Friends or foes??

[GIGGLER]

Im new to this site so go easy on me lol.. But as I read some threads I'm noticing that fellow geeks are very wary of privacy.. Real name, fake name? Real picture.. Fake picture? What to share.. What not to share? Who might see our posts? Who might google our names or numbers even! Yikes! Lol!

The Internet is a huge playground, but as individuals we are convinced that people MUST be spying on us? And look at the professions we are in.. We easily give away small snippets of our lives away to the nice lady or gent that's popped in for a trim, eyebrow shape etc.. Do we really know them that well?

Was it wise to mention the holiday we are going on next year, especially when they could follow us home and see where we live? In fact, how do we know they can be trusted with any of our details?? Anyone had any scary incidents online or offline?? Hmmm.. Share your thoughts!

 

[coops]

Good thread.
I've had a dodgy stalker. whilst cutting a male clients hair I told him I worked in a pub in the evenings, just general chat, sharing with the client, you know. He then must've phoned every pub in the town to find out which one it was and turned up every night offering (not very politely) to give me a lift home. It all got nasty, I was very scared, police involved.
Wish I'd kept my mouth shut!
I try to be really guarded about personal information but it's difficult when the job involves talking in general!
My experience happened before google was popular, goodness knows what can be found out nowadays

 

[deanosnana]

Like most things, the internet has its advantages and DISadvantages. Information has never been so readily available.

In the late 90's, I was taking a college course and never had to leave the house to go to the library. I was able to log onto the library website and read books. Amazing!

The down side is, bad people will always find a way to turn something to THEIR advantage. There have been cases in my area, where two people have been set up througn an ad on Craigslist to be robbed and murdered.

There was another case where a 'MOM' bullied a classmate of her daughter's. The bullying was so ruthless that the girl committed suicide.

I personally do not want to put too much onto the internet. I don't want anyone finding me, knowing when I'm on vacation, whom I'm with, etc. I feel MOST folks private lives should remain private.

I know I am old and crabby but I will never understand the need for Facebook, MySpace, etc.

Great thread!

 

[alpina]

I use facebook fairly regularly but my opinion on it is that if I wouldn't shout it out in the middle of a busy street full of strangers then it doesn't get put on my facebook either. I'm even wary of what I tell 'friends' on facebook, just because I was friends with someone in school and now chat online doesn't mean I know what sort of person they are now.

One of the ladies at work met a guy recently on an online dating website. After a couple of dates she realised he was a weirdo and told him she wouldn't be seeing him again. He got a bit nasty and told her that he already knew where she lived, etc. He must have found out her details from facebook because she never has men at her house as she has young children. He must have been watching our salon because he called her one morning mouthing off about her new boyfriend in the black ute - it was a male client of the salon. This was a few months ago and we haven't had to call the police as it seemed to blow over in a couple of days but I was really worried for a while, if he's watching us he would know that I lock up by myself quite late every night.

 

[nicole333]

It's a sad fact that we do need to be careful. In my day job I have to wear an I.D. badge, but none of us display our surnames. At home we are ex directory because of mine and my husband's jobs. This is all to be on the safe side and we do have to take responsibility for certain things in life.

A colleague once got held hostage, with a gun involved. Very scarey indeed. I'm happy to say this is rare though! Excercise caution, without being paranoid is my motto!

 

[gr8nailz]

Clients are very curious about our lives. I don't feel obligated to answer a damn thing. I'll answer a question if I feel it's not personal or prying. If it's vague enough, I'll respond.

I had a client once say, "I saw you get out of a Hummer. You must be rich. Do you live around here?" True, she was all of 19 years old, but I felt very uneasy.

 

[happyfeet]

Never mind the internet, my mouth runs off enough as it is :wink2:
That said whatever information I share with a client, on facebook, on here, wherever, I always gauge it by if i was at a bus stop would I tell a little old lady. So any info I share is only information that I would tell anyone. Obviously when it comes to clients some things I may not share, more because their treatment time is about them and not me. Anything I don't want to answer I don't. I'm naturally a paranoid person but I do keep everything in perspective.

Great thread hun :Love: xxxx

 

[GIGGLER]

I would prefer my clients to talk about themselves if I'm honest.. I only really like to tell people what I want them to know. But I do find some of them ask me a lot of questions.

I used to do a clients hair who knew everything about everybody.. And she didn't mind sharing that info! She would ask a lot of questions but i was very wary about what I told her as I felt my business would be around the whole town by teatime! Then I got a note saying cancel all her appointments as she didn't feel that I opened up to her much and didn't like one word answers! :-s lol.. Hmmmm..

 

[gr8nailz]

I'm always blown away by clients who sit down in my chair and tell me their life stories. I mean clients who've just met me, not clients with whom I've built a long term relationship.

They tell me things I wouldn't share with my bestest besties.

 

[GIGGLER]

I'm always blown away by clients who sit down in my chair and tell me their life stories. I mean clients who've just met me, not clients with whom I've built a long term relationship.

They tell me things I wouldn't share with my bestest besties.

Totally lol.. I feel like a free counsellor some days.. My life is dull in comparison! Lol! Maybe some things are easier to tell a stranger?! :-/

 

[lashed11]

I have heard some deep stories from my clients, regular and new... Some quite shocking to be honest. I have mixed views on this... Sometimes I think it's nice that they feel so comfortable with me and so relaxed that they open up and basically reveal alot of info (sometimes things they havnt even told their friends apparently), but other times I do just feel like a counsellor... Sometimes I'm happy to listen, but sometimes I feel like saying "just stop!"... I remember when I started back at work just after my dad had passed away, and I had a client complaining for an hour about how her life is such a disaster and how it was "one thing after another" because she dropped her phone down the toilet and then got put on hold from Vodafone for ten minutes. I really wanted to scream! But I obviously kept my cool... Friend or foe, ahhhh i just don't know...

 

[GIGGLER]

I have heard some deep stories from my clients, regular and new... Some quite shocking to be honest. I have mixed views on this... Sometimes I think it's nice that they feel so comfortable with me and so relaxed that they open up and basically reveal alot of info (sometimes things they havnt even told their friends apparently), but other times I do just feel like a counsellor... Sometimes I'm happy to listen, but sometimes I feel like saying "just stop!"... I remember when I started back at work just after my dad had passed away, and I had a client complaining for an hour about how her life is such a disaster and how it was "one thing after another" because she dropped her phone down the toilet and then got put on hold from Vodafone for ten minutes. I really wanted to scream! But I obviously kept my cool... Friend or foe, ahhhh i just don't know...

We are definitely on the same page.. I've thought the very same and picked up on how every persons perspective on drama is different! Lol! Never thought about it the other way around tho.. They tell us things that maybe they shouldnt! Or even in a busy salon.. You never know who's sat next to you! Yikes!

I have had 2 ladies in the salon before.. One lady was upset because she found out her husband cheating.. The other lady was the mistress.. That got a bit ugly!

 

[alpina]

I have had 2 ladies in the salon before.. One lady was upset because she found out her husband cheating.. The other lady was the mistress.. That got a bit ugly!

That has happened in a salon in my town too, the therapist knows everybodies business and was having a laugh with the mistress, the wife was in the next cubicle and found out about her husbands affair that way.

 

[soriminah]

I have had 2 ladies in the salon before.. One lady was upset because she found out her husband cheating.. The other lady was the mistress.. That got a bit ugly!

OMG...how unlucky could you be...to be either woman...awkward....hope you had your referee jersey on...

 

[GIGGLER]

OMG...how unlucky could you be...to be either woman...awkward....hope you had your referee jersey on...

Lol! I did ask them to take it outside! The mistress stopped coming after that but the other lady still comes on and is now remarried so all good in the hood! Lol!