Sacking a client

[rippersroo]

Hi everyone

**long post alert**[emoji23]
I need to sack a client. I’ve done it once before but she was having a break from Lashes and next time she got in touch (7months later) I was fully booked.
This lady though is for nails and has booked to the end of the year![emoji31]
She’s been coming to me for just under a year.
The reasons I don’t want her anymore has been building up over time. She’s very abrupt and I did accept that as just her personality in the beginning.
But Just recently she has really drained me. I have her last thing in an evening for nails that takes me 1 to 1.5hrs on others but always takes me over 2hrs for her. She’s extremely picky and I totally understand you want your nails to be perfect, but she’s checking them all the time before I’ve finished what I’m doing on that hand! She is also not very nice about other things that are nothing to do with her nails(she has commented on the light outside my salon which is a communal/landing area that I share with another business and it happens to be an orange colour and she keeps calling it a prostitute light-very loudly so the other business owner can hear)
She says things to me that are very rude. There’s been awkward silences while she stares at what I’m doing with her nails/pulling her hand away to check each nail, so I’ve tried to make conversation-I just asked if she managed to get a parking space and she rudely stated I ask that every time I’m just trying to be nice!
She literally makes me feel like her slave when I do her nails - that one needs more filing/that one isn’t straight/that one hasn’t got a crisp smile line...I tell her I haven’t finished that nail yet!! She tells me how to do the nails like why don’t you do it like that/shouldn’t you do that but first? It’s like she knows better! This will sound really petty but last time she even moved the arm rest right over to her side of the table so I was majorly hunched over and I had a bad back for the rest of the week cos I was in that position doing her nails like that for so long.
She asked why I don’t work weekends and then told me I would go in for her though! [emoji19] like she’s so special and I really need her! After over 2 hours I literally wanted to cry last time & she paid me just £25 by cheque that she has previously asked me not bank til a certain day! I keep stressing over her. She makes me feel like shit-why does she want me to do her nails if I’m not good enough?
She keeps looking at the clock, I don’t work well under pressure so I’m sure this is why her set is taking me longer than my other clients. And most annoyingly she comments on the price-this is gonna cost a bomb/hope it’s not over £30 cos last time husband went mad/I can’t spend as much as last time etc etc. I’m sure this is a bullying tactic to make me reduce the cost.
Sorry this is such a long post, I’m just over a week away from seeing her again and think if she treats me in this way next time I will have to do something. The only thing is because I find confrontation difficult I feel I would crumble under her harshness if I tried to do something face to face. I’m ashamed to say she actually scares me a bit aswell[emoji15]
If you’ve made it to the end of my rambling post do you have any advice for me please? I even thought of giving up acrylics as much as I love doing them, because I just know I’m gonna need a really good reason to get rid of her. I know I have one but I don’t want to have to tell her the truth in this way & it concerns me she has the other bookings to the end of this year. I know she hurts me but I don’t want to hurt her or it coming back on me effecting my business as I’m sure you’ll understand!
Many thanks for reading x

 

[attitude]

I had one just like this. Believe me, it's just not worth it.
I hate confrontation as well, but I said to her:
I'm sorry, but you'll need to find a new tech. I don't seem able to give you what you want and it's best we part ways as we are not a compatible fit.

She protested and I stood my ground, and when she left I felt like the weight of the world was off my shoulders. No regrets. Trust me, just do it!

Call her and do it that way. Well before her appointment.

 

[AcidPerm]

Phone her and cancel her appts. You’re self employed and one of the bonuses is that you can choose your clients.
Write down what you want to say to her and then role play saying it with a friend. Also, swap roles with the friend and pretend to be the client.
Have your script to hand and then call her.
Use clear positive statements such as ‘I’ve decided’ rather than ‘I’m sorry’.

 

[rippersroo]

Thankyou ladies for your advice. I’m concerned as she’s so abrupt and I know she will have an answer for what I say [emoji24]

 

[ch-ela]

It's really not worth the stress. I had to do this too, it was my partners sister. She has never forgiven me, but hey ho, there's nothing I can do about it. Plus, I found out recently that all her other techs and hairdressers have done the same before me. Tell her straight, as AcidPerm says, write a script... if she conters with anything, make out you don't understand her, have music in the background or someone to ring the doorbell just at that time. Just keep repeating what you have written down. "I have never felt that you were happy with my work and therefore wont be able to please you" is a good line too. Good luck! You'll feel loads better for doing it xx

 

[Cathi44]

I really feel for you. You have to put your happiness & well-being first (not to mention your sanity !) She sounds like a manipulator and a bully. Nothing you ever do will be good enough, and it's a stress you don't need. However uncomfortable it may be to get rid of her, I can promise you the relief will be worth it. Just be prepared to stick to your guns as she'll probably try everything to remain a client. I sacked a nail client who was a total pain (and a bit bonkers)..... the final straw came when she messaged me the day after her treatment to say that her husband didn't like her nails, thought I'd done a poor job, and thought I'd charged too much. I told her we'd both be happier if she found a new nail tech. She then back-tracked, saying she didn't want anyone else because we "clicked" (?!) and got on "so well" (?!?!) even though she spent all her appointments picking at my work and making snide comments about my life. I have zero regrets in binning her !! Life's too short.... get rid

 

[rippersroo]

Thankyou ch-ela. I know I need to do it, it’s just an awful thing.
Cathi your client sounds exactly like mine!!! Is it the same person [emoji23]
How did you manage to get rid in the end? Thankyou so much for those of you that have commented and made it to the end of my long post, having a little encouragement and back up makes it much easier to deal with xx

 

[rippersroo]

I know she I’ll ask me why, so do you think I should say I don’t feel I’m what she’s looking for (basically I don’t feel good enough and the results aren’t half as ok as some other nails I do)
Or do you think I should bring into it the fact she moans about the cost all the time? Do I just keep it a clean cut so to speak or do I give reasons? One thing I really hate is justifying my decisions to clients!! X

 

[Cindy2021]

I know she I’ll ask me why, so do you think I should say I don’t feel I’m what she’s looking for (basically I don’t feel good enough and the results aren’t half as ok as some other nails I do)
Or do you think I should bring into it the fact she moans about the cost all the time? Do I just keep it a clean cut so to speak or do I give reasons? One thing I really hate is justifying my decisions to clients!! X

I wouldn’t say that you don’t feel you’re what’s she’s looking for as she will probably say you are!
Suggestions earlier are great and you need to be firm and don’t let her bully you.
Lots of us have had to do it and you will feel so relieved once you’ve binned her

 

[KrisKross]

Do it by text, polite but firm. You don’t owe her anything, not even a phone call.

“Hi X, I have decided to cancel all further appointments you have booked in with me. You have made it clear on a number of occasions that you are not satisfied with my work, my timings, or my prices, and therefore I feel it best that you find another salon/nail tech that better suits your requirements. Best wishes”...

And if she replies then go back and say “as I’ve already said, I think it best that you find another salon/nail tech that can offer a service that you will be satisfied with, best wishes”... and just keep repeating that. Don’t get drawn into any other text conversation, just keep sending that same text over and over again.

And then feel that weight lifting from your shoulders!!

 

[blossom]

I know she I’ll ask me why, so do you think I should say I don’t feel I’m what she’s looking for (basically I don’t feel good enough and the results aren’t half as ok as some other nails I do)
Or do you think I should bring into it the fact she moans about the cost all the time? Do I just keep it a clean cut so to speak or do I give reasons? One thing I really hate is justifying my decisions to clients!! X

No don't enter into discussion as you might end up not sacking her after all [emoji85]

It's really hard but you must do this for your own sanity. Good luck, let us know how it goes xx

 

[rippersroo]

Thanks again ladies.
One last thing, Do any of you think i should recommend another tech locally? (Not an acquaintance of mine but she’s better than me)? Maybe it will soften the blow?!

 

[AcidPerm]

Thanks again ladies.
One last thing, Do any of you think i should recommend another tech locally? (Not an acquaintance of mine but she’s better than me)? Maybe it will soften the blow?!

No!
Keep telling yourself that you're not responsible for solving her problems.
She's in this position because of her bad attitude.
It's for her to find her own solution/new tech etc.

 

[rippersroo]

Thanks AcidPerm, you always give great advice as I’ve seen on other threads-I wish I had your guts! Thankyou

 

[ch-ela]

Do it by text, polite but firm. You don’t owe her anything, not even a phone call.

“Hi X, I have decided to cancel all further appointments you have booked in with me. You have made it clear on a number of occasions that you are not satisfied with my work, my timings, or my prices, and therefore I feel it best that you find another salon/nail tech that better suits your requirements. Best wishes”...

And if she replies then go back and say “as I’ve already said, I think it best that you find another salon/nail tech that can offer a service that you will be satisfied with, best wishes”... and just keep repeating that. Don’t get drawn into any other text conversation, just keep sending that same text over and over again.

And then feel that weight lifting from your shoulders!!

This is perfect. I wish I had done this too. What I did was make up an excuse, which she then misunderstood and has fallen out with my OH over it too. Should have been just honest and to the point. Lesson learnt!
Good luck Rippersroo

 

[AshLovesTanning]

This is perfect. I wish I had done this too. What I did was make up an excuse, which she then misunderstood and has fallen out with my OH over it too. Should have been just honest and to the point. Lesson learnt!
Good luck Rippersroo

Whats OH?

 

[blossom]

Whats OH?

Usually other half I think x

 

[attitude]

Thanks again ladies.
One last thing, Do any of you think i should recommend another tech locally? (Not an acquaintance of mine but she’s better than me)? Maybe it will soften the blow?!

No! That's just punishing another tech. Let her find her own damn tech.

 

[Annabel123]

Good luck! Let us know how you get on x

 

[Cathi44]

When I sacked mine, I did if in response to the (moany) FB message she sent my business page. When she replied, back-tracking and saying she wanted to stay with me, I simply ignored her. I'd said my piece (politely but firmly) and there was, as far as I was concerned, nothing left to say. Good luck and let us know how it goes!!