Do you ever socialise with clients you have become friendly with?

[ADiva1]

As the title of the thread says, do you ever socialise with your client; i,e. go for a drink and so on after becoming familiar with each other?

I don't mean friends who are clients. Just clients who you have developed a good rapport with.

I used to work with someone who did this and I mean serious dancing and drinking nights out, lol!

So far, I have made all sorts of excuses not to go out with clients. I just find that I prefer the relationship to be client:therapist, lol.

 

[w1nnie]

BAD IDEA to socialize with clients. I got myself in hot water. Don't want to talk about it !

 

[ADiva1]

BAD IDEA to socialize with clients. I got myself in hot water. Don't want to talk about it !

I know! It starts all sorts of awkward things, namely discounted treatments!

 

[Mobile Manicure]

No I don't. Although I gained some clients who are mums at school like me so it's a sort of a grey area. I socialise with them as a group of mums. Also, some of my neighbours have become clients and I socialise with them as a group (all neighbours together, we have nights out, take away nights etc). But one on one I have never become best buddies with a client.

They've all been friends/acquaintances before becoming clients.

 

[Nicolahayley]

It's a tough subject but I think if you come too familiar with someone u may start really trusting them... Say anything about ur business and if they blab.... It can get all too unprofessional for my liking!! I tell my clients what I want them to know and that is it. I hate it when ppl come to my salon and try bitching about people or other salons.... I simply just tell them that my salon is not the place to come for a gossip!! And I won't have it labelled that way either... Also it bugs me when u get a client for an eyebrow wax then a couple of hours later they add u on Facebook???!!! :/ I'm like... No I've only waxed your eyebrows. It doesn't mean we are friends. I respect every client who comes through my door... But I respect my privacy to.

 

[ADiva1]

It's a tough subject but I think if you come too familiar with someone u may start really trusting them... Say anything about ur business and if they blab.... It can get all too unprofessional for my liking!! I tell my clients what I want them to know and that is it. I hate it when ppl come to my salon and try bitching about people or other salons.... I simply just tell them that my salon is not the place to come for a gossip!! And I won't have it labelled that way either... Also it bugs me when u get a client for an eyebrow wax then a couple of hours later they add u on Facebook???!!! :/ I'm like... No I've only waxed your eyebrows. It doesn't mean we are friends. I respect every client who comes through my door... But I respect my privacy to.

Gosh, you are so right. Especially with the Facebook thing. LOL! I have had many requests from clients. Next thing they are going through your photos!

I have had an incident this year, where a client caught me on a wrong day. I was feeling a bit low. She ended up wanting to be my business coach. Weird, weird, weird!

 

[w1nnie]

It's a tough subject but I think if you come too familiar with someone u may start really trusting them... Say anything about ur business and if they blab.... It can get all too unprofessional for my liking!! I tell my clients what I want them to know and that is it. I hate it when ppl come to my salon and try bitching about people or other salons.... I simply just tell them that my salon is not the place to come for a gossip!! And I won't have it labelled that way either... Also it bugs me when u get a client for an eyebrow wax then a couple of hours later they add u on Facebook???!!! :/ I'm like... No I've only waxed your eyebrows. It doesn't mean we are friends. I respect every client who comes through my door... But I respect my privacy to.

This has nudged me to start another thread.....

 

[Nicolahayley]

I made the mistake of accepting a couple of people but it got to the stage where anything I posted they would bring it up during their appointment... Who was that about blah blah.... And I don't mean to sound rude but I like to be 'me' on my own Facebook.... Have a little rant, a swear etc without having to constantly remember that I have clients on my page and need to b professional.... NO that is what my page is for.... I'll be professional on that, I'm professional in my salon, professional whenever I'm in my salon uniform ....I'm an ordinary person so when I'm not at work, it's MY time xx

 

[Nicolahayley]

This has nudged me to start another thread.....

What about?

 

[w1nnie]

I've put it in biz forum :biggrin:

 

[Elaine Armani]

Some of my clients want to socialise but I don't think it's good for a business so I don't, I am close with a lot of my clients but not to the point where we will go out together it could end up getting messy!

 

[tonicj]

Never!

 

[Amy028]

I've just had one of my regular gents look for me on fb while he was in the chair, then said oh you're profiles private (for that exact reason!) add me later and we can go out for a drink soon. Going to be very awkward in 3 weeks time when he comes back for another trim lol...

 

[TPB]

A lot of my friends from my facebook came to me for nails, i recommended them to my page etc. I still have a couple on my main account, but they were there before i started in beauty. But it is a tricky situation, i'd be happy to remove my facebook if i didn't find it useful at times for info.

 

[squidgernetball]

I have had one or two clients that I have socialised with and will be inviting a lot of them to my 50th party next year. I don't have a problem with it at all. I'm not on facebook although the business is (I use a pseudonym) and even my best mates don't have mates rates, so that's never an issue. I USUALLY drink maybe three glasses of wine on a night out, so don't get pissed and blab.

My husband and I are being taken for dinner by one of my clients, near to Christmas at a very exclusive hotel, and went to their barbeque in the summer, so to not invite them would just be rude!

I'm looking forward to being able to buy my particularly good clients a drink next year, and to thank them for their fantastic support, but am still aware of not being too friendly.

Having said all that, we live in a small village, surrounded by small villages, and my client retention is excellent, as there aren't a huge amount of places to choose from!!! I know a lot of clients would be a bit offended if I didn't invite them for a drink next year, but I have my "Mustn't get too pissed" hat on already!!! And it's still only my true mates that have my home number!

 

[MissyMuffin]

My hairdresser is now one of my close friends, after 15 years of seeing her I should bloody well think so

 

[Elaine Armani]

I've just had one of my regular gents look for me on fb while he was in the chair, then said oh you're profiles private (for that exact reason!) add me later and we can go out for a drink soon. Going to be very awkward in 3 weeks time when he comes back for another trim lol...

Haha he may be interested ?

 

[Amy028]

Haha he may be interested ?

That's my worry!! Lol

 

[Emmabeautique]

I have been on nights out with clients and have some as my friends on Facebook ..... I probably see them more than some of my "friends " on Facebook ie. old school friends!!

Never had a problem xx

 

[ballyboo]

I have a few clients who I socialise with, I don't see the problem with it personally - I don't talk shop when we go out just have a drink and a good time! one particular client of mine I have done her hair for 12 years and we have become really close, we buy each other birthday/Xmas presents, I see her every week for lunch/coffee, I tell her everything and she does me, we just clicked from day 1 and I would say she's one of my best friends x