Nightmare Client. Advice Needed!!!!

[Swezen]

I've had a client for a couple of years now that has been extremely unreliable. She came if she felt like, if she didnt want to she wouldnt turn up or even ring to say she wasnt coming. I never mentioned the appointments that she didnt attend when she did turn up becuase I found it awkward. About 6 months ago it came to paying for a treatment and she had paid some money was going to her car to get the rest of the money ( 5 pounds) and never came back!! On her next appointment i had to remind her about the outstanding monies owed, she had "forgot". Since then she continued her usual pattern or turning up when she felt like it.

What happend this week has made me so angry. on Monday the client turned up had a manicure (1 hour), then said she was going to her car to get her purse, and then wheelspan off and never came back! I left a answerphone message at the end of the day. however i thought she might have brought the money in by then. 4 days passed and I heard nothing from her, today I had a phonecall from her saying that she was disgusted that I thought that she wouldnt come back and pay. She had another treatment booked in next week, but i knew she probably wouldnt turn up. She told me becuase she was so disgusted with me, that i thought she wouldnt pay, she would never come near my salon again! And to cancel any future appointments. She has turned this round and is blaming me for all this. This has upset me greatly, and I'm worried the client will bad mouth me all around town.

Any advice anybody can give me??? (yes i'm also still waiting for the money!)

 

[sarahpoppy24]

Well to me she sounds like the local wierdo and will probably be know as on of those people that does things like that all the time. I have come across many people like this and believe me as said above her reputation will go before her!! If any person went up to tescos and ran off with out paying then the police would be called!!! Dont worry if the general public heard about this they would think shes out of order. Ive had a couple of things happen similar and I think the worry is not so much the money but the worry of bad mouthing....dont worry I was in a right pickle the other week thinking this girl was going to bad mouth me all over town but even if she has its not affected anything. Lets hope she wheel spins off and never comes back lol xxxxxxxxxx

 

[Susie H]

First of a huge :hug: to you. She is clearly trying it on. I hate to say this but because she has gotten away with it in the past it looks to me like she was seeing how far she could push you.

If I was you I would remain totally professional, don't enter into any arguments that she is trying to start with you and send her a detailed account of exactly what she owes you, you have done the work and should be paid for it.

It may well, either make her sit up and realise that she cannot treat people like this or you will lose her as a client. Either way it will be her choice.

I always think in cases like this, if you have tried everything you can in the right manner then they have no comeback at all. She must have been happy enough with your services to keep coming back. Don't let her ruin your night hun. :hug:

Just to add, don't worry too much about her bad mouthing you, I normally find with people like this that THEIR reputation precedes them!

Totally agree with this, just to add, at the bottom of your bill add, payment required within 7 days or small claims action may be initiated.
Please note this could result in a ccj against you and affect your credit rating.
When Paul and I had our own business, we had a lot of problems collecting payment from a couple of our customers and were advised to do this by a debt collector. It worked and we'd been chasing these guy's for over a year.:hug:

 

[geeg]

Firstly another :hug:

Do you realise that everything that has happened to you re this client has all been because you never established any boundaries with her? You must learn your lesson from this.

You are running a business! You can't worry about awkward 'moments' in business. This woman hasn't just cost you the few pounds you are now going to have to chase but lots and lots of pounds in missed appointments etc. which you will never recover and all because you thought it might be awkward to mention that she never showed up for appointments. the worst that could've happened by mentioning it was that she would have left never to be seen again and that would have saved you allot of money and aggravation.

Moments do not have to be 'awkward'. You need to rehearse in your mind some scenarios to cope with situations like this and be ready when they happen. Read this: http://www.salongeek.com/business/51249-show-you-confident-yourself-your-work-some-tricks.html

As for worrying about what she will say about you? what on earth can she say? I'm sure she is well known about town for exactly what she is so who of any importance to you would listen?

 

[Jaffacake]

I think you would be well rid of her to be honest, after her running off and not paying the first time I would not have given her a second opportunity to do the same thing again! I think I would have followed her to her car!!

As has already been said, I wouldnt worry about her bad mouthing you, i'd say you are probably not the only person she has done this to, she has some front though to come back at all really hasnt she??

 

[beautyathome]

I think you would be well rid of her to be honest, after her running off and not paying the first time I would not have given her a second opportunity to do the same thing again! I think I would have followed her to her car!!

As has already been said, I wouldnt worry about her bad mouthing you, i'd say you are probably not the only person she has done this to, she has some front though to come back at all really hasnt she??

totally agree! Sounds like you are better off without her hun! You don't need clients like this, a big clap for you though for keeping cool and beeing professional about it :green:! :hug:

 

[shedunlop]

I totally agree with Geeg. We all need to set boundaries even with long standing clients. I have had some clients for over 13 years now and they understand the basic rules, if you make an appointment you either keep it or inform of cancellation and the most basic rule is that you pay for your treatments!

This is down to your confidence in yourself. As Geeg said, you need to learn a lesson from this woman. I am surprised you let her carry on so long, we don't have to accept just anyone who wants to make an appointment, we can pick and choose as well! Life is too short, there is nothing worse than looking in your appointments book in the morning and thinking 'oh no not her'!

Put this behind you, learn the lesson from it, life will have lots of them for you. I promise the next time you get one of these and you tell her straight that you will not book her in again, the look on her face will make all of this worth it!!

 

[tigi]

I agree with the others, this woman has cost you more than just the cost of a manicure, she has cost you hundreds in lost revenue.

By leaving your premises and not paying, she has commited theft . by overstepping these boundaries she has in lots of ways done you a favour. she has shown that some people will try it on if you let them. this will help you ensure this never happens again. however, its a hard lesson to learn isnt it? you or I would never do such a thing, but she is clearly without those boundaries.

Dont allow to ever allow her to darken your door. dont worry about your reputation, you can rest safe in the knowledge that should this story ever come to light that you are beyond reproach.

I suggest a letter pointing out that you expect payment by return of post, or you will be reporting her to the police. by having a service and not paying for it , she has committed an offence.

tigi
xxxxxxxxx

 

[LADY STARDUST]

I suggest a letter pointing out that you expect payment by return of post, or you will be reporting her to the police. by having a service and not paying for it , she has committed an offence.

tigi
xxxxxxxxx

I think i would do this also, and as mentioned before, dont worry about her bad-mouthing you, i think most people she talks to (if any) will think she is completely out of order for receiving a treatment and not paying for it, most people wouldnt dream of not paying for a service they have received. Do not welcome her into your salon again!!:irked:
xXx

 

[single sparkle]

I cannot understand why people ring up make an appoinment and then don't bother to show up or have the decency to call to cancel????? You wonder what kind of upbringing these people have had to have no manners at all.

My rule now is if a client doesn't show up once ok but next time they try to book they will be asked to pay in advance. That way if they really want your service they might think twice next time and if they don't want to prepay . . . .ah well, there will be somebody willing to keep there original appointment.

My problem was i taught i had to keep every client even those who didn't show up - now i know there costing you money not make you any and none of us need clients like those

 

[geeg]

Well I think it is right to try your utmost to keep every single client but in some cases that does mean confronting them with their misdemeanors!!

The worst thing anyone can do when a client decides NOT to show up (because remember they are shy of confronting you too which is why they don't let you know) is to ignore it; you have to face them with it nicely and demand that it not happen again.

Explain that you never mind cancellations, if given proper notice, as you always have someone you can fit in and who is waiting for just such an occurence (even if you don't :lol

Tell them you will be happy to schedule a different appointment if they just let you know. Give them every opportunity to learn to do things right ... and you may be lucky to keep these ones instead of them leaving or not returning out of embarrassment.

I cannot understand why people ring up make an appoinment and then don't bother to show up or have the decency to call to cancel????? You wonder what kind of upbringing these people have had to have no manners at all.

My rule now is if a client doesn't show up once ok but next time they try to book they will be asked to pay in advance. That way if they really want your service they might think twice next time and if they don't want to prepay . . . .ah well, there will be somebody willing to keep there original appointment.

My problem was i taught i had to keep every client even those who didn't show up - now i know there costing you money not make you any and none of us need clients like those

 

[single sparkle]

Obviously you need to keep clients and you can go through the in's and out's of resheduleing, waiting list etc, but there are some people in the world like Swezen was talking about that are just plain rude and will take what ever they can get. Obviously maybe if the situation had been address sooner the last action might not have happened but that woman had no regard for her therapist what so ever. There are some clients that you can talk to and explain the situation but every so often one comes along that just doesn't care.

 

[geeg]

Obviously you need to keep clients and you can go through the in's and out's of resheduleing, waiting list etc, but there are some people in the world like Swezen was talking about that are just plain rude and will take what ever they can get. Obviously maybe if the situation had been address sooner the last action might not have happened but that woman had no regard for her therapist what so ever. There are some clients that you can talk to and explain the situation but every so often one comes along that just doesn't care.

Of course I am speaking generally as I always do and not about the horrible exceptions which are just that ... not the average sort of person you come across... thank the lord.

I wouldn't even dignify the client by calling her rude ... I would call her an ignorant common thief and my other favourite expression a piece of 'pond life'.

If it were I, I WOULD REPORT HER ACTIONS TO THE POLICE as soon as possible, and let them deal with her.

 

[single sparkle]

Here, Here, Absolutely. They'd make you want to aaaarrrrhhhh!

But i love my job this is just one of those crappy little aspects that we have to get over and get on with it

call the police.....