Malicious child, tell the parent?

[wonderwoman]

So we are in a bit of a quandary of what to do.. This was yesterday. its playing heavy with me so bare with me.

We have a really nice regular client who's extended family come to the salon. The mother was in an appointment with one of my therapist, we were all busy, her 12 year old daughter was in the reception, she tried to pop into the room where my therapist kindly asked her to sit down, she'll be a little while. nothing rude or vicious (i heard it all in the other room!)

Yesterday her 12 year old daughter had ripped off at least 22 of almost 180 shellac/lecente swatches to our nail display fan/ring. (this is at least 1-2 hours work to redo again along with the label maker) She didn't tell us even if it was a mistake, its pretty clear shes snapped it off. (we honestly cant think why she would intentionally do this) This sly sneaky child who should know better then proceeded to hide the evidence into the salon tip jar...

It was only highlighted to myself as i have the swatch of lecente femme on my own nails- i have loads of clients wanting to book in from looking at mine & my therapists! so that's when we all realized what this child had done.

So i dont want to alienate my client by accusing her daughter but we all know shes done it.

A few of my clients were outraged at the time and suggested i ban the daughter or cheekly say "i gotta keep an eye on you as these break everytime your here."

Do you think i should mention it to the mother as she will be mortified? i relayed my rant to my family, and to make things worse my mother is good friends with her best friend- im in major sticky situation!!!

In all of this in still irrate as i have run out of label tape and nail display fans!!! grrhhh all before the xmas rush!


I need to tread carefully. Ideally all i want is an apology and to make her squirm a little bit. As i don't have any children, i know the parents would be mortified, i know she needs to be told so can you lovely geeks advise...

So do i tell the mum when the daughter is there or notify the mum on her own? (i doubt ill see her till after xmas now!)

Thanks xoxo

 

[Paige@TheClinik]

It's up to you, you will lose the client over it and any of her recommendations.
I would personally make a joke out of it To the girl like "hands off them you" but that's the type of relationship I have with my clients they wouldn't take it personal. Just enough for the girl to know I'm aware she's done it without making an issue out of it to her mother.
Xx

 

[Trinity]

Blimey! thats one massive can of worms if you do open it!!

I get that you're angry, it's quite clearly unacceptable to break someones things, granted accidents happen (as I child I was extremely clumsy and unlucky and could break things by just looking at them) but to break 22 nail pops is clearly not an accident. However, wanting to make a child/parent squirm is pretty unpleasant too and two wrongs don't make a right

At 12 she should be old enough to know not to touch things, but her Mother should be keeping an eye on her and keeping her behaviour in check, this is obviously difficult as the Mother is having a treatment somewhere and the child is unattended. For me, this is/would be a no go in a salon environment, well, in any environment really, children need to be supervised. I know it's difficult for you business-wise, potentially you could lose a client if she can't bring her child, but if she is causing so many issues, it's a no win situation unless you take control.

If it was me, I would tell the Mother what had happened, quietly, in a one-to-one situation, no other clients/family/staff around so as not to embarrass her too much. Potentially be prepared for her to deny it was her child, and lets face it, no-one saw her do it so she could point out that any of the other children allowed in the salon could have done it. Not all parents are open to hearing their off-spring are less than perfect.

It's annoying you have to re-make them and that you've run out of tape and Nail pops, but it's not a massive expenditure (other than time, but I'm sure there must be some down time this week, maybe not next week or the week after!!) and if you and your staff are wearing examples clients can still see them. I suppose you have to balance the cost of potentially losing embarrassed clients (and their family members) with the cost of replacing the items. Only you can answer that question

I'd be pretty peeved too, but probably chalk it up to 'one of those things'

 

[jacquelineanna]

Rather than say anything why don't you just advise the mother that there has been a small accident involving a child left unsupervised outside of the treatment rooms and you can no longer allow any children to be left alone. Advise that if she cannot find a babysitter you are happy for her to bring her child but she must come into the treatment room and stay seated on the floor/stool at all times - due to all the other things that could happen if she starts moving around.
Good luck with this one xx

 

[blossom]

I do think jacquelineanna's response is quite clever.

However just turning it round, if I was that lady I would be mortified that my daughter had done that and far from taking my custom elsewhere I would be apologising and trying to make amends with flowers or chocolates and making sure the ratbag wasn't left with anything she could tamper with.

So I say tell the parent, (not to make her squirm but because this is how it is and she needs to know) - probably without the daughter there, and if you lose her you lose her. You're not there to bend over backwards for people while they kick you in the teeth.

 

[willowrose]

I think malicious is going a bit far. Boredom is all this was & like all children when it dawned on her that she'd been destructive/taken things too far she tried to hide the evidence.

In my opinion children shouldn't be waiting for adults whilst they beautify. Especially if they're the kind that can't occupy themselves with a book or music. My salons are child free & I've been attending salons as a customer for 15 years. I would never go to one that also operates as a child minding facility. Being child friendly alienates those who are anti child & I can tell you who has more disposable income to spend on treatments! It's your call. But I'd be thinking of being child free in 2016...

I wouldn't confront anyone. I would simply ask when the next booking happens whether the daughter will be attending as well. If she responds "yes/no why are you asking" just say "I think she got a bit bored last time & was very restless. So if you could pack her a book/ipod/something she can amuse herself with quietly that would be great".

It's a sufficient prod to the adult to know that you noticed their child's behaviour in a negative way but is still friendly & non confrontational. It is enough to motivate a mother to have a chat with daughter about her conduct.

 

[AcidPerm]

I think willowrose has it spot on. Consider introducing a new policy to make your salon child-free in 2016.

As a parent, a beauty treatment is my 'chill out' time so I definitely DO NOT want to be hassled by other people's children when I'm trying to relax. I think many parents probably feel the same way so you're only going to alienate a tiny minority who insist on dragging their kids everywhere with them because they can't be bothered to sort out childcare. It's like being stuck on a plane and having the misfortune to be seated near to a bored child whose parent has chosen to zone out for the entire trip.

I'm not sure that you can do much about the damage now as neither you or your staff actually witnessed the girl damaging the nail pops so if it was denied, where does that leave either you or the parent? Just make sure that it can't happen in the future and introduce a blanket ban.

 

[wonderwoman]

The thing is i am very forgiving and i would have been happy to understand it was either boredom or a mistake if she had apologized and brought it to my attention. I have had the odd client drop it on the floor and i know it hasn't snapped or chipped, this was deliberate. As to why, we have no idea. But in this instance it was on FOUR separate nail rings, with at least 2-7 snapped off every ring. This was defiantly intentionally. I will just counter it as one of those things naturally but part of me feels a bit like hulk! thanks xoxo

 

[tiggerlady]

I think Jacquelineanna has it about right...orrrrrrrrrr alternatively when the child comes in again, give her the colour pops she snapped off and a pot of glue and say something along the lines of 'It seems you were bored last time you came in, so I was wondering if you might like us to fix these as SOME body broke them off.....'

 

[blossom]

Hahaha love it!!

 

[WaxGirl]

Did any staff actually see the child do it? Or was it recorded on security cameras? If not, then its just speculation and you can't really do anything

About 4 years ago I walked out to my reception and seen a boy of 12/13 smearing a display lipstick all over the desk really smashing it up (I was raging lol hate destructiveness) I was firm asked him to stop and sit down and left it at that... his mother was with me at the time and she brings a lot of customers to me so I let it slide... I'm glad I did as she continues to be a good customer refer others and thank god she never brought him back... she possibly heard me or seen the mess... we never talked about it she just never brought him again

 

[pinknsparkly]

When mine snap off I just pop a bead of acrylic behind the join and stick them back on lol x

 

[squidgernetball]

Please don't say anything to the mother.

Some good advice on here but I don't think mentioning it to the mother would be the way to go.

Good luck x

 

[cheekychick]

I agree to not mention it but can I just say my 11 year old doesn't simply break other people's things when she's bored. It's more than boredom!

 

[KHS]

You're not a baby sitter, nor are your staff, distant family or not. What is she doing bringing her in when she's having beauty treatments? I never allowed unattended children in my salon. I ended up stopping them on hair treatments too. Nothing worse than trying to do your job and having to sort our other people's kids.

I agree, tell her not to bring the girl anymore.
Or snarl at it and gaffer tape it to the chair until the mother retrieves it after her appointment

 

[wonderwoman]

In this instance the girl has the most unfortunate unibrow and its pretty noticeable, the mother has often asked us to get rid of a few, we have obliged as it would have been a bullying subject and i cant have that on my conscience. I'd rather she have her brows done properly than her mother ruining it for her! I had actually done her brows, and you know what she didnt even let on what she'd done. That's more upsetting for me. I would have just brushed it over as a "ce la vie" now im just debating of how to handle it. I had been enthusiastic over this disco that she was going to that night and what she was going to wear. she didn't even seem guilty and this girl is quite well mannered which has surprised me. (i like to treat people with the same respect that i would give out) The other two therapist hadnt noticed as we were so busy, with our male clients.

I am firm but fair, but this was really deceiving. (i know its a pathetic nail fan thats replaceable, but i get really excited when i get my new colours)

A few of my clients that are parents have suggested that they would want to know if that was their child, but as im not a kiddy person, i dont really know what to say. This is the second time in 8 years that i have ever encountered any problems regarding children, most are well behaved for the brief time they may come in. We have a salon policy which outlines we're not babysitters, harsh chemicals etc, so its not a ongoing problem for us, its just this is a tight situation.

A few people have said i should ring up the mum but that isnt my style and my telephone/internet manner is nothing compared to how professional and personable i am in person.

I think the best course of action in this it to just ignore it and if this delightful girl comes in again, i will just have to keep my cool and hover over her with tweezers, say "anything you wish to say to me"..... . Thanks geeks xoxo

 

[willowrose]

You should not be discussing this with clients it is unethical & inappropriate.

 

[wonderwoman]

You should not be discussing this with clients it is unethical & inappropriate.

Thank you for your helpful comments, but please don't read too much into what i have written and misconstrue it into a way this has been portrayed.
I don't need to justify myself online however on this instance i have never disclosed any confidential information on any of my clients or to any clients. My salon is incredibly busy and obviously my shellac clients have been observant to notice when some damage has happened on every nail ring and queried as to how its happened. I realize this is a small minor incident and my shellac clients have all related stories to me if that was their child and how they would reprimand them. In no way has this topic conversation to suggest this is inappropriate or unethical in my salon environment. Thank you again xoxo

 

[willowrose]

Thank you for your helpful comments, but please don't read too much into what i have written and misconstrue it into a way this has been portrayed.
I don't need to justify myself online however on this instance i have never disclosed any confidential information on any of my clients or to any clients. My salon is incredibly busy and obviously my shellac clients have been observant to notice when some damage has happened on every nail ring and queried as to how its happened. I realize this is a small minor incident and my shellac clients have all related stories to me if that was their child and how they would reprimand them. In no way has this topic conversation to suggest this is inappropriate or unethical in my salon environment. Thank you again xoxo

Fair enough then. I feel very differently about it but such is life

 

[Wendy Clark]

Rather than say anything why don't you just advise the mother that there has been a small accident involving a child left unsupervised outside of the treatment rooms and you can no longer allow any children to be left alone. Advise that if she cannot find a babysitter you are happy for her to bring her child but she must come into the treatment room and stay seated on the floor/stool at all times - due to all the other things that could happen if she starts moving around.
Good luck with this one xx

I agree with all the above!! One thing I have noticed about a lot of mothers is they don't like to be told that their kids have done something wrong... !! [emoji51] When I'm doing a client who has brought a child with them and is obviously curious about what's in my box of tricks, I just tell the mother that there are a lot of poisonous products in my case... Trust me it works every time! Lol x