Re-establishing professional boundaries

[AmandaSapphire]

Hi all!

I have had my beauty studio for 2 years now. I've been in the industry for 6 years. I'm a CND Master and beauty obsessed. My business is who I am!

I have recently started having a couple issues with some clients. I have a client who is a regular bi-monthly visitor and I love seeing her, but lately it feels like I have lost her respect and I'm not sure how. She regularly shows up 5-10 minutes late without a sorry or even an explanation. Tonight, she came in at 6:06 and I asked if she was stuck in traffic and she said, "I'm not that late am I?" Umm... You're still late and ALWAYS late. She also (again) did not take her shoes off despite my sign saying so and slippers/flip flops offered for her. A couple months ago, she came in and literally threw her stuff all over my floor. I have had a lot of health issues since November and I happened to get the stomach flu last weekend. She kept asking me to come n despite the fact that I had 4 days off to rest and I happened to mention I was ill and she said "oh so recovering again then". I feel like she constantly makes passive-aggressive remarks and acts like she owns the place (and me).

Tonight I asked her to book the rest of her appointments for the summer as I'm extremely busy and she actually pouted when I didn't have the exact times she wanted. She goes, "So I see you don't have any appointments I want." Guess not!

Another client cancelled her appointment for Wednesday at 2:30 on Tuesday evening at 6pm. Less than 24 hours notice. I was kind about it because she too has health issues but when I replied the next morning, she said, "i thought you would check my message quicker." I get upwards of 50 emails, texts and calls a day.

And then my last client wanted me to get her a specific OPI colour. She asked on Monday evening. Today she was emailing me asking if I had gotten it for her. I have worked 12 hours straight every single day this week. These are just 3 out of many examples. I know these all probably sound like tiny things but it's constant and every day. I can only do so much in 24 hours a day!!!!

I have always strived to make every single one of my clients feel important, whether they spent $30 or $300 a month with me. I'm finding they seem to think they are my only clients and I lounge around all day waiting for them. Don't get me wrong, I love them and they support me, but I'm nearing my breaking point. They beg and guilt trip me to work more, then complain when I fall ill from working 55 hours a week. I do absolutely everything myself - all the services, cleaning, laundry, accounting, tidying, booking, etc. I don't have enough space to hire anyone and my mom tries to help with the cleaning but she works full time in the government and is very busy too.

I had one complete breakdown in May and ended up in the hospital. None of my clients know that, they all think I had a kidney infection. I'm not going to lie, I'm extremely successful and live a very comfortable life. But I'm only in my early 20's and I'm falling apart. I don't know how to re-establish those professional lines and start getting respect from my clients.

Thank you in advance.

 

[ChicUnique]

Stop letting people take you for granted! Close the shop for a week's holiday, take some 'me time' and when you re open have a new set of rules and stick to them. Be assertive when you talk to people, here are your slippers etc, ill give you a minute to get changed. Instead of would you like some slippers.
Start charging late fees. You might loose a couple clients but you'll make more clients that will stick to your rules. Xxxx

 

[squidgernetball]

The old saying "Familiarity breeds contempt" is no truer than here. They think you are 'theirs'. I'm not sure if you work from home, but think that if you do, it makes clients worse. You're seen as 'doing a bit of beauty' Aah bless!!! You have to retake control, and that can be hard - even harder when you're not feeling 100%. I would say "I'm so busy that I'm having to crack down on times - please let me know if you're running late, as I might have to adjust your treatment" then as the previous poster says, give them the slippers and say - oh just pop these on first. It's about your business, your way, whether you are a home salon or a multi national - take back control. People can often sense weakness and/or vulnerability and use it to their advantage - they feel it gives them the upper hand! Good luck x

 

[AmandaSapphire]

Thanks girls. I really appreciate your responses.

I have a studio above a hair salon so it's a commercial location, I just think I've become such good friends with my clients that like you said, they think they own me. I'm going on vacation for 5 days in August and 6 days in September. I have never been more excited for a break in my entire life. I will try the whole "here are your slippers" instead of "would you like some slippers". Last week I turned away about 10-15 clients because I was fully booked 9am to 9pm. I've started to trying limiting myself to 10 hours a day with an hour in the middle for admin/lunch. Oh, and one last though. All these clients giving me grief are the ones who have been coming to me since my first couple months of business when I only had 2 or 3 appoitments a day. I guess they haven't evolved with me.