Help! Unhappy client

[beautyluv]

The problem I have is that I am a self employed therapist but work in a salon where I pay a percent per customer. The person who owns the salon has been advertising me eyebrow definition as HD Brows, even though I have told him not to.
Now I did two clients eyebrow definition today. (However it was advertised as HD Brows). For the eyebrow definition I use a normal tint but finish with a hd powder. These clients are currently training as beauty therapists.
The person who owns the salon has contacted me late this evening with a complaint that one of the girls sent through.
Briefly it states that she is not happy with her brows. As the products weren't HD, that I did not mix up a fresh tint for her friend (when I was training the trainer used the same tint for all, and also if they were complete strangers obviously I would have but having them been friends I thought this would be ok) and that I double dipped the spatula whilst waxing. She said she found this extremely unhygenic. The eyebrow area was cleansed beforehand. Also she stated that her eyebrows are now odd.
She has ask the salon owner for feedback and something to be done about this.
However throughout the treatment I stop and check that the client is happy with colour/shaping/thickness etc. I asked her at the final result if she was happy with her brows and both her and her friend said they were. They paid and left smiling.

Please can someone help as to what I should suggest!

 

[Baggybear]

As you are self employed you should be doing your own advertising.

Also any complaints MUST be made to you as you are your own boss. Your landlord (the person you rent from) should have NOTHING to do with your advertising or your business or complaints, and you need to get the complaint letter from them and deal with the complaint directly.

You should have told the clients that it's not HD brows when they booked in with you and again when they arrived for the service.

In my opinion you should mix fresh tint up for ALL clients, friends or not. I wouldn't want my friends infection passed to me any more than I would want a strangers infection.

 

[Wellyb]

Completely agree fresh tint for every client. Would you expect a hairdresser to use the same batch of tint on two people? I think not. You need to make sure clients are fully aware this is not an hd service or you could be done for false advertising I think

 

[Mommabear]

Tell the person wh is advertising you as doing hd brows to STOP immediately, if you look on the hd brow website it tells you that you that can be seriously done for using the HD name when you havent been trained by the HD company, as for the tint, i never use the same batch of tint on 2 people ur trainer was veyr naughty for doing so too haha wether cleaned etc always use a fresh batch of tint every client xx

 

[beautyluv]

I have told them. Maybe this will make them stop. As for the tint I realise that now.I wont be making the same mistake twice. As for the advertising, the salon has always done it this way.
But what should I say to this complaint? Do I offer a refund to both or ask to see their brows.

Like I said they, they were both happy when they left and theirk eyebrows where not odd.

Thanks for the advice so far girls.

 

[HollyGold]

You need to make it clear to the salon owner they are not HDs and you should be telling people that they are not if you believe they have been told otherwise, I would be really disappointed as well if I booked to get HDs and it wasn't. You can also be done by HD brows for saying you do them and don't.

You shouldn't double dip when waxing nor use the same tint. It's not hygienic even if you cleaned the area. You also need clean all your tools such as tweezers after each client no matter if they are friends or family.

I think this girl has every right to complain. You miss sold a treatment to her and didn't think about her safety when double dipping the wax.

 

[Murfles]

Just putting it out there - I don't care whether the eyebrow area was cleansed beforehand, the client is right. You shouldn't double dip. It is unhygienic. I would tell your salon owner to stop false advertising and tell them to tell the unhappy clients to take it up with you. For all you know, they are perfectly happy, having not complained to you!

 

[HollyGold]

I have told them. Maybe this will make them stop. As for the tint I realise that now.I wont be making the same mistake twice. As for the advertising, the salon has always done it this way.
But what should I say to this complaint? Do I offer a refund to both or ask to see their brows.

Like I said they, they were both happy when they left and theirk eyebrows where not odd.

Thanks for the advice so far girls.

I would speak to her yourself. Contact her and yes I would offer a refund. Even if her brows are perfect they are not hds and not what she asked for. you miss sold the treatment. I would also re think doing some more training if I was you as your trainer shouldnt of told you this, and before health and safety get on to this as its not hygienic.

 

[wonderwoman]

Really i would think of the competence of your trainer.

No one ever uses the same tint on someone else, its just pure wrong. As far as double dipping is concerned- massive debate has erupted before -a new spatula should be used for every client, according to habia, this is (also dependent on which wax you use, hot/strip etc). However there is nothing wrong if you do happen to double dip-dependent on technique/metal spatula....etc

The other sirens going off; your experience, your knowlegde to rent/lease/ rights that your entitled to, and the fact your self empolyed....

Before i hurt your confidence, i just want to open your eyes to these elements that are essential in running a buisness and aftercare. The clients are most likely aware that the work yu conducted was sub par, to what they had been taught at college. You've main mistake is not corrected them on the defination of what you were describing as a elite treatment....you just cant do that. Get yourself on some business link courses and actually find out what the law is and how its supports you aswell. Good luck xoxo

 

[tanfastic]

I would refund, to be honest you should not have taken the money in the first place if she was paying for HD and got Eyebrow Defenition instead. She did not get what she paid for so I think she is entitled to a full refund. A hard lesson learned for you, DONT EVER let someone else bully you into doing something you are not happy with.If any other clients book in for this "HD" service I would immediately call them up and explain that there has been " mix up" with the advertising and that it is not HD. If they are happy to come along anyway then you are seen to be honest. If you keep quiet and take the money you are gaining from false advertising. If the owner wont listen I would report him to HD and they will make him stop.

 

[Jigglyb4ll]

I just want to offer this :hug:

There are several things you did wrong but they are all individually easy mistakes to make if you don't know.
Your training obviously wasn't up to scratch and luckily these students have forced you to realise where you are going wrong.

Don't beat yourself up but take on board everything that has been posted and act upon it immediately!!

Hopefully these girls won't persue the matter and you can actually be grateful this has happened before something much more serious went wrong.

It's a steep learning curve but essential. I would also say (and please don't take offence) but look at all the other treatments you do and try to think if there is anything you can do to improve your higene and advertising, as there are other things you may not have been shown in training that you need to be aware of.

Take the positive from this bad situation, you've learnt a lot from it and it will make you think twice about anything else you do in future which isn't a bad thing. We all make mistakes hon xxx