Would you 'sack' this client . Sorry long

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perfect10kb

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Hi Peeps .

Ok can I have some opinions please on what you would do here .I have a very full book . Most of my clients have been coming to me for 5 + years and about 75% have regular slots . ie Mrs A comes every 3 wks friday 4pm , mrs B comes every two weeks weds 10.30 etc etc .These clients have ongoing bookings and never have to book their slots . It is just always there for them . The other clients usualy book two or three appointments ahead when they come .

Anyway I am going on holiday for two weeks and have tried to sort my book ahead so all are accomodated . Today I had a client in who has been coming to me for 7 years. She is booked in for the day before I go on holiday but when she came i noticed she was not booked in for the week I was back . I said I was really sorry and apologised for this and told her it would be four weeks before I could fit her in again .


I carried on with the service and noticed she was a bit quiet . " Are you ok 'A' I said you seem a bit quiet'. Well I am a bit cross she said . What with me I replied .

She then said 'yes I am really angry with you , I am a good client and have bought you a lot of business . Please don't talk to me because I don't want to talk to you I am too angry'. !!!!!1


Well I was absolutely gobsmaked . In 7 years I have NEVER let this client down , have always found a slot for her , changed her appointments when she wanted etc etc . My next appointment arrived and I went a made her a drink . When I went back into room my first client still would not speak to me then paid me and left without speaking to me again . My next client said the first lady had told her she was very angry with me !!!!!. This client has been coming to me for 10+ years . I told her that client A was cross that I could not fit her in to which she said ' sorry but she is being really childish take no notice '


Now ( sorry I said it was long ) I really don't know what to do . I am sooooooooooooo upset by the way she treated and spoke to me . She is due in for her next appointment in two weeks time and I really do not want to do her . I feel the whole relationship has now been soured. In all my years of nails I have had clients make me cross or peeved ( not showed them that though ) but NEVER have I had one upset me and treat me the way she has and trust me I am a tough old bird - lol


I know business is business and I should just take it in my stride . Would you 'sack ' her or would you just grin and bear it . I do not need the money and am really not looking forward to her next visit .


So come on peeps what would YOU do ?

Karen
 
me personally i would do her!!
and if she was still funny i would say something to her,
like ,well "arent i allowed a holiday, and it was not my fault you hadnt rebooked your appts?"
she will probably have calmed down by the time she does come back and she might even apologise,
it is very diffficult when you are a one man band, and need holidays,
my clients were upset over my holidays too,
one lady, i had to say to her" its nails!!! its not like youre waiting for a heart transplant!! "
to which she laughed and said "yes youre right ill have to make do!!"
i always recommend another tech nearby for repairs etc,if they get desperate,
im only answering if it was me, id wait and see how she is with you to be honest,
but have a good holiday you sound like you deserve it xx
 
What a situation! :hug:

Well tbh hun, after 7 years I would have fitted her in somewhere, even if it was 8 o'clock on a Sunday night, she has been a very loyal client and I can understand her being a bit miffed.

That said, I think she was taking it to extremes by reacting quite so over-the-top. The atmosphere with her not speaking to you must have been horrid and I can quite see why you are not keen to see her.

It could be that she was highly stressed due to something else going on in her life atm, or something like that, so she wasn't being as rational as usual? She had no right to act as she did, it was very over-reactive.

If it is really stressing you out and you absolutely can't face it I guess you'll have to let that one go. Sometimes, even if you do need the money (and I know you said you don't), it's just not worth the aggro.

But after 7 years you must have built up quite a relationship with her. Maybe a phone call now she's calmed down might establish how she feels now and whether it would be worth persevering.

If it were me, I might suggest she goes somewhere else in the meantime and give her a discount when she returns to you.

Down to you really hun, follow your gut feeling I guess:hug: xxxx
 
Hiya

I really feel for you here! thats not nice at all:irked:
I think that you should keep her appointment next time but definately say something to her!
Let her know how this has made you feel.
If she continues to treat you this way after you have spoken then I dont think that you should put yourself through this anymore. Tell her that maybe it would be a good idea for her to find another nail tech.

Have a good holiday and dont feel guilty or upset you certainly have not done anything wrong xxxxxxxx:hug:
 
Thank you all three for your replies . Blossom . I can see whant you say about fitting her in somewhere BUT ALL my clients have been coning to me for a very long time a there are only so many hours in the day . The week I am back I am working six days right through from 9am till 9pm so there is NOWHERE I can put her . Yes you would think that after 7 years we had built up a good relationship . Or so I thought . It did not matter how much I apologised to her she was just having none of it !!!!!


keep the replies coming please . may stop me saying something I may regret :eek:
 
I've thought about this long and hard (2 mins) and I would deffo tell her to start the car.

How dare she sit in your salon and be rude to you. You're not her slave. I'll call her and very politely say that you didn't care for the way she treated you and she's welcome back as long as it doesn't happen again. xxx
 
Is there not another tech you could 'share' with when you go on holidays? A very similar situation happened with a new client of mine and her old tech, she's now loyal to me, until I can't fit her i lol!... 4 weeks is a long time!
 
I agree with Blossom. Personally I would have gone out of my way to put her in as she is a long term loyal client. But that is no excuse for this client reacting in such a silly manner. We have linked up with a couple of local techs who can look after clients if we can't fit them in. Do you have any local techs that you could do something with?

I expect she has calmed down now and is feeling embarrassed - she ought to be anyway!!
 
Brow Queen . Yes that was my initial reaction which I why I posted to stop me saying something I may regret - lol


Cathie and Rosie . Yes , I am both a distributor and trainer . I gave her the number of two local techs I trained but , again that was not good enough .

Karen xx
 
Brow Queen . Yes that was my initial reaction which I why I posted to stop me saying something I may regret - lol


Cathie and Rosie . Yes , I am both a distributor and trainer . I gave her the number of two local techs I trained but , again that was not good enough .

Karen xx
Oh well, her loss, not yours, I'm sure you will fill her slot if she want's to be funny about it....she might come back in and all willbe fine, you never know!

Hello Lotus!
 
Hi.
This is a difficult one isnt it?
To be truthful I would have been most upset because the client has spoken to another client about her situation. This would have really p----- me off .
I think the client is being childish, and putting you in a difficult position and making you feel uncomfortable.
If you have never let her down before then I think she is being unreasonable and selfish. You are human , not a robot!! Humans make errors. :hug:

However, on the other hand - if it was your error and you forgot to book her in then I would go out of myway to fit her in, even if you have to juggle other clients around or work till 10 pm.

I am a woman of principle as well, so I would not be very happy with her. She could have cost you another client by bad mouthing you, couldn't she? :irked:

If it were me I would wait and see if she turns up for her next appointment, and if she does then tell her that she has embarrassed you and do her nails. Then I would let her go. So yes I would sack her.

You must be feeling awful about this. Dont let this worry you.
Only you know what type of relationship you have with this client. If she will put you in this situation in front of another client and then wont speak to you, and walks out without saying bye , then my principles would kick in I am afraid.

Hope this sorts itself out. Sending you a deserved hug . x:hug::hug:xx
 
I think you should shrug this off hun. YOU are giving HER a service she is obviously very happy with, or she wouldn't be recommending you for all these years. Everyone is entitled to the odd oversight and also a well deserved holiday.:hug:

Give her a ring and have a chat about how you feel. Don't sack her; I doubt she wants to go anywhere else anyway. I'm sure it will all blow over and if she still has the hump, then it's her loss.
 
ok i am going on holiday for 2 weeks in september and the week before i am working everyday 9-8 if not later and the week i get back.

These people are our bed and butter whethre you are busy or not you do not want to loose a client that has been loyal to you and given ypou new clients aswell.

This is just my opinion but i would have worked later for her if you add up the money she has spent with you in 7 yrs and the clients she has recomended you its alot!!

But what i would say is that she should not have expressed her feelings to your next client xx

Just think if you sack her will all her friends follow as well xx
 
Hi Lavender ,

No it was not an error on my part . I did not forget to book her in . I just make a point of trying to ensure that I have 'pencilled ' in appoinments at times I know will suit peeps to make sure ( or try to make sure ) that this sort of thing does not happen .


She has always made a big thing of 'being my friend ' and the first sign of a problem I get shot down in flames . Thanks to all taking trouble to reply


karen xx
 
Hi.
This is a difficult one isnt it?
To be truthful I would have been most upset because the client has spoken to another client about her situation. This would have really p----- me off .
I think the client is being childish, and putting you in a difficult position and making you feel uncomfortable.
If you have never let her down before then I think she is being unreasonable and selfish. You are human , not a robot!! Humans make errors. :hug:

However, on the other hand - if it was your error and you forgot to book her in then I would go out of myway to fit her in, even if you have to juggle other clients around or work till 10 pm.

I am a woman of principle as well, so I would not be very happy with her. She could have cost you another client by bad mouthing you, couldn't she? :irked:

If it were me I would wait and see if she turns up for her next appointment, and if she does then tell her that she has embarrassed you and do her nails. Then I would let her go. So yes I would sack her.

You must be feeling awful about this. Dont let this worry you.
Only you know what type of relationship you have with this client. If she will put you in this situation in front of another client and then wont speak to you, and walks out without saying bye , then my principles would kick in I am afraid.

Hope this sorts itself out. Sending you a deserved hug . x:hug::hug:xx
Seems like I am being far too flippant about this situation.....there is no way that I would say to a client that she had embarassed me! IMO there are plenty more pebbles on the beach with less issues.....I'd let her go without a fight!
 
Hi Kirsty ,

If you read a post a bit earlier you will see that I am doing her the day before my hol and am working 12 hour days EVERY day the week I get back .

When you work for yourself and always have a full book once you take a two week holiday it always means that the week or two before and the week or two after are even more booked than normal if that is possible .


Bear in mind that it will be about 3 weeks 2 days between her appointments and this is a lady that can go four weeks no problem with her nails . There are always in great condition


Karen xx
 
Karen, I still think you should give her a call. Just to put your mind at rest, babe. She will also feel valued. Please don't tell me where you're going on holiday, cos I'll just get jealous.:hug::green:
 
Sals ,

Thank you . Am not going to do anything just yet . Going to mull over and see what replies you all give .


Cathie ,No it was not for you my post said Kirsty !!


You sound just like me when I was younger lol ( ref to your reply on first page ). These days I try to take a less radical approach . :lol:
 
then why is she making such a fuss ?

it must have been awful doing her nails when she had spoken to you like that and said she was too angry to speak to you !
 
Hi Kirsty ,

If you read a post a bit earlier you will see that I am doing her the day before my hol and am working 12 hour days EVERY day the week I get back .

When you work for yourself and always have a full book once you take a two week holiday it always means that the week or two before and the week or two after are even more booked than normal if that is possible .


Bear in mind that it will be about 3 weeks 2 days between her appointments and this is a lady that can go four weeks no problem with her nails . There are always in great condition


Karen xx

I am self employed also hun and deal with it every time i choose to go away which is like every 2 years unfortunatly its the sacafises we make to be self emplyed, but it doesn't matter if you think she can go 4 weeks hun its up to her its her money she is paying you for a service, and you are always going to have someone kick up.

I had a client kick up when my daughter was rushed into hospital with suspected menangitus cos she had a wedding to go to, but i just called her sorted it out and managed to work later one day before the wedding.

The way you are talking about the client only IMO sounds like you are not that keen on her anyway?
 

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