Horrid client - a rant! Long, sorry!!

[cabinkel]

Hi geeks, would love a bit of reassurance here:irked:

I had a lady in for a new set of lashes this morning, who told me she would be getting the bus to me. She was due at 9.30. She turned up at 9.28, with her 5 year old son in tow, and told me that she didnt have time to go to cashpoint, so could i run her there! Now, like a wally, and I know what you all gonna say, but i did run her to cash point!
When we get back, I get her to do consult form, and see that she is caked in make up. (I always tell people make up free, and its also on my website) I give her a couple of pads and ask her to remove it. She literaly wipes twice! When I get her on bed I see that she has what appears to be mascara, eyeshadow, and all manner of gunk in the lash line and coating the lashes. I explain to her that I cannot perform lash extensions on lashes in that condition. She says, "chuck em on anyway and if no good its my fault" I politely decline, and tell her we can attemp to get it off. Seriously, no amount of cleanser was budging it! She then admits that its prob glue from srtip lashes. My goodness geeks, I have never seen such muck on a lash line!! I use cluster lash remover, and microbrushes and sit and get it off. It is literaly lumps of muck! Whilst doing so i explain that all the time i am having to do this, it takes time off her lash time! I finaly start lashing at 10.20! My next client is due at 11.30! I again explain that we will not get the full,glam look that she wants, as we only have 1hr left, instead of the 2 hours she booked! she wants to proceed.
Well, I worked my socks off on her tiny, short lashes, and got about 50 per eye on. During the procedure, I have had to take her son up to my house to use the toilet, get him some colouring books as she had brought NOTHING for him to do, (both of which she asked me to do) and wait while she made a phone call to book a cab! When we got to 11.10, my poor hubby, (who had been on nights so was in bed) came up to the salon and said a cab was knocking for the woman. She asked me if I could "run out there and tell em to wait" (which I did) At 11.25 I expalined to her that we had done all we could do in the very limited time that we had left, but as a kindness, i would just charge her my 1 hour set price, instead of the full price. (saving her £25) She gave me the money, then asked if i could run out and tell the cab to go as she didnt want to have it. I said no, as it wasnt my argument with the cab firm! I said i would let them know she was on her way.
Well, when i got back in she then started saying that she wasnt happy, she hadnt got what she wanted, etc etc. I again explained that we had limited time, due to NO FAULT OF MINE, and I had done the best i could. She was really rude to me, and stormed off out my garden! It has left me really upset and uneasy! Not because I woulid want that sort of woman as a client, but because i hate anyone being unhappy!
make me feel better my geeky friends:cry:
Sorry long rant xx

 

[Martin Duffy]

Whilst I know you are looking for reassurance, there are a couple of lessons to be learnt here that will prevent this happening in the future. The major lesson is to stand your ground & do only what it's in your remit to do, i.e. provide the service, not act as a taxi, cash pick-up, babysitter & so forth. You don't need to be rude about it, but at the start of the treatment you just need to say "your appointment is only x hours long, I cannot complete the treatment properly in less time than that, so cannot get colouring books etc".

Personally, just as with eyelash tints, although I ask clients to try to come in make-up free, I would always make sure I had allowed time to ensure the area was completely free of product myself; you just need to include the time into the cost. I certainly would never have reduced my price either; you're in business & can't afford to lose money when the problem was not of your own making.

All that aside, you don't need clients like that, and as we can never please 100% of the people 100% of the time it's not worth getting worked up about. Simply examine what you would have done differently with hindsight & remember that if you ever end up in the same situation again!

 

[vgml]

Wow, I had once a clinet who came with her little son. I just refused to do the treatment. There was no way that this little boy could sit still for 2 hours.
Besides, I would be distracted while performing the treatment.
I should charge her for glue removal as well.

Take some advice from Martin. :

 

[cabinkel]

Personally, just as with ee yelash tints, although I ask clients to try to come in make-up free, I would always make sure I had allowed time to ensure the area was completely free of product myself; you just need to include the time into the cost.

Yes I do this, I allow 15 mins just for prep:hug: I cannot over exagerate the amount of gunk in those lashes! Iv never seen anything like it.
And martin you are right, I have learnt valuable lessons! I know i need to toughen up a bit, but after 6 years working from home, dont suppose im gonna change too much, lol I know I am naieve, but Im just a trusting sort of gal. It just guts me that people would behave this way, and are unreasonable.

 

[Martin Duffy]

I know i need to toughen up a bit, but after 6 years working from home, dont suppose im gonna change too much, lol I know I am naieve, but Im just a trusting sort of gal. It just guts me that people would behave this way, and are unreasonable.

I think every year that goes by I get a bit tougher - dread to think what I'm going to be like in another 13 years! Funnily enough, when I started out I always admired my first bossess for the way they were so steadfast yet non-confrontational with clients, yet I was almost frightened of standing up for myself, now I'm starting to see how my bossess got that way!

 

[laura grant]

poor kerry, oh poo i bet she rings me next, email me her name.

u are so lovely kerry she really did take the micky

i will call u 4 a private chat.

kids are a no no its too dangerous

lashing is a serious procedure

xxxxx

 

[Bagpuss]

It sounds to me like she is a taker...your a giver. The more you gave, the more she took. Had you have said "no" to her first demand....she would have realized that your not someone who she can walk over....something i bet she does all the time.

Don't beat yourself up....and don't let it turn you from one extreme to another....you could be the same way with another client and she absolutely adore you for it and show gratitude. You just got unlucky..her loss cos i bet she wont be welcome again. x

 

[Urban Geek]

Hey Kerry, the appointment wasn't wasted - you have learned a few valuable lessons. I have felt exactly the same as you on occasion where I have done my absolute best to accommodate a client with whom you are fighting a losing battle and end up feeling like an inadequate mug.

I had a horrid experience of a client bringing her 2 year old with her to her nail appointment. Total nightmare and I was terrified something would happen and I would end up getting sued. It was my home salon and at the end of the day I would have been held responsible had there been an accident. Oh and then I had all the cleaning up to do afterward!

I am sure you have learned a few lessons here and I agree totally with what Martin has said. I would also have charged her more rather than less for the additional stress and work she created for you. However I am sure most of us have made similar mistakes and we would alll act differently in hindsight.

Don't dwell on her. Learn from the experience. I also wouldn't worry too much about her bad mouthing you cause she sounds a total nightmare all round and anyone who knows her will probably be very aware of what trouble she is.

Big hugs babe! xxx:hug::hug::hug:

 

[cabinkel]

Thank you all. I feel much better about it today. Although, I have to say its the first time in 6 years that I have felt vunerable working from my home. Her aggresive nature made me think she was a fruit cake, who now knows where I live, lol