Client from hell, what to do?

[Maya Diaz]

Just know that when people love your service, chances are they will only share their secret (you) when asked or complimented on your work. However if someone is unhappy with your service, they will tell 11 people of their bad experience.
You did the right thing by taking 50% of the responsibility in this situation, but leave it alone until you see her again.
When you do see her, offer her a complimentary service (paraffin/salt scrub) and just refresh her of how bad you felt about the miscommunication last time.
Let her know she is special and suggest that you offer her a standing appointment so it doesn't happen again.
You will have a solid schedule and it will make her feel important.
It's a win win.
~Maya~

 

[chilli5774]

Hi Carl I am new to this site but I completely sympathise with your situation. If I were you I would take great pleasure in inspecting her nails upon her return to you ( and yes she will return) leaopards never change their stomping grounds, particularly selfish ones who covert their nail techs and not share them with friends.
Look over her nails with glee and point out the 'terrible mess' the other place has made of them and that you will do your best to get them back to the state they were in before she decided to pay the local chop shop a visit and then watch her squirm as you re-do a fab job on her nails. She will have learned her lesson hopefully and if not, then dont take it personally. At the end of the day she isnt your only client and we all have 'one' client who can always ruin our day. But we are professionals and just smiling through there moans only annoys them more. haha
Take care and keep us posted on what happens.

 

[weezie]

Just know that when people love your service, chances are they will only share their secret (you) when asked or complimented on your work. However if someone is unhappy with your service, they will tell 11 people of their bad experience.
You did the right thing by taking 50% of the responsibility in this situation, but leave it alone until you see her again.
When you do see her, offer her a complimentary service (paraffin/salt scrub) and just refresh her of how bad you felt about the miscommunication last time.
Let her know she is special and suggest that you offer her a standing appointment so it doesn't happen again.
You will have a solid schedule and it will make her feel important.
It's a win win.
~Maya~

Great advise! I am so confused at those who want to "punish the client"! This in my opinion is unprofessional! :hug:

 

[RandomPresence]

Don't worry about it. As long as its not you she's complaining about, it shouldnt be that bad? My most loyal client does go elsewhere to have her nails done sometimes, but she always, always comes back (leaving me having to fix all the lifting, and yes, she makes sure its the same brand). You can even get some good out of it, cuz u can coax out of her what she liked/disliked about the salon. Some people relax through complaining about others. Im not saying thats good, but half the job is listening, innit?

 

[bookala]

she will never have enough friends to effectively ruin your business..............you have to decide what your happiness is worth.........I have a horrible woman that I call the energy vampire......she said to me at her last visit, "you are making it very hard for me to insult you", (i do gels on her and have switched to a 1 step to expedite the service), I keep my head down and go to work........she is after all, insignificant to me................she has become nothing but a set of nails and I don't react anymore

 

[Ariadne]

Do you have a notice to that effect in your place of work so that all the negative people know not to book in with you? :lol:

I don't think anyone wants people who are not nice but it is part of the territory of working with the public I'm afraid and like it or not that is what we do.

I found in my business career that if I was nice generally my clients became pretty nice too.

Most people reflect back the attitude that you show them.

All I'm saying is that sacking a client (if it is absolutely necessary) should be a last resort, not the first solution that comes to mind. every time there is a thread where someone has been hacked off by a client the first solution most say is ... ban the bitch! Ridiculous attitude.

I think also that the days where we can be selective are rapidly dwindling. Look at the freakin economy ... I'd be hanging on to every client I'd got and going the extra mile to do so .. not sacking them off because they have negative vibes. Crickey .. don't get involved .. just do their nails!

I agree with her 100%. We cannot act (or react) in anger. She is angry, that's why you said she's a bitch. Take from someone that very often was impulsive: I was always regretting when I acted in anger. If you breath deep, eat a chocolate, drink a glass of wine and treat her as nothing happened, she will feel so bad, you have no idea.

The way I see is that she can choose where to go. She might regret her choice, but it´s still her choice and you need to respect that. You can explain to her what are the consequences if she goes to another place, explain your work and she will understand.

Good luck,

Ariadne

 

[bookala]

thats crap, excuse my french.........offer her a complimentary service...think about what u are saying .......the woman is abusive........and doesnt mind being that way.............bowing to the abuse and offering free service will only encourage the abuse to continue.....she'll see it as a "kiss up" gift and find ways to enable the prospect in the future........bad idea

 

[nailzoo]

Come on Carl, we're all dying to know if you've seen her yet . . . . :lol:

Put us out of our misery.

(Better than the soaps, don't you think?)

Funny you should mention this,
I haven't seen her, but I saw her best friend (we were in a lineup at the supermarket).
I said "did you hear I had a run-in with K"?
She said "NO", I explained the situation to her and she said "that's typical, if she wasn't so aggressive she might just meet a man, you would think the fact that she studied psychology would make her more aware of her behavior) "

She then went on and on and I just said, "there is a difference between being assertive and being aggressive and I was sorry she took things the way she did, it was an honest mistake on someones behalf".

The funny thing is ........ they day of the "event" I actually was following this girl all the way up the street and she went into the chop shop for company (she always visits the salon when "K" gets her nails done).

Yet she said she hadn't heard the story .... I caught her out bigtime, but didn't let on ..... Birds of a feather,.......... I was very genuine and ever so polite and she was bloody fake from the first word that came out of her mouth.

I actually don't care now, I replaced her with another French Fill client (very polite and a fab conversationalist) who's bestie is the editor of Vogue .....

 

[geeg]

Funny you should mention this,
I haven't seen her, but I saw her best friend (we were in a lineup at the supermarket).
I said "did you hear I had a run-in with K"?
She said "NO", I explained the situation to her and she said "that's typical, if she wasn't so aggressive she might just meet a man, you would think the fact that she studied psychology would make her more aware of her behavior) "

She then went on and on and I just said, "there is a difference between being assertive and being aggressive and I was sorry she took things the way she did, it was an honest mistake on someones behalf".

The funny thing is ........ they day of the "event" I actually was following this girl all the way up the street and she went into the chop shop for company (she always visits the salon when "K" gets her nails done).

Yet she said she hadn't heard the story .... I caught her out bigtime, but didn't let on ..... Birds of a feather,.......... I was very genuine and ever so polite and she was bloody fake from the first word that came out of her mouth.

I actually don't care now, I replaced her with another French Fill client (very polite and a fab conversationalist) who's bestie is the editor of Vogue .....

Ha Ha .. as I always say, Liars always get caught in the end.

They are not worth spending an ounce of energy on and stupidly because of the way they have acted, she now will most likely be too embarrassed to or too arrogant to return (for at least a year anyway~!! :green

You are such a popular fella that I bet it is hard to get new ones in ... so she's opened the door for you and now someone who could be important to you has filled the space. Yay!!

We missed you at the EVENT Carl. We talked about you and you were really there in some of our hearts kiddo. :hug::hug: :hug:

 

[oey]

Has this client tried to contact you back yet Nailzoo? she would be due her re-balance by now.

 

[nailzoo]

It actually got sorted out last Thursday night.
I was at a party and ran into this client.....gaaawd it was awkward for about 2 seconds (I had a few Chardonnays under my belt by this time).

Then she confessed ....... she just had to move her car into a paid garage and something had to give ...... It was the nails that gave, she could no longer afford them.

I mentioned I saw her in the Asian salon ........ she was having them removed.... she said "she would never go anywhere else".

She was apologetic and the appointment mix up was the catalyst in having them taken off.

She hugged, kissed and thanked me and said she would be back when things changed.

I explained how she made me feel, she apologised again and said she has wanted to come in for some time to explain what happened.

She had no nails on and said she never would until she can come back to me.

It was quite an odd situation, it was like a relationship breakup with closure that both of us had to accept.

There was a bit of an audience that were left quite gobsmacked at her sincerity, loyalty and the odd effect I had on women in regard to their nails.

It was quite sad really, but everything ended very well....

 

[Bev Rose]

It actually got sorted out last Thursday night.
I was at a party and ran into this client.....gaaawd it was awkward for about 2 seconds (I had a few Chardonnays under my belt by this time).

Then she confessed ....... she just had to move her car into a paid garage and something had to give ...... It was the nails that gave, she could no longer afford them.

I mentioned I saw her in the Asian salon ........ she was having them removed.... she said "she would never go anywhere else".

She was apologetic and the appointment mix up was the catalyst in having them taken off.

She hugged, kissed and thanked me and said she would be back when things changed.

I explained how she made me feel, she apologised again and said she has wanted to come in for some time to explain what happened.

She had no nails on and said she never would until she can come back to me.

It was quite an odd situation, it was like a relationship breakup with closure that both of us had to accept.

There was a bit of an audience that were left quite gobsmacked at her sincerity, loyalty and the odd effect I had on women in regard to their nails.

It was quite sad really, but everything ended very well....

That's brill for you Carl, you've finally got to the bottom of what was really going on.

It's funny, but we do take this sort of thing personally & we know we shouldn't don't we! It feels like a knock on our talents iykwim, even though - someone like you Carl, has excellent nail skills, it's still hurts deep down in that little corner of our minds, niggling away.
I'm pleased you both have had the chance to 'clear the air'
xxxx

 

[mdskora]

Good result for you Carl... at least you are aware of what really happened.. shame she didn't think she knew you well enough to get you to soak them off and mani them...
Mel

 

[costa carolina]

How nice to have closure, Carl.

Because you didn't actually act upon any of your (quite natural) negative feelings - instead you battled and won - your wait for your reward was short and sweet. You have the satisfaction of a clear conscience.

You triumphed over the quick fix option of revenge, and won the much longer lasting reward of your dignity.

(I must say though, the comment about knocking on the window and waving at her was just SO funny! It still makes me smile now....:green

Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors​

 

[Missy G]

Aw , what a lovely ending , just hope she sticks to her words ah.

 

[deanosnana]

that bitch should be sending me flowers........ (and a nice vase)

I love the way you think!

 

[dee]

am glad you at least know why she hasnt come back etc.. :hug: x

 

[purpleivy]

Ah well, at least it has given everyone something to talk about LOL!