Language barriers with clients

[funtimefranko]

Hi all, just wondering how anyone else would tackle this, i have 2 foreign clients this week whos english isnt good and they both want colour corrections. What they want isnt realistic, i tried explaining this to them, they clearly didnt understand what i was saying... i dont really know what to doabout it as they are going to be disappointed when what i give them isnt what they were hoping for.

Sorry hope im not jibbering on just wonderingif anyone has any advice

 

[tsparker78]

I wouldn't do a color correction on a client that couldn't understand what I was saying. Especially one with unrealistic expectations. Run.

 

[AcidPerm]

If it's really difficult, then say no. Otherwise, use lots of pictures. They probably understand a tick and a cross so you could show them a shade chart and put a sticky with a cross on the shades that won't work and a sticky with a tick on what will work?

 

[funtimefranko]

I wouldn't do a color correction on a client that couldn't understand what I was saying. Especially one with unrealistic expectations. Run.

Lol that made me laugh... cant really though she's booked in. Oops

 

[Baggybear]

Lol that made me laugh... cant really though she's booked in. Oops

If you KNOW you can't do what they want and they don't understand that but your going to go ahead and book them in then your asking for trouble because you KNOW they aren't going to be happy when you try to charge them, not doing anything to their hair UNLESS you can get them to understand is the best advice.

 

[KayaPapaya]

Google translate! And pictures of what you can achieve.
Type in some phrases, such as "this is unrealistic,it can't be achieved" and print them out.

 

[funtimefranko]

If it's really difficult, then say no. Otherwise, use lots of pictures. They probably understand a tick and a cross so you could show them a shade chart and put a sticky with a cross on the shades that won't work and a sticky with a tick on what will work?

Yes thanks that should help

If you KNOW you can't do what they want and they don't understand that but your going to go ahead and book them in then your asking for trouble because you KNOW they aren't going to be happy when you try to charge them, not doing anything to their hair UNLESS you can get them to understand is the best advice.

I wouldn't be allowed to turn them away for that reason. Being employed i have to do the clients

 

[Baggybear]

I would think your boss would expect the customer to understand that what they want can't be achieved and for them to know what they are agreeing to BEFORE you start work on them, anything else would be asking for trouble as the client is almost 100% going to complian as soon as you've finished and ask them to pay.
Surely even as an employee you have the right to say you won't start work on someone who isn't going to get what they want an doesn't understand that.
It would be very bad business sense to force anyone to go ahead with this appointment without making sure they fully understand they can't have what they want & what you can actually do for them.

 

[funtimefranko]

Anyway... the client is booked in.... i guess itll be AcidPerm suggestion using visual aids. Thanks

 

[Allies dream]

Anyway... the client is booked in.... i guess itll be AcidPerm suggestion using visual aids. Thanks

I watched a periscope yesterday where they used a language converter on her phone.It wasnt perfect but got across some.