work as a massage therapist in a clinic. I got way more respect back then. and i'll be in charge of my own business that way.
 
I'm glad you have a plan, no one deserves to be treated like that x:hug:
 

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