Home Salons - Do your clients remove their shoes ?

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Maybe we dont have the extremes of weather that you have.

I live in Scotland with lots of rain and I would never consider it rude if someone visited my home and did not remove their footwear, I want my guests to feel comfortable and if they are more comfortable keeping their footwear on then so be it, if they choose to take their shoes off and they have hideously smelly feet I would not let them know their feet smelled as I would not wish to offend in any way, a guest in my home. I have a lot of teenagers visiting my home and most will take their shoes off at the door if my own children do, and vice versa if my own children dont take theirs off the other lkids tend to keep theirs on. Personally I do not consider it a big deal, just extra cleaning for me. Its the way I was brought up that visitors were never made to feel uncomfortable.........so different cultures I guess is whats happening here.

I PERSONALLY (not shouting just pointing out it is my personal opinion only) consider the request unreasonable as a client because it would make me feel uncomfortable.

Don't really know how else I can explain it.
 
Originally Posted by Martigirl
Regarding business expenses I "get " where you are coming from regarding deductions etc as well as insurance cover............. however a reasonable additional business expense I incur due to me choosing commercial rather than my residential property, is a substantial monthly rent. A home salon avoids this expense which is where I conclude that a carpet getting dirtier earlier because of business use is a reasonable business expense that must be borne if you choose to have a home salon.

While I may have less rent etc... I have other expenses that are 'increased' because I am located in a home. It all balances out and I don't think one way is more expensive than another when you do cost vs revenues. and remember, if I had my choice, I would be in a salon environment. I would probably make better revenues.

From a personal point of view, as a client I deem it unreasonable to be asked to remove my shoes as the Home Salon owner has chosen to use their home as their place of business, therefore as a client is is not my responsibility to "save" the salon owners carpet and if operating a business from their home means that a business owner needs to replace their carpet or clean it more often then its something that they as a business owner need to "live" with if they choose a Home Salon over commercial property.END OF QUOTE

(SORRY MY RESPONSE BELOW IT WASN'T CLEAR BEFORE)


I am sure financially it does balance out but what I was pointing out was in commercial premises I have different overheads but my clients would never dream of visiting the dentist or myself and be expected to take their shoes off, extra cleaning or replacement of the flooring would/should just be viewed as an additional necessary business expense whether in a commercial or residential setting.

Your clients are not coming to you as a guest or visitor they are concluding a business transaction whether that be in your home or another type of premises so we just need to suck up the additional expense because we are choosinng to provide a service and get paid for it
 
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Actually, YES. At a dentist, and a hairdressing salon, and doc' offices (most especially in cold/wet months such as fall/winter/spring). It is the "usual" around here.
And YES I most definately expect my "guests" aka friends and family to remove their shoes and "respect" my home and the work I do to keep it clean.
it is the NORM around here to remove your shoes and when you don't, it's considered RUDE.
I suppose maybe it's a culture thing, dependant upon the country you live in?

Maybe it's different in the US. I would never ask anyone to remove their shoes before coming into my home, be they guests or client. Again, that's just my opinion.
 
I saw this mat thing in Wilokos today, it was like a door mat, purple and it apparently gets rid of the dirt as soon as you walk off it having wiped you feet. Don't know if it is a gimmick but it was £12, so maybe worth a bet for some.

Reading some of the arguments to and for, I just can't imagine going onto a dentist or even stranger an actual hair salon and being asked to take my shoes off.

Re the home salons, I think if it was attrocious weather a client would automatically offer anyway, but I still say I wouldn't ask and certainly not as them to put shoe covers on.

It's not an issue for me as I have the spa where I have tile flooring throughout the spa so should I be telling clients to take shoes off and not be clip clopping down the corridor, I don't and wouldn't dream of it either (I actually preempted this as I put in suitable sound proofing when it was built).

I guess there are always going to be two camps on this with strong feeling from the girls who work form home. Where I live in the US you need to have the seperate entrances and thereore anyone having a home salon wouldn't have an issue with the taking your shoes off and trailing through the living area.
 
I ALWAYS remove my shoes before going into my house or any of my freinds or family.
I DONT ask any clients to remove theirs as my home becomes a business premises as soon as they enter.
I ALWAYS take indoor shoes when going to clients houses so i dont have to wear my shoes inside.
It's my opinion that a clients house is their castle whereas my home becomes a business premises as soon as a client enters .
 
Jeeeeeeeez who would of thought removing shoes would be such an issue !!

I do think there is a bit of confusion between high street business and HOME salon. When I worked in a hair salon it wouldn't of crossed my mind to ask clients to remove shoes as there was obviously practical flooring. My house is rented so I can't change the carpet and id still have the issue of stairs. In an ideal world id have my treatment room downstairs with laminate flooring and I wouldn't have a problem but I don't hence the original question.

As I said before I haven't actually asked any clients yet mainly due to some of the bizarre reactions from friends and family so I haven't dared asked clients !
 
Just to add very good point about mobile therapists.

When I was mobile I always took my shoes off unless they said not to, even then I would double check.
 
Just to add very good point about mobile therapists.

When I was mobile I always took my shoes off unless they said not to, even then I would double check.


This is where I'm confused. (and this isn't aimed at anyone in particular and I'm not trying to be argumentative. I'm truly trying to understand the flip side of the coin)
If one is a mobile therapist, he/she is expected to respect the cleanliness of the clients' home and remove their footware out of respect.
BUT
If the therapist works from his/her home, it's ok for people to walk in and track dirt everywhere?

The other part I don't understand is this: how is it unreasonable?

not reasonable; not showing good judgment
excessive: beyond normal limits; "excessive charges"; "a book of inordinate length"; "his dress stops just short of undue elegance"; "unreasonable demands"
wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
unreasonably - not in a reasonable or intelligent manner; "she reacted unreasonably when she learned she had failed"
unreasonably - to a degree that exceeds the bounds or reason or moderation; "his prices are unreasonably high"
wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
If someone expected me to crawl around on my knees, that would be unreasonable.
If someone expected me to work for 1/2 price because they're my neighbor, that is unreasonable.
If I went to a salon and they expected me to stand while they did my hair, that's unreasonable.
That I understand.
But if someone expected me to remove my shoes so that I don't sully/ruin their flooring and/or make it treacherous for others to walk on by leaving it wet, how is it unreasonable?
What is the big deal? The floor is clean. Slippers provided or I can bring my own. What is so scary about slippers?
And discomfort? Ummm I personally walk about in slippers all day long at home. I don't go barefoot, and I certainly don't walk around clonking in heels all day. That would make my feet sore.
Clients actually groan in relief when they take off their shoes and boots.

I must be plain stupid because I simply don't understand how it is "unreasonable". Out of the ordinary in certain parts of the world, perhaps?

:confused:<------ confused
 
The whole thing is sounding more and more to me like a personal preference.

Martigirl -- Maybe we don't have the extremes of weather that you have.
I am with Vhunter on that one.....and it could be that we're both Quebecers/Canadians. We do get some serious weather here, and it's not just chunks of snow falling off their boots onto our floors. It's chunks of salt or piles of sand, thrown about to offer traction against the snow that gets everywhere, including ground into the treads of one's boots and then against your floors. So, again..I may feel differently in January.

As far as the question of culture and how guests are to be treated in one's home (can't remember who touched on that, sorry...), could be that too, although that still leaves it open to interpretation because Canadian (especially metropolitan Canadian) culture is made up of bunches of other cultures). My husband is Italian, thus we're connected with 3-4 other HUGE Italian families and then there's the one who married a French woman, so there's her family, except wait there's the Greeks and the Arabs and etc etc...a typical "casual" family dinner could be anywhere from 20 - 40 people....and this goes on sometimes once a month. And quite often, shoes aren't even thought of....leave them on or take them off...

...unless it's January. In which case, none of us would dream of tracking each others houses up.

So yeah, I guess to a large degree the weather issue here makes it an automatic for Canadians in a lot of cases, when one is a guest in someone's home. Which brings us back to the other bone being picked....if we're running a business out of our homes, should we expect clients to behave like guests?

Anyway, I'm rambling. None of this is meant to be argumentative. Just very interesting questions, which is why I keep coming back.

My final position I think is with personal preference (with reasonable weather accommodation): yes they're clients, but this is still my home. At the end of the day, that would probably take precedence. I have to live here. So personally...I don't care much right now and I'll see how I feel in January lol. :)
 
Victoria:
Ummm I personally walk about in slippers all day long at home. I don't go barefoot, and I certainly don't walk around clonking in heels all day. That would make my feet sore.

See? That's what I mean about personal preference. How's this for weird: I do too. All day. I LOVE my cheap disgusting Walmart blue fuzzy slippers.

But I CANNOT appear in front of a client in them lol. I wear shoes myself when they show up lol....

Wow, we could go on for days!
 
I ALWAYS remove my shoes before going into my house or any of my freinds or family.
I DONT ask any clients to remove theirs as my home becomes a business premises as soon as they enter.
I ALWAYS take indoor shoes when going to clients houses so i dont have to wear my shoes inside.
It's my opinion that a clients house is their castle whereas my home becomes a business premises as soon as a client enters .

Beautifully put and my sentiment exactly xx
 
Victoria:

See? That's what I mean about personal preference. How's this for weird: I do too. All day. I LOVE my cheap disgusting Walmart blue fuzzy slippers.

But I CANNOT appear in front of a client in them lol. I wear shoes myself when they show up lol....

Wow, we could go on for days!

Mine are more like ballet slippers. I can't walk in big fluffy things for fear of landing on my face LMFAO
otherwise, all my shoes have highheels (including my convers-styled runningshoe-boots LMFAO)

Yup, I'm thinking perhaps it's a "Canadian" thing due to our weather.:lol:
 
The fabled Canadian Automatic:)
 
umm half asleep and I think I missed the punch line?
(that, or my blonde roots are growing in LMFAO)

what is the 'fabled canadian automatic'?
 
Yup, I'm thinking perhaps it's a "Canadian" thing due to our weather.:lol:

That. Automatically accommodating weather.

It's all good:)
 
I am very lucky in that my treatment room is off the hallway and is all laminated - however we have pale gold carpets from the bottom of the staircase upwards and I always make workmen etc who need access to upstairs put those elasticated j cloth/plastic type over shoes like those you see in showhouses on as some are not allowed to remove their boots for health and safety reasons. If I were to visit your home based salon I would be offended if I had to remove my shoes or wear the washable slippers (yuk) as I am paying for your services, but would not be offended if you asked me to put on disposable slippers but I would prefer the overshoes, my shoes give me my height, they are sometimes hiding my "undone" toenails and sometimes they are blooming expensive shoes that are part of my outfit - clients come for a "pamper" not to be stripped of their posessions!
 
Ohh yes lol

Speaking of which.. pouring rain and COLD today :cry:

Omg I know! And I have to go out in it to get my hair done...sporting an inch of sexy grey roots :)

And yesss...I'll take off my boots and put on the damn salon slippers lol.
 
:lol::lol:lol
 
I ask clients to take their shoes off when they come in and I do so when going to someone else's house or ask. I do live in rented house and with cream carpet :eek:, so I will respect someone else's property and will require people coming to my house to do the same, it's not really that big issue to take shoes off is it?. No one has ever had any issues with it. Where I come from it is actually considered rude not to take your shoes off.
 

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