New client a potential nightmare
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NancySyd
Well-Known Member
People like this throw you off of your game and then move in when you're off-kilter
While she sounds like a piece of work, she may well be trainable, especially if she really does value your work. Don't lie to her, don't make things up; those tend to come back to haunt you - especially since she seems to be talking/texting about you to others. You need to set clear boundaries and stick with them. If she makes an appointment, stick to it. If she constantly texts, ignore them until you are ready to respond, and let her know that you will not respond to constant texts and calls. The price is the price. PERIOD! Be firm and utterly polite, but never apologetic. No means no, and yes means yes. Set your limits and then stick to them, don't budge at all. She'll either toe the line or leave.
While she sounds like a piece of work, she may well be trainable, especially if she really does value your work. Don't lie to her, don't make things up; those tend to come back to haunt you - especially since she seems to be talking/texting about you to others. You need to set clear boundaries and stick with them. If she makes an appointment, stick to it. If she constantly texts, ignore them until you are ready to respond, and let her know that you will not respond to constant texts and calls. The price is the price. PERIOD! Be firm and utterly polite, but never apologetic. No means no, and yes means yes. Set your limits and then stick to them, don't budge at all. She'll either toe the line or leave.
Chickafish
Well-Known Member
I have a few clients like this. It used to annoy me the way they constantly text and call every 5 minutes when they want to speak to me but don't answer me back when I need an immediate answer, but through the years, I've managed to control the situation, and they're ok now. I tend to not listen to what other people have to say about someone because I like to make my own opinion of people. And because I'm my own boss, I just answer when or if I can or want to.
One has gotten lippy with me once, to which I simply replied that I don't ever intentionally ignore calls or texts. I simply answer them when I can, and if I'm with a client, I don't. So just to prove a point, I started answering calls in the middle of her service. She wasn't too pleased. Now she just calls once and leaves a nice detailed voicemail and waits patiently for me to get back to her.
As for asking for discounts. I don't do discounts unless I feel like it as I feel my prices are pretty much as low as I am comfortable with going. If anyone feels that's not low enough, they have about 9 different places here they can get their nails done at if they wanna play the sticker price game. They usually end up coming back though after they realize price isn't everything. :lol:
One has gotten lippy with me once, to which I simply replied that I don't ever intentionally ignore calls or texts. I simply answer them when I can, and if I'm with a client, I don't. So just to prove a point, I started answering calls in the middle of her service. She wasn't too pleased. Now she just calls once and leaves a nice detailed voicemail and waits patiently for me to get back to her.
As for asking for discounts. I don't do discounts unless I feel like it as I feel my prices are pretty much as low as I am comfortable with going. If anyone feels that's not low enough, they have about 9 different places here they can get their nails done at if they wanna play the sticker price game. They usually end up coming back though after they realize price isn't everything. :lol:
This just happens to be coincidence but I'm genuinely not taking new clients on anyway now I've become far too busy recently with Xmas bookings so that's an honest reason and I've told her now. She wants to wait til after Christmas but my point was I don't want to do her nails and I'm not going to..I probably am judging her and I'm not giving her the benefit of the doubt which I completely agree makes me seem quite unfair and would not be a healthy way to run a business usually..BUT this lady is a one off and has given me a lot of signs that she would be a nightmare and I was simply asking for ways to get out of it.
We all have different ways of running our businesses and I respect everyone's opinions on this..and I know this could come back to bite me in the bum but we all learn by our mistakes and I'm willing to take the risk with this one. As I said before this is the main reason I went self employed
We all have different ways of running our businesses and I respect everyone's opinions on this..and I know this could come back to bite me in the bum but we all learn by our mistakes and I'm willing to take the risk with this one. As I said before this is the main reason I went self employed
Thanks hun. I'm glad I'm lucky enough to be my own boss. I'd hate to think of working for someone in a salon and being stuck with someone like this.
I went to do one of the girls nails who knows her yesterday and she was telling me in more detail what this woman is like..Every time she sees her the woman asks where her clothes are from then next time she goes into the shop she'll be wearing what the girl had on last time! Weird behaviour lol I couldn't cope with that it would drive me insane!!!
Pollypocket85
Well-Known Member
She sounds horrendous! I would have done exactly the same. Who cares about being fair and giving her a chance when your instincts tell you otherwise. Being mobile you need to trust them. I'm intrigued to know if she's been in touch again?
So far she hasn't so I'm hoping she's finally got the message. But her last message was that she wants to book for after Xmas so who knows she might try getting in touch then. I hope not though!
Bel's Gels
Qualified Nail Technician
She doesn't seem to be getting the hint and its probably time that you become a bit more blunt.
Send a reply message saying that you are not taking on any new clients at the moment as you are full with appointments for you regular clients. If she replies begging and carrying on just reply again saying: sorry but I cannot fit you in. Just be completely blunt with her. Dont go on and on, keep it brief.
If she continues then just ignore her. Personally I would block her from your facebook page.
wonderwoman
Well-Known Member
My advice is to ignore it! we all get looney tunes clients, once you oblige the behaviour, then they will carry on behaving erratically and think its acceptable when it isn't. Stick to your guns and implement exactly how you wish to proceed in your business. If you want to take on the booking, simply put a this is how i do it, to her to minimise her consistent messages and ask for firm bookings. End of. Personally i cant be messing around, just be blunt, with a smile on your face! xoxo
xoxoThanks ladies I'm just going to ignore it my problem is that I put on facebook that I was taking new clients on from mid jan so I know she's seen that. But I can't stop advertising just because of her so I'll have to block her I think 😣 just don't want her messaging the other two girls again getting them involved!
Some people!
Some people!
twid
Well-Known Member
I'd de-friend her on FB straight away and ignore her completely.
Karaxxx
Karaxxx
NancySyd
Well-Known Member
She is pushing you around because you let her. Set limits and stick to them. Hun, you need to get a backbone, stop letting her push you around, and be very clear with her that you do not want her for a client for these reasons. After you make it clear to her, you need to block her on FB and anything else you need to. Be polite and unapologetic, but firm and unyielding. She will probably bad mouth you to others, but you must never bad mouth her.
The last message I sent her was beginning of December saying to find someone else because I couldn't do fit her in I was quite firm and I thought she'd got the hint but obviously not lol! I'd love to tell her exactly why I'm ignoring her but I don't want to offend her :/ do you have any thoughts on how to word it?? She left me a 3min voicemail today saying 'you don't know me I don't know why you're ignoring me don't you like me what have I done' and I feel awful about it now but I'm not being emotionally blackmailed into doing her nails by her. I just don't know how i'd deal with it without really upsetting her which I don't want to do!
Thanks for your help xx
NancySyd
Well-Known Member
You are going on your second month of stress because of this woman. You don't want to offend her, but you're willing to continue to stress yourself out about her?! Be honest. Say, "I am sorry, but you've been extremely difficult with me to date, not respecting me, my privacy, or my time, and I simply don't think we'd be a good fit. I can give the names of some other excellent nail techs." If she pushes further, just say, "I'm sorry, I don't think we're a good fit." Use the broken record technique.
Within the limits of the law, you have a right to choose who you do business with. She might bad mouth you to others, but it is likely that they already know what she's like and won't take it seriously. Better she bad mouth you for telling the truth and ending it, than for stringing her along for months. You need to get this done and over with.
This is excellent advice! I just read the whole thread (which to me is a nightmare situation, I've just started up on my own too and I KNOW I'll need to grow a backbone if I ever come across someone like this!) and really feel for you bdnails, I'd be stressing out too if it were me. But NancySyd's wording is spot on - honest and to the point without being too harsh. She's just not a good fit for you. Thanks Nancy I'll be banking those words for if I ever find myself in a similar predicament!!
Thank you so much! You're right, I just need to tell her, she is taking up far too much of my time and causing me stress it's been going on too long! I'll message her now. No doubt she'll have something to say but once I've said that I'm just going to leave it. She's a nightmare!
Thanks again
rippersroo
Well-Known Member
Just read this thread-crazy or what?! What's happened now since your last message to her?
Can you block her from phoning or messaging you?
I've had clients that I don't want to do before or that just craze my arse and I didn't realise I could block them if you have an iPhone! Which is exactly what I've done now-spent too much time worrying about what to say to clients I don't want well now I've blocked them I'll never know if they've tried to call or message me thank god!!
X
Can you block her from phoning or messaging you?
I've had clients that I don't want to do before or that just craze my arse and I didn't realise I could block them if you have an iPhone! Which is exactly what I've done now-spent too much time worrying about what to say to clients I don't want well now I've blocked them I'll never know if they've tried to call or message me thank god!!
X
This is what I just received
'Been patient with you Becki haha that's a joke u let me down twice first one was bout an hour b4 u was due to do my nails wot u expect you should of told me night b4 or atleast first thing but not an hour b4 it's a joke and very un proffessional it's you who as been off with me from day one and you don't even no me or meet me I'm
A nice person and certainly not impatient any one would question been let down an hour b4 you was due to do my nails and u no they would then u let me down again on my second appointment it's a joke and not professional at all I'm upset By all this cause you have judged me and not even meet me or no me so I'd me greatful if you would not call me or judge me please ok, I no your very un reliable loads of girls have told me you let them down and cancel so I wouldn't want my nails done by such a un proffesional person and to be honest with you I didn't even want to have my nails done with you really cause I have found somewhere that's really good and very reliable I just wanted to see now Christmas was out the way if it was ME you had a problem with so I but it to the test cause i so u was taking new clients on so I thought rite lets see wot she says to me and see wot she says and I was rite you was judging me and you don't even no me all I did was say cant u fit me in b4 Christmas cause ill find it hard to get in any where at such sort notice , that first one where u let me down an hour b4 that was my birthday weekend and I was going away and I had to ring everywhere to see who could fit me in the next day which was very hard no thanks to you so wot u expect when u let people down at last min it's not nice but I accepted it and just said please fit me in b4 Christmas but u refused , it's not very profetional is it Becki , I'm fuming over this I'm more angry than anything that u have wrote me off b4 even meeting me so If you've got anything to say bout me say it to my face ok your have upset me so much iv never ever had anything like this b4 been treat like this it's distrusting to be honest , and don't be calling me to friends I no who,s nails u do cause I will find out iv not done anything wrong here your in the wrong not me and like I said I didn't want to have my nails done by a you cause iv found a great lady I just wanted to see wot you say when I tryed to book in with I and my suspicions was rite you didn't like me for some reason from the start god knows why cause I'm a nice person but I wouldn't of booked with u anyways cause by wot iv learned your un reliable not proffesional and not very nice to me so don't think I'm let down by you not wanting to do my nails just wanted to see why u hated me so much it's a joke but I won't loose no sleep ,just word of advice u need to stop letting people down and judging then b4 u even no them ull get work been like that , I had loads friends and family that wanted someone to do there nails I could of got u loads of work but if any one ask me now about u I shall tell them the truth and not recommend u , if you got anything to say back ring me not by FB as I tryed to ring u , talking or face to face is better than hiding behind a text , oh and also u never answer text or your phone which I find weird as well I no u busy but a text days later is not a way to run a business , anyways thanks for judging me and I don't want u calling me to no one and thank for nothing there was no need for this at all I did noting wrong u just took a dislike to me for some reason from the start so cheers for that'
I'm really upset now! I'm not going to reply but what the hell!? I don't let people down last minute at all if I ever have cancelled anyone it's only regulars if absolutely necessary and I still have them as regular happy customers I don't know where she's got that from! Arghh
'Been patient with you Becki haha that's a joke u let me down twice first one was bout an hour b4 u was due to do my nails wot u expect you should of told me night b4 or atleast first thing but not an hour b4 it's a joke and very un proffessional it's you who as been off with me from day one and you don't even no me or meet me I'm
A nice person and certainly not impatient any one would question been let down an hour b4 you was due to do my nails and u no they would then u let me down again on my second appointment it's a joke and not professional at all I'm upset By all this cause you have judged me and not even meet me or no me so I'd me greatful if you would not call me or judge me please ok, I no your very un reliable loads of girls have told me you let them down and cancel so I wouldn't want my nails done by such a un proffesional person and to be honest with you I didn't even want to have my nails done with you really cause I have found somewhere that's really good and very reliable I just wanted to see now Christmas was out the way if it was ME you had a problem with so I but it to the test cause i so u was taking new clients on so I thought rite lets see wot she says to me and see wot she says and I was rite you was judging me and you don't even no me all I did was say cant u fit me in b4 Christmas cause ill find it hard to get in any where at such sort notice , that first one where u let me down an hour b4 that was my birthday weekend and I was going away and I had to ring everywhere to see who could fit me in the next day which was very hard no thanks to you so wot u expect when u let people down at last min it's not nice but I accepted it and just said please fit me in b4 Christmas but u refused , it's not very profetional is it Becki , I'm fuming over this I'm more angry than anything that u have wrote me off b4 even meeting me so If you've got anything to say bout me say it to my face ok your have upset me so much iv never ever had anything like this b4 been treat like this it's distrusting to be honest , and don't be calling me to friends I no who,s nails u do cause I will find out iv not done anything wrong here your in the wrong not me and like I said I didn't want to have my nails done by a you cause iv found a great lady I just wanted to see wot you say when I tryed to book in with I and my suspicions was rite you didn't like me for some reason from the start god knows why cause I'm a nice person but I wouldn't of booked with u anyways cause by wot iv learned your un reliable not proffesional and not very nice to me so don't think I'm let down by you not wanting to do my nails just wanted to see why u hated me so much it's a joke but I won't loose no sleep ,just word of advice u need to stop letting people down and judging then b4 u even no them ull get work been like that , I had loads friends and family that wanted someone to do there nails I could of got u loads of work but if any one ask me now about u I shall tell them the truth and not recommend u , if you got anything to say back ring me not by FB as I tryed to ring u , talking or face to face is better than hiding behind a text , oh and also u never answer text or your phone which I find weird as well I no u busy but a text days later is not a way to run a business , anyways thanks for judging me and I don't want u calling me to no one and thank for nothing there was no need for this at all I did noting wrong u just took a dislike to me for some reason from the start so cheers for that'
I'm really upset now! I'm not going to reply but what the hell!? I don't let people down last minute at all if I ever have cancelled anyone it's only regulars if absolutely necessary and I still have them as regular happy customers I don't know where she's got that from! Arghh
This was my message by the way
Hi Jo
I'm sorry but unfortunately to be honest i would just rather not do your nails. You've been extremely impatient with me so far and not respected my time or my privacy by constantly demanding answers straight away. I am really busy and I just simply don't think it would be a good idea to go ahead with appointments. I can recommend some excellent nail technicians that you may be more suited to. Stephanie Nicholson and Shanice Bulman are both on facebook and do work similar to mine.
Thanks
Beki
I did cancel her last minute on her first appointment - but only because of what id heard from the other two girls and the way she was acting to me from the get go. I didn't want her as a client. I wanted her to get the hint without me having to upset her.
Hi Jo
I'm sorry but unfortunately to be honest i would just rather not do your nails. You've been extremely impatient with me so far and not respected my time or my privacy by constantly demanding answers straight away. I am really busy and I just simply don't think it would be a good idea to go ahead with appointments. I can recommend some excellent nail technicians that you may be more suited to. Stephanie Nicholson and Shanice Bulman are both on facebook and do work similar to mine.
Thanks
Beki
I did cancel her last minute on her first appointment - but only because of what id heard from the other two girls and the way she was acting to me from the get go. I didn't want her as a client. I wanted her to get the hint without me having to upset her.
