Rude client- no back up

[powderpuff2013]

Morning,
Just needed to get this of my chest really: -

I arrive at the salon at 9:30am ready for my 10am start. I'm on my own as my colleague has called in sick. I'm fully booked back to back.

My first client has been booked in at 9:30 as my boss wanted to squeeze her in and she said she knows im always early. I carry out the treatment no problem. My 10-11am appointment comes in, again no probs.

My next client is due to arrive at 11am for her facial and she arrives 10mins late. No apology or anything. I take her through to the room and she says she wants her eyebrows waxed for free as well as my colleague usually does them without charging her.
I explain that I'm unable to do this as I'm fully booked (I wouldn't have done them for free anyway). She kept going on at me asking why I couldn't do them so I just repeated that I was fully booked and that as she was 10mins late I would have to cut her appointment down as it wasn't fair for my next client to wait.
Because I couldn't do her eyebrows she said she wouldn't have her facial and she would re book with my colleague.
I asked her to stay there while I spoke to my boss. At this point the client has come out to reception.
I explain to her that If she doesn't have her facial today then we would have to take it out of her pre paid course as we could have booked someone else in her space.
The client started telling my boss and a salon full of clients (on the hair side) that I was rude. She kept calling me SHE (even tho she knows my name. I have had her once before, when again she asked for a free brow shape).
She said that I was rude and that I wasn't flexible.
I can't remember what else she said but I no she was kicking up a fuss about me.
My boss backed down n said we would give her the full time if her treatment.
I went back through to the room with her and she said to me that I was rude. I said I didn't think I was rude and that I spoke politely to her. She said that if we wernt standing around going through all this she wouldn't be so late (the cheek of it).

She wouldn't drop the subject. She asked me if I'd never been late before. She asked what time my next client was. I said said I didn't no. I didn't feel I had to explain to the client. She said how can u be fully booked but no no what time your next client is. I said I could work it. The facial is 45mins therefore my next client was 11:45.
She then said maybe I was stressed as u was fully booked and alone (again the cheek of it). I'm use to be back to back fully booked and alone. I think I deal with it well.

After the treatment whilst my client was getting ready u told my boss I wasn't happy that she didn't back me up and made me look stupid. She said that I should no what this client is like. I said it's not the point.

The client comes out to reception and again starts bad mouthing me to my boss. She then goes over to the manager who had a client and says to him I was telling her off. She then goes over to another hairdresser who had a client and says something to him about me. No one stops her. No one back me up.

Sorry bit if a long one. Just wanted to rant. It made me look bad to the other clients as they don't no me and may actually think I was rude.

 

[HairbyCass]

I would refuse to have her booked with me again, if I was you. And I would bring it back up with the boss, from the point of it not happening again. You followed salon policy and the boss who made that policy wouldn't hold up to that policy. Tell her how degrading it was that she didn't do anything to diffuse the client and it was poor performance on her part and will reflect negative, not only on you but her business.

 

[powderpuff2013]

I have told my boss I will not be doing her again. If my boss listens to me is another story.

I'm glad to know that you would do the same though. And even though I no I wast overreacting and dealt with things the best I could, it's nice to no others would do the same.

 

[HairbyCass]

You're a trained professional and you deserve to be treated like one.
We certainly don't do this job for the money. I'm guessing beauty is similar to hair, but I think it's insulting what we get paid after all the training we do. We definitely don't get paid enough to put up with this crap.

I don't know what the laws are where you are, but if that client turned up in my column again, I'd be calling in sick, going to the des in the morning to get a certificate for stress (over here they don't list what you're sick with, just that you were treated that day) and then I'd go and buy myself a nice big coffee and big slice of cake and enjoy a day in the park or something. You've told the boss once, if she pulls that kind of rubbish again this is what she deserves.

After being so disrespected by my boss over clients and colour range changes and being refused leave (on the day my mother tried to commit suicide) I decided to hand my notice in, as talking to her wasn't getting any results. That was three weeks before she was due to have her baby and I was the only other senior stylist. But you get what you give and you have to take care of number one.
Before I left I started setting up for my home salon, while I still had a regular income, and now I'm happy as a pig in poo and all my wonderful clients have followed me.

So if you are as professional as you sound, she should be working harder to keep you happy.

 

[powderpuff2013]

I think my boss sees it as she's a paying client so she can do what she likes. I try to explain to my boss that once she starts letting her get away with whatever she wants she will continue to do so.

She's had the business for almost 30years.

Oh I wish we could do that. Even when we genuinely are really sick we feel awful for taking the time off as we r made to feel like we should never be sick. It's like wer not human sometimes.

It's not all bad there. I do think she appreciates me although she doesn't show it much. I think she likes to show who's boss.

That's awful of your old boss. I understand she had a business but like I said I'm sure they think we are not human and have no feelings.

I'm glad it all worked out for u though.

 

[wonderwoman]

i would never tolerate behaviour like this from a client. I dont understand why the boss didnt reiterate that the full treatment couldnt be done as she was late and as a goodwill gesture book her in on another day, where the appointments wouldnt clash. I know that this would have appeased the client- coz clearly she gets her own way with the other therapist. Not to mention what is going on with freebie ebw?! Sounds like a drama queen- telling everyone how bad you are. Grrrrh! Have a quiet word with your boss and air your concerns. xoxo

 

[Rachul123]

Thats horrible! You do right. If it does get put in with you again id move it over with someone else! Any belittling comments id report to your boss. Just because she is paying doesn't mean she can talk the staff (that are making her business) like s**t! Xx

 

[HairbyCass]

I think my boss sees it as she's a paying client so she can do what she likes. I try to explain to my boss that once she starts letting her get away with whatever she wants she will continue to do so.

She's had the business for almost 30years.

Oh I wish we could do that. Even when we genuinely are really sick we feel awful for taking the time off as we r made to feel like we should never be sick. It's like wer not human sometimes.

It's not all bad there. I do think she appreciates me although she doesn't show it much. I think she likes to show who's boss.

That's awful of your old boss. I understand she had a business but like I said I'm sure they think we are not human and have no feelings.

I'm glad it all worked out for u though.

It has taken me a long time to realise that I have rights in the work place. As much as I feel bad for my clients that miss their appointment with me on that day, or the lost income my boss has to pay me even though I'm not there that day to make that money, I have come to realise that I have worked 40+ hour weeks to only be paid for 38. And that in the award that governs my working conditions, that I have entitlements to sick leave, personal leave, holiday leave, and unpaid leave, and lunch breaks, and to have a work place that is fee of harassment and bullying of any kind, whether it be from staff, clients or the boss. That is what I am entitled to. And your employer is obligated to provide you with a peaceful work place.

 

[virtues2011]

It has taken me a long time to realise that I have rights in the work place. As much as I feel bad for my clients that miss their appointment with me on that day, or the lost income my boss has to pay me even though I'm not there that day to make that money, I have come to realise that I have worked 40+ hour weeks to only be paid for 38. And that in the award that governs my working conditions, that I have entitlements to sick leave, personal leave, holiday leave, and unpaid leave, and lunch breaks, and to have a work place that is fee of harassment and bullying of any kind, whether it be from staff, clients or the boss. That is what I am entitled to. And your employer is obligated to provide you with a peaceful work place.

Ha ha ha....Sounds like you're one of those that visit the"no win no fee" club. .....

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[tonicj]

How awful for you. By undermining you in front of the client your boss has just shown that in her salon

You as an employee were not valued
Employees have no right to respect from customers
Employees have to put up with everything from customers

This is no way to keep employees happy and motivated at their work. I feel you should be firm with your boss about how this made you feel. It's important you take a stand here otherwise you will become resentful.

 

[skingeek78]

How awful for you. By undermining you in front of the client your boss has just shown that in her salon

You as an employee were not valued
Employees have no right to respect from customers
Employees have to put up with everything from customers

This is no way to keep employees happy and motivated at their work. I feel you should be firm with your boss about how this made you feel. It's important you take a stand here otherwise you will become resentful.

I completely agree, what a shame for you. x