Senior therapist giving free treatments at place of work

[dreamhair79]

Hi all,

This is a difficult one which I could do with some help with.

Yesterday I left my 2 therapists to run the salon for the day as I (the owner) needed the day off. Was a quite day so said once everything done they can have a treatment each.

I returned home and was going through fb to find pictures of my senior therapists step kids nails on there that had been done in my salon, the picture wasn't posted by my senior therapist it was put on by her friend.

I rang my therapist who was left in charge if she had paid for them? No she said, then went onto tell me what had happened. Bearing in mind the therapist left in charge is also intimidated by senior therapist.

Senior therapist arrives at 3.00pm with her husband, friend, daughter and 2 step daughters. They put a cd on and turned it on very loud and they all
started to sing along really loud. Therapist in charge used her initiative and turned down the music as she was worried about other clients walking into a very unprofessional salon.Senior therapist then had her nails done in my time, and by therapist left in charge. I do ask for £5 off each staff member for products as we change them every 2 weeks. Both girls had one hour left to get salon cleaned down and do the banking. Both of the girls said it was a nightmare, as all of senior therapists family and friend sat around nail tables. Then senior therapist got both my girls to do her step daughters nails and put nail art on every finger, whilst she went and waxed her husbands eyebrows.

No form of payment was made and they wasn't sure if £5 was put in the pot for our treatments. I offer 10% off for family members and senior therapist makes good use of this as most weeks either her step mum is in or her own 2 daughters and of course step daughters.

Total treatment cost would have been £33.50 & with their 10% off the total would have been £30.15. Plus the girls had to stay an extra hour to get tidied up after them.

Not once did I receive a call or txt to ask if she could have any of these treatments and I know for a fact this would not have been done if I had been working.

I'm so upset as I feel she has took advantage of my good nature.

I text her late this morning and said we are having a staff meeting on Tuesday . Tonight I have received a text saying the girls and her husband had treatments yesterday. I haven't replied.

She also knows it's a pet hate of mine when family come in and out of the salon when we ate working, my poor husband gets a glare and he knows not to just walk in, same with my kids. I don't think it sets a professional image. Senior therapist knows this but will sit and talk to her daughters while she is with a client, I have raised my concern but has chosen to still ignore this.

Any help dealing with this situation would be very much appreciated

 

[nubee]

Thats awful... Without a doubt i would give her an official verbal warning and state she must pay for all treatments carried out. I would stress the importance of maintaining professionalism at all times in the work place and identify persons of authority within the salon. I think its the only way to protect your business and to ensure she doesn't take advantage of you or your staff again.

 

[souz]

i would say that you are well within your rights to give her a warning, it is your business and if clients had walked in while the salon was noisy etc it could put them off.

 

[Dylan]

I think the fact that she text you later saying that she had treatments is a bit of a guilty conscience ! Staff meeting sounds about right really, if you've told her time and time again, then she knows the score and is treading on thin ice really ! Plus, like others have said, your business is how you like it to be, and customers walking in to find this noisy music etc. can quickly change their perception of the salon. Xx

 

[Glitzymissy]

We would be out the door if we behaved like this! As a senior therapist I feel that I should be setting an example to the other girls not taking advantage of the boss! We have 10% of for family 20% for most of our own beauty and £5 for a spray tan if done in our own time. As we all respect this our boss will often give us a 'feebie' e.g letting my daughters have free minx and hair cut but only after I tried to pay for it, I would never assume I would be given these treatments!! I am shocked at the way she has behaved and also how she has made the other therapists feel Think you definately need to have a strong talk with her xx

 

[Annemarie]

That's terrible. As stated above I would issue her with a verbal warning and make her pay for the treatments she and her family had done. That is so disrespectful to you. I would let her know how unprofessional her behaviour was too.

 

[PixieBeauty]

I think you need to start putting your foot down with this one.

The fact is she tried it on because she clearly thought she could get away with it. You need to take control of how your staff see you, I think this is very important for staff morale how you handle this one.

She knows how you feel about family & yet she flouts the rules under your nose??

Not good at all. Best of luck but I'd lay the law down Xx

 

[Pinkbunny28]

It's actually theft as she took products for her own use without paying so technically you could just fire her on the spot. But I'm assuming you wouldn't do that and it isn't advisable to without giving her a verbal and written warning. This is quite severe to be honest and if someone did this to me in my own salon I would hit the roof and there would be no discounts even from that point forward...x

 

[dreamhair79]

Yes, I think I will issue a formal warning

It's really difficult as I trusted her to run the salon twice for a week at each time during her employment, and I would never of thought she would do that behind my back, but for the last few months I have noticed a change. She hates the fact I have given the therapist in charge more hours, for some reason she dislikes her and is always finding something to moan about her. She is a young therapist only 21 but is very mature for her age and is going to make an amazing therapist. Must be because I will always fight her corner as she is timid around senior therapist.

Also senior therapist is facing losing her mum to a terminal illness in the coming months, so I have changed her work hours to fit around hospital appointments, and has been told she can leave at anytime for hospital visits/ emergencies. We are holding raffles in the salon to win full day spa's etc to help raise money for the charity we have set up. I've told her I'll be there anytime she needs me and cried with her. I'd hate to be in her position.
This situation makes it worse to approach the matter.

I have only just put the £5 towards the acrylic nails and gel nails for staff as it's so expensive. But from the beginning it has been set out to pay a percentage for treatments. They get their retail products at cost to me aswell. None of the other girls take advantage of treatments to family. The senior therapist had the cheek to say to me last week not to leave my other therapist in charge incase she gave her mum a free treatment, then she does it herself

Maybe I should retain the boss/employee relationship and keep it strictly a work relationship, but I care for all my girls, and treat them with respect and always show my full appreciation to all the hard work they do. I'm glad they can talk to me when they have personal problems.

Just feel let down and think that being nice get you know where

 

[Bo]

Have you thought of putting in cameras? Great deterrent. Sad to say most businesses use them.

 

[dreamhair79]

Yes I have cameras but they are set up facing our shop front and door, because of an incident when someone put our windows through.

Thank you everyone for your replies xxx

 

[Lynne Baker]

Maybe I should retain the boss/employee relationship and keep it strictly a work relationship, but I care for all my girls, and treat them with respect and always show my full appreciation to all the hard work they do. I'm glad they can talk to me when they have personal problems.

Indeed. As hard as it is, you're not their friend, you're their boss. You mention that you care for them. If you allow your business to go down the pan then it could be argued that you fell short of that care. I know that you mean well but you really do have to keep some distance from them, be even handed with them, and even more importantly you have to be consistent in your management of them.

I think a verbal warning is the first step, and then an announcement to all the staff to reiterate the ground rules.
Good luck - it's like herding cats!

 

[dreamhair79]

I agree, I'm on my way there and probably another reason things have changed, as I have become stronger in my management skills. The business is going from strength to strength. I have been open for 18 months and now expanding again into a high end client town. When I took on the senior therapist it was just us, now I have 3 more staff, so the rules are getting used more and more.

I'll do a verbal then send a memo out outling rules again, listing discounts and having treatment.

I feeling much better for getting this off my chest, finally using salon geek to post rather than spend all night looking for answers. Thanks again everyone xxx

 

[BizGirl]

Wow, that is a let down and I agree with Lynne. You need to keep the professional distance - and I would certainly be issuing a verbal warning.

 

[Lynne Baker]

I think you should have an actual staff meeting with all staff present so that any queries can be answered, views aired and air cleared. You should also hand out the written rules too, and get them to sign that they've had them.
You don't want to know why I'm so anal about legal stuff now!

 

[SillyBilly]

I agree with the above replies, however, do remember that you didn't witness any of the goings on personally and are that you are relying on the first therapists version/perception/understanding of events.

I'm in no way saying that everything she said isn't absolutely true but it doesn't stop your senior therapist denying things - she's had a few days to think about her actions and how she is going to react to what you have to say on Tuesday.

I've just re-read what I've written, I'm very tired and not put it well at all - I hope you understand where I'm coming from and what I'm trying to get across.

 

[Tomme]

Iv not read all the posts, but not paying for a service, be they staff or family or client is theft. Theft warrants instant dismissal, with the other points you brought up like music on loud, being un professional, being intimidating to other staff depending on severity can warrant a final written warning without the other steps.

If you feel she is capable of changing and will be remorseful put her on a final written warning, if there is any doubts that she won't change and this may be repeated then dismissal.

There are hundreds of people out there who would be jumping at the chance, who would follow the rules to the letter and appreciate the chance of work.
Let us know what you choose to do xoxo

 

[Lynne Baker]

Interesting point Tomme, about hundreds of people jumping at the chance, but all I ever read about on salon owners' fora is employees taking advantage, being unprofessional, and generally being a pain in the derrière.
The only staff I have are paid by the hour; they do a really good job for me and I have a LOT of time for them. But they know the score: step out of line and you step out of the door.
We're in business to STAY in business, not to allow others to take us down.

 

[dreamhair79]

good monkey, i approched both girls on duty that day seperatley and they both said the same, they was worried and scared and thought they would be in trouble. I replied that I appreciate their honesty and loyalty to the salon. xx



Thanks again

 

[dreamhair79]

The saying "familularity breeds contemp" is so true and i have now learn't the hard way.

People say the younger therapists are lazy and unloyal, but I dont find this true, both my younger staff work very hard, so eager to please and appreciate their jobs and for alot less money which is nmw, than my 40+ senoir therapist who is on a very good hourly rate.

Time to be strong and tackle this head on tomorrow morning, I have decided to give a final written warning and explain that it could be an on the spot dismissal. take all discounts of her until she can prove to me that I can trust her again.

Do you think this is fair?

Thanks again XX