Dilemma-advice, please

[Nickie@Nailmania-Limited]

Hi All

At the beginning of October, after I went mobile, I had a client ring me up for some appointments. She had been to my little salon as a walk in a few weeks earlier for a manicure, and wanted to know if I would be prepared to visit her in Battle for treatments. She also had a patch test for tinting. I said that it was rather out of my way (34 miles round trip) and she said she would make it worth my while by having more than one treatment.

She booked in for an eyebrow tint and eyelash tint and manicure. I told her the total price and this didn't seem to be a problem.

I drove to her house. But she said she had a problem with her eyes that day so we only did the eyebrow tint and manicure. I did however do another patch test for the next time I visited just to be on the safe side.

However she would not keep her hands still and the patch test was on her inner wrist. Somehow she managed to get the tint on her jeans (which she told me at the time came from M&S). I suggested she should take them to a dry cleaner to get some expert advice.

When she paid, I didn't have enough change as the price was less due to no eyelash tint. She said to deduct it off the next appointment.

I heard nothing from her again till the middle of last week. I was away for two days and only got her messages to call when I got home friday evening. I called on Saturday morning and left a message.

She has just rung me and said that she found my prices too expensive. Plus I owed her change (see above) which I agreed but reminded her she said to deduct it off her next appt.

She then said she could not get the tint mark out of her jeans and that she had washed them a number of times. Aagh .. she didn't take them to a dry cleaners ..

She now says that the jeans cost £200. I suggested again she take them to a specialist cleaners. She said she would send me the bill.

I said that I will send her the "change" £6. She then said that she only had a polish n go, but she had a full manicure with exfoliation and hand/arm massage etc. and polish. the total was £34 and she gave me £40.

I have insurance ..

I am now going to charge a surcharge of £5 if an appointment falls outside a 10 mile radius of where I live.

What are your thoughts on how to deal with this.

 

[Lolly22]

I'm not so good at dealing with this kind of thing but what I would do is maybe send her a cheque with her £6 on it and a polite letter. I would say to her that it was herself who got the tint on her jeans so you won't be paying for a new pair. But if you feel you should then offer to pay for the dry cleaners. I would then suggest she finds another therapist as you can no longer cover her area as its too far away.

I don't know if that helps but I would get rid of her as a client. She's sounds too much bother.

 

[Nails<3]

If it was me and I'm feeling very mean today lol I would take her change to her being £1 as you had to charge a £5 surcharge.

I havent got time for clients like that and will not let anyone pull anything over me.

As to her jeans, If they are a £200 pair then they can't be m&s so ask her to show you the label of these £200 jeans with the tint stain on.

 

[sukic]

Some clients are not worth the hassle! I too would send her change and would not pay for new jeans either. Tell her you would have paid for the dry cleaning as you recommended, but as she decided to wash them that's not your responsibility. As a side note, I always patch test behind the ear, its less likely to be washed off there. good luck!

 

[lissy00]

Some clients are not worth the hassle! I too would send her change and would not pay for new jeans either. Tell her you would have paid for the dry cleaning as you recommended, but as she decided to wash them that's not your responsibility. As a side note, I always patch test behind the ear, its less likely to be washed off there. good luck!

I'm always behind the ear too. When I was teaching at a college in Manchester, the girls all had pure white uniforms. The other tutor did them all patch tests on inner elbow, and yes, one girl managed to get it all over her white uniform and had to buy a new one. I personally felt it was the tutors fault, as it is an almost impossible task not to have some transfer if on inner elbow when they are moving their arm, anyway... that's a side point!

In this instance, I would have charged her the full amount. The only reason you drove all that way is because she was making it worth your while for going the extra distance. So I would have said, I'm sorry if your eyes are sore today, but you do understand that I will still have to charge you the full amount for your appointment today to cover my travelling costs.

I work from home, and charge £5 call out within 15 miles (round trip). This afternoon, I am doing a client nearly 30 miles round trip, and she pays an extra £10 for the appointment. The treatments only add up to £18 so total £28. Certainly wouldn't be worth it for me otherwise.

Don't pay for her jeans. Maybe get her a dry cleaning voucher, then she can't just spend on something else???

xx

 

[BeautifiClaire]

Step away from the crazy lady!!! seriously, I don't like these sort of encounters much but I think you are going to have to put this down to bad luck, move on and accept she is never going to be happy and you are not going to worry yourself by trying. £200 M&S jeans??? dear lord. Pay her the £1, you have to take fuel costs considering she didn't inform you before you left your house that she had an ailment and politely decline anymore appointments. Good luck lovely xxx

 

[Tomme]

Refuse to sort the jeans, your instruction was a dry cleaners. From experience and staff in dry cleaners warning me, if you get a stain DO NOT wash it, the heat often "sets" the stain and there's nothing they can do then.
Send her a cheque for £6 and leave it go. Xoxo

 

[Nickie@Nailmania-Limited]

Hi Girls

Thanks for the replies, all very very helpful. I have spoken to my insurers and they have said that the client in question will have to provide the original purchase receipt, get a report from the dry cleaners, get a written estimate from the retailer as to replacement costs etc etc. They also said let her contact me. If she pursues it they say I need her to put in writing why she thinks I was negligent or responsible for her getting the mark on her jeans, especially when I asked her to remain still .. she just kept gesticulating with her hands and arms. She is someone who knows about patch tests as she has had her brows and lashes done many times over the years, so she told me. Will keep you all posted .. xxx

 

[Nickie@Nailmania-Limited]

Plus they will want to see the jeans in question so they can make sure they are the correct ones.

 

[umvemve]

It is not often you feel warm and fuzzy towards insurers but they sound brill!

 

[Nickie@Nailmania-Limited]

It is not often you feel warm and fuzzy towards insurers but they sound brill!

Thank you to Professional Beauty insurance. Great help. Xx