Outside opinions/constructive criticism

[Chrissyg3]

Hello all!

I am a Beautician and Nail Tech of 3 years, and recently went self employed. I have dealt with a variety of customers over the years from the lovely to the unreasonable. I had an upset customer today as I was very sick and unable to work. I have posted the conversation with all names/locations/business/affiliates blocked out of course for confidentiality.

Just looking for some outside opinions on how I dealt with it, how I could have done it better and that sort of thing. Thanks guys

Untitled

• Chrissyg3
• Jul 15, 2016

conversation for review

Untitled2

• Chrissyg3
• Jul 15, 2016

conversation for review

 

[Minkeybox]

Im a bit confused- if you are self employed its down to you to take your own bookings, so who booked her in? You should know all your appointments, even if it means running 2 books- one kept in the salon & one kept with you (this is what i do) so when something like this happens you have a way of contacting them.

If you are self employed & was then sick, its your responsibility to call & advise/rearrange. If you didnt have her contact details you should have got them. Id be miffed too if i got to an appointment & wasnt told it was cancelled.

If someone else took the booking & didnt tell you, then id be having words with the person that took the booking but wouldnt be blaming the client. It does come across as you are blaming them & seems a bit confrontational, not once have you appoligised for what happened (regardless of whos fault it was, sometimes a 'im sorry for this situation...' Is a good way to start) . And then explain what has happened & ask how they want it rectified, not assume that they wont want to come back.

Ill be honest, it sounds like a c**k up happened & wasnt dealt with very well afterwards which hasnt help! Xx

 

[Chrissyg3]

Im a bit confused- if you are self employed its down to you to take your own bookings, so who booked her in? You should know all your appointments, even if it means running 2 books- one kept in the salon & one kept with you (this is what i do) so when something like this happens you have a way of contacting them.

If you are self employed & was then sick, its your responsibility to call & advise/rearrange. If you didnt have her contact details you should have got them. Id be miffed too if i got to an appointment & wasnt told it was cancelled.

If someone else took the booking & didnt tell you, then id be having words with the person that took the booking but wouldnt be blaming the client. It does come across as you are blaming them & seems a bit confrontational, not once have you appoligised for what happened (regardless of whos fault it was, sometimes a 'im sorry for this situation...' Is a good way to start) . And then explain what has happened & ask how they want it rectified, not assume that they wont want to come back.

Ill be honest, it sounds like a c**k up happened & wasnt dealt with very well afterwards which hasnt help! Xx

Hey! Thanks for your honest response

Yes, someone else took the booking and made the booking I was not aware of it at all. The Salon I work in does most of the booking management as I am not local and its a paper system only. I am also only there 3 times a week, so any one when someone contacts me for appointments, I then have to check with my work mate who is there full time to check for times and slots. Although I take pictures of my column to try and keep on top of things, changes can happen that I'm not aware of.

I thought I was polite but thanks for your opinion I will take your points on board Being ill is no excuse but I perhaps I was a bit short tempered with her! xx

 

[willowrose]

She made a valid point and your first sentence should have been an apology.

Why don't you know who was scheduled for appts today & why do you feel it's ok to just say "it's not my fault my colleagues messed up". Between you and her it is YOUR fault.

Why didn't you check colleagues had done as requested & then personally follow up with all the people you were inconveniencing - even if simply by a courtesy text? Something, anything. You are available on facebook sounding rather healthy a few hours later...? That is what she is thinking.

You've acted like an employee who can just waft off feeling sick without responsibilities rather than a small business owner with a reputation.

Honestly in this dialogue I would have had at least 3x "i'm extremely sorrys" plus a handful of soothing comments. You could have easily made this person a lot happier she was being reasonable & rational. She was much calmer than I would have been!

I think you know deep down it wasn't your finest moment because it is bugging you & has made you uneasy enough to get outside advice.

It's time for a revised approach to customer service & a revamp of booking practices

Get back in touch with her and make this right. She will listen so do some damage control.

 

[Minkeybox]

Can i add that we are all human- i work in a very simular situation to you (rent 3 days in a salon as the only beautician & they take bookings for me too) and I made a monumental balls up Yesterday for a booking! it does happen to us all. I didnt want to come across as totally judgemental lol!

We run 2 books. One stays in the salon & one stays with me. Im lucky that the salon girls do take bookings for me (handy for the 4 days im not there!) but keeping the books updated & 'right' is my responsibility. If i cant make a booking or need to chat to a client about it, its my responsibility to call the client & sort it. A number is always taken with the booking.

We have a system that works for us- one person books ppl in & just txts me the details, another (less confident one) calls me to check while the clients there & we have an almost 3 way conversation lol. If i book anyone in i txt or call whoevers working that day & they write it in for me. So far we have managed without any double booking & both books are updated & cross referenced As the apps come in. Could someone send you a photo of the book each night to keep you up to date or call you as they take a booking?

The other fall back we have when im not there is the shop staff take the clients name & number, txt it to me & ill call them to book it sounds like a faff, but so far its working a treat! Xx

 

[Chrissyg3]

She made a valid point and your first sentence should have been an apology.

Why don't you know who was scheduled for appts today & why do you feel it's ok to just say "it's not my fault my colleagues messed up". Between you and her it is YOUR fault.

Why didn't you check colleagues had done as requested & then personally follow up with all the people you were inconveniencing - even if simply by a courtesy text? Something, anything. You are available on facebook sounding rather healthy a few hours later...? That is what she is thinking.

You've acted like an employee who can just waft off feeling sick without responsibilities rather than a small business owner with a reputation.

Honestly in this dialogue I would have had at least 3x "i'm extremely sorrys" plus a handful of soothing comments. You could have easily made this person a lot happier she was being reasonable & rational. She was much calmer than I would have been!

I think you know deep down it wasn't your finest moment because it is bugging you & has made you uneasy enough to get outside advice.

It's time for a revised approach to customer service & a revamp of booking practices

Get back in touch with her and make this right. She will listen so do some damage control.

Yes I agree, although I did say I am sorry to start with but perhaps in the context it didn't sound like an apology. I was aware all my appointments for today apart from this one. I had no knowledge of, it may have been made after I left the salon yesterday and was not informed of, as soon as I knew I was not going in I informed my colleagues in case there were any appointments I had missed, so I felt I had done all I could to let clients know. There is no other way for me in my current circumstances to control/monitor bookings.

But I appreciate what it looks like from her point of view. Its frustrating when you feel you have done your best in the circumstances. I will think about contacting her again, but not for some time. I do not want to exacerbate the situation.

Thanks for your comments

 

[Chrissyg3]

Can i add that we are all human- i work in a very simular situation to you (rent 3 days in a salon as the only beautician & they take bookings for me too) and I made a monumental balls up Yesterday for a booking! it does happen to us all. I didnt want to come across as totally judgemental lol!

We run 2 books. One stays in the salon & one stays with me. Im lucky that the salon girls do take bookings for me (handy for the 4 days im not there!) but keeping the books updated & 'right' is my responsibility. If i cant make a booking or need to chat to a client about it, its my responsibility to call the client & sort it. A number is always taken with the booking.

We have a system that works for us- one person books ppl in & just txts me the details, another (less confident one) calls me to check while the clients there & we have an almost 3 way conversation lol. If i book anyone in i txt or call whoevers working that day & they write it in for me. So far we have managed without any double booking & both books are updated & cross referenced As the apps come in. Could someone send you a photo of the book each night to keep you up to date or call you as they take a booking?

The other fall back we have when im not there is the shop staff take the clients name & number, txt it to me & ill call them to book it sounds like a faff, but so far its working a treat! Xx

Haha! No its okay, I do take pictures of my bookings every day, I think this booking may have come in after I left the salon yesterday and no one kept me up to date, hence why I had no clue of it, who it was, contact details or anything, next thing I know angry messages about something I know nothing about! I think I'm just going to chalk this one up to life experience and learn from it haha x

 

[AcidPerm]

It sounds like you should consider investing in a simple cloud based booking system to reduce duplication of data entry, which is much more likely to lead to errors.

 

[pure]

Whatever the reason for the late cancellation it certainly wasn't the clients fault nor does she need to know the ins and outs of your booking systems. A simple, honest apology along with an offer of a free treatment and some sort of compensation would probably have kept you a client.

As a business owner you are ultimately responsible to your clients, no-one else, you can't pass the buck. Mo e on but use this experience to review and improve your systems as others have suggest.

I would also advise sending a voucher, for more than the value of the missed treatment, if you want to appease this client.

 

[JazzyBean91]

in your defence I would say that she definitely was not clear when she said "its ok I have one at 1 now" that does sounds like shes booked elsewhere, but as mentioned above by the others, I would have probably offered her an apology and some sort of discount or compensation instantly (in the first 2 lines) she would have been more susceptible to the following reasons if she knew straight off the bat that you are accepting the blame and will be compensating her for the mistake, I think her main problem here is that there was no responsibility taken by anyone for the mistake and therefore no sign of a discount from anyone.

 

[Chrissyg3]

in your defence I would say that she definitely was not clear when she said "its ok I have one at 1 now" that does sounds like shes booked elsewhere, but as mentioned above by the others, I would have probably offered her an apology and some sort of discount or compensation instantly (in the first 2 lines) she would have been more susceptible to the following reasons if she knew straight off the bat that you are accepting the blame and will be compensating her for the mistake, I think her main problem here is that there was no responsibility taken by anyone for the mistake and therefore no sign of a discount from anyone.

Yeh, I do understand, she had every right to be angry. I wasn't in the best position to deal with it at the time so I didn't handle it as well as I would under normal circumstances. However, as I did not know her circumstances, she didn't know mine either so I see how I came across as not caring and like I was blaming her.