Geek in despair, please help!

[Bombalurina]

Hi Geeks,

I could really do with some advice today. I'm so upset right now due to a series of events, I'll try to explain as best I can, and keep it as simple as possible...

• I gave up a day at my full time job in order to work from a beauty room above a hairdressers on Fridays and Saturdays.
• I'd been in there 5 months, and have spent a fortune on printing, stock, furniture etc, and my full time job have even loaned me an electric couch for the room.
• I found out at the start of the month that the salon was closing, due to them not being busy enough, and ploughing money from their other salon into this one to help see them through. The owners decided it was time to call it a day, and were going to close, and focus their efforts on the other salon. Sad, but I did see it coming as the hair side of the business was never busy.
• So, I'm without a beauty room, but had previouisly been mobile for 4 years so not much effort to go back to that.
• I was told I could keep all client record cards for people I'd seen over the past 5 months, and could contact them, mailshot, text whatever.....that was the last I heard.
• I've now had a series of nasty conversations with the owner, because she's not happy with the wording I used on the letter I sent out. I said sadly they had had to close...because it's true! And told people what I'm doing now...as it's a letter from me, not from the salon.
• She's angry that I've not said they're "Taking an advantage of the end of their lease and moving to blah blah Salon at the end of the month".....but why on earth would I say that when she hadn't told me that's what she wanted me to say?!?! I had no idea she'd concocted that lie to save face, the lease isn't up for another 6 years!!
• So now I have to send out a letter of apology to these clients. I disagree, as I feel I haven't done anything wrong...I was going to word it as if it was from the salon (With her permission), giving clients the "good news" and therefore what I've said won't make any difference...but she's not having it, and she's already sent a letter out to clients telling them what's happening, but wants me to write the letter from me, apologising for what I've said...
• But I'm not sorry!! I've not been nasty, I've told it like it is, and she's sent a mailshot out anyway so people know the score!! Sending a letter of apology out would be damaging to my business, basically me admitting I'm a b*tch...which I'm not. The wording of the letter was an honest error, and I don't see why I should do something expensive and unnecessary.

I need your advice...I'm out of the salon...not under contract any more, so Im really tempted to say, "you know what, s*r*w you!! I owe you nothing, if you want a letter writing and sending, write it yourself, I'm done with you!"....but on the other hand, these past 4 weeks out of the salon have been the busiest I've ever had, because they're referring people to me, and if clients have salon gift vouchers, I'm going to them to do treatments and claiming the money back from the salon.

It's in my business interests to write the letter, play nicely, and maintain a good working relationship with them...but it's making me so so so upset at the thought of having to do it that I'm not sure it's worth it.

I need the business they're sending my way as I'm only working 4 days at my original job now, and I have my wedding to save for...do I listen to my business brain on this one and swallow my pride?

Sorry it's epic...hope someone can help me...

 

[sunshineinme]

Hi Hun

I really don't know what to advise but didn't want to read and run xxxx

There is plenty of really wise and helpful geeks here and I am sure they will know what to do!

From me- good luck! xxxxx

 

[soriminah]

What does she want you to apologise for? If they are closing and you told clients of your future plans then what are you to apologise for?

Why would you send out a letter apologising and purposely lying to clients? It would be unprofessional to do so because when clients find out, that's your reputation that you lied to them.

You could do a joint newsletter. She can write whatever she wants about her business side and you write about yours and what you are doing.

I would say to her that by asking you to lie to clients that is calling your professionalism and integrity into question which you aren't prepared to do. If she's happy to lie to her clients then that's up to her but they will find out eventually if she does. Then hows that going to make her look.

 

[Tomme]

You wrote the letter to inform the clients of YOUR business. Did she want you to spend money telling clients to go to their other salon? As you no longer work there you have no reason to do anything they ask, and myself, if I got a lot of letters about a salon I'd visited I think i wouldn't use any of the staff again as its basically harassment in letter form.

I'd tell her that you are willing to do their clients etc... But the fact that you haven't told them where the new salon is is non of your business as you are self employed and wouldnt send business elsewhere. Xoxo

 

[Pinkprincess73]

If the salon owner had been honest in the first place there wouldn't have been any mix-up! If you wrote the letter in good faith with no nastiness well there's nothing more to say, it's done now.
I wouldn't write another letter people will think you're mad, if you are out of the salon now just move on hun it was an honest misunderstanding.
You were also given permission to contact your clients so they will make up their own mind who does their treatments but I wouldn't be accepting her vouchers incase she didn't refund them now.
Hope you're ok xx

 

[TracyS]

Do you do monthly newsletters or anything? I think she's worried about the reputation of her salon, understandable, but she's taking it out on the wrong person and if she had wanted you to refer to the closure under specific terms and wording she should have said so.

The reason I ask about a newsletter is maybe as a compromise you could tell her you will do a 'piece' on the new location and tell clients not to forget that although the xx location was no longer open to them they should go to yy location to receive the same high standards of treatments for their hair.

If she's been ok with you up to this point, I'd put it down to maybe stress of closure, worried about business etc. That's not an excuse, but maybe a reason.

Glad its working well for you though and hope you manage to continue picking up business from them.

 

[shedunlop]

I wouldn't write to anyone apologising. You are out of the salon now and you told the truth. All the clients you had now know how to contact you and it will be up to them.

I think she is silly for doing anything about this as everyone will know that what you have said is true, people have eyes, they can see when somewhere is quiet.

There is no need to be nasty about it but if she contacts you again about this just tell her that after careful consideration you feel that you would lose credibility if you wrote to apologise. Tell her that you told the truth and that if she had wanted you to tell a story then she should have provided you with it at the time of telling you the salon was closing, or she should have written to everyone herself letting them know your contact details for the future.

It looks like she was maybe hoping by having you there that things would pick up a bit for the hair side and this hasn't worked. It is very sad and it is not nice to leave on a sour note but I don't think it serves anyone's purpose for an apology at this stage. :wink2:

 

[lady R]

What a horrible time you are having now!

At the end of the day, she wasn't exactly thinking of you when she decided to shut the salon was she? She was protecting herself and her business and that, unfortunately is what you have to do too.

Your business has to come first and as far as I can see you have done right by you. What did she honestly expect, the business is closing and you are moving on.

I'm afraid its harsh but that business, as I have learnt...

Look after you and good luck x x

 

[DebCam]

I completely agree with all of the advice already given, the only thing I would add to it is that from a clients perspective it would be very odd to keep receiving random info about a salon that's now closed. If u really don't want to tell this woman to lump it then the only way forward that I can think of is to send out a thankyou letter to the clients thanking them for their support during your move to x and her move to y and each of you include a discount voucher. Then hopefully youll both be happy. X


Sorry cant get rid of this..voucheyou'happy

 

[Fabtans]

You wont do right for doing wrong with this type of person. She is making you the scape goat for her mistakes and dishonesty. Walk away hold your head up high, you owe her nothing.
Move on, you sound as if you have a good following, and your reputation will go before you anyway. Ok, you may lose a few clients, I doubt it, word will get out where you are, concentrate on those clients and you mailshot them with your news your now solo....good luck dont dwell on this negative energy, no good for you, its all in the past. Onwards and upwards! :green:

 

[Bombalurina]

Hi Geeks,

Thanks so much for all your advice, you've really helped me to feel a bit better about all this now. Today I have to go to the salon and pick up the electric couch that's still there and I'm dreading seeing her again. I've not done anything about the letter, and I know she will ask me about it.

As you've all said, I think it will be more damaging to my business to write a letter of apology, and from the clients point of view, I think it looks very unprofessional and more like harassment! I just hope I have enough strength in me to say that to her face....I know I'll burst into tears, because I already feel in a right state at the thought of going down there...

Wish me luck :sad:

 

[fluffydreams]

I too think t is ridiculous for her to even ask you to apologise.
She sounds stressed as a previous poster said.
How did today go? Xx

 

[HairByAlly]

How pathetic!!!!!! Sounds like my old boss that told everyone id moved to australia when i left to go mobile so that they wouldnt try & track me down!!!! X