Racist clients, how to deal with them?

[Katie Pretty Pampers]

So the other week I had a new client. General chit chat she was ever so chatty which I love as it helps build relationships.

I live in a multi-cultural area and this particular client got public transport to me. As she was leaving I said to her to text me when you got home so I know you got home safe as I do all my clients. Her response shocked me a little "I will do i really don't want to get on the bus with all of the black disgusting people i just want to spit at them"

I ignored her comment and said have a lovely evening and see you soon. She then carried on commenting.

I was so shocked and i didn't know what to say so i waved and saw her to the door!

has anyone else had this before? how did you respond. I don't want to book her in for treatments anymore especially if I end up having another client waiting whilst she is there and it may offend them and then make me look like I have the same views.

 

[AcidPerm]

It's your business so you can pick and choose your clients.

Personally, I'd probably tell her straight,

'I prefer not to accommodate clients spouting vile racist opinions and I suggest you find yourself a new tech, goodbye.'

Trying not to slam the door too hard as she left...!

I definitely wouldn't say 'sorry' at the beginning or end of the sentence either.

 

[facehandsfeet]

I totally agree with AcidPerm - you can tell her you no longer want her as a client without being nasty, just by stating facts, that you won't tolerate that kind of behaviour.

And if you don't want to tell her then there's always the "sorry I'm fully booked" option whenever she rings.

I personally would tell her - because wouldn't it be so nice to live in a world where we all accept each other for who and what we are? Not telling her is like giving her permission to be an awful human

Hope that helps
Louise

 

[KHS]

I'm with AcidPerm on this. I'd of told her straight there and then that I do not and will not tolerate any form of racial hatred. Then tell her you're not the therapist for her and open the door and show her out.

 

[KHS]

...and I might add, having a mixed race son myself, it would've took all my professional power not to shut her lights out there and then and kick her out the door

 

[Hair_Passion]

I can see how so many people would be offended with this and rightly so.
BUT and I hope this isant taken the wrong way because I am certainly not taking the clients side. From a business point of view, personally I would just politely tell her you're not willing to comment or engage in a conversation like that, especially as you have clients of colour who are lovely people (I know I do) if she wants you to carry on doing her hair she'll watch what she says from then on and keeps her opinion to herself. She'll probably walk away feeling awful and about 5 inches tall knowing she's offended you.
I'm a mobile hairdresser, for me it takes a lot to get rid of a client and would rather try resolving any issues/concerns i had first.
Just my two pence X

 

[EmmaLF]

I can see how so many people would be offended with this and rightly so.
BUT and I hope this isant taken the wrong way because I am certainly not taking the clients side. From a business point of view, personally I would just politely tell her you're not willing to comment or engage in a conversation like that, especially as you have clients of colour who are lovely people (I know I do) if she wants you to carry on doing her hair she'll watch what she says from then on and keeps her opinion to herself. She'll probably walk away feeling awful and about 5 inches tall knowing she's offended you.
I'm a mobile hairdresser, for me it takes a lot to get rid of a client and would rather try resolving any issues/concerns i had first.
Just my two pence X

I respect your opinion on this and I understand where you're coming from but in this day and age business owners don't have to 'put up' with certain people just because they're a business and its seen as 'professional' to allow everyone in. Regardless of whether she kept her opinions to herself in the salon I still wouldn't want to do anything for this woman. Shes still a racist regardless of whether she makes any more comments in the salon.
But that's just my opinion.

 

[Hair_Passion]

Yeah I get that 100% She is racist. But not doing her hair isant going to stop her being racist.
I was only saying it as if I was dealing with it. I would just let her know that I won't comment, engage or tolerate that conversation/comments.
Losing out on business isant going to change her but as long as she understands that it's offensive and won't be tolerated.
I had something similar from a client and that's how I dealt with it and it worked out fine, in fact the client I had stopped also taking the mick in messing me about with her appointments
But everyone is entitled to their own opinion and how they want to run their business. Whatever feels most comfortable for them

 

[KHS]

No!! Any racial comment by any client will be, with no exception, will be shown the door! I will not bow down to comments like that even if she spent.£100 a week...she'd be sacked!

I have removed a client from my salon half way through a blow dry because she started spouting off, about "immigrants taking our jobs" crap while her daughter is shelling out kids like peas and never did a days work in her life on benefits...i didn't care if you're black, white, Yellow Pink or Green, you spout racist crud, you're our the door

 

[Hair_Passion]

I really don't want this to seem as if I'm siding with the client. I'm really not [emoji16]

 

[Hair_Passion]

But this country is so conflicted on difference in opinion. We can't change that

 

[KHS]

But this country is so conflicted on difference in opinion. We can't change that

No, but you can for yourself, that's the trouble with this country, far too many people bowing down to this behaviour and brushing it away for money, a quiet life. . I wouldn't want their money, they can keep it. They probably want. Quiet life too, but ignorance stops that

 

[Hair_Passion]

I'm not saying at all bow down to it. But making it clear to the client them comments won't be tolerated should make them think twice about spouting racial hatred. I didn't say ignore her

 

[KHS]

I'm not saying at all bow down to it. But making it clear to the client them comments won't be tolerated should make them think twice about spouting racial hatred. I didn't say ignore her

Yep,making it clear by removing then from my client Base will make them understand it's not tolerated either, I could not stand there with a clients for however long knowing they're a racist piece of crud.. Not a hope in hell

 

[Hair_Passion]

A fair few probably are though that's thing, just most people wouldn't be stupid enough to be so loud and vile about it.
The client I had, had a disliking to redheads, she literally said 'if I ever had a ginger kid id dye it's hair or deny it's mine'
I very quickly stopped the conversation, explained her I have a fairly big sized family which half are ginger, that her comment had offended me and if anymore more comments were said then I would no long do her hair, regardless whether I had finished or not.
I know that's not the same as racial but dealing with my client that way seemed to work. I didn't mean my first comment in anyway at all to sound like I was siding with the client, was only sharing a similar situation I had been in and how I dealt with it

 

[EmmaLF]

I think everyone has their own views on people like this. Everyone likes to run their business a different way, its completely ok to want to just mention it to her and carry on doing services for her and at the same time its ok for some of us to not want to even be in the same room as someone like her.
I think its good that the OP can get a few different views on this issue.

 

[studdedskull]

I haven't had clients like this but when I training in manicure and pedi nvq 2 there was a student who was very vocal about his similar views too. I was doing a mani on another student at the time and after about 10 mins of him going on and on I couldn't take it anymore and turned round to him and thankfully all I said was ' you need to calm down and be quiet' quite loudly and the whole class went silent.
My view is you don't know who my partner is, my best friend is etc. If you are big enough to talk like that then you are big enough to accept the consequences of upsetting people.

 

[AcidPerm]

I think it's clear that none of us here support racism but I can appreciate that some geeks are less confident about confronting such behaviours head on.

However, by not taking a clear stand we are enabling such abhorrent views to grow and flourish.

 

[littlebluebird]

I think it's clear that none of us here support racism but I can appreciate that some geeks are less confident about confronting such behaviours head on.

However, by not taking a clear stand we are enabling such abhorrent views to grow and flourish.

Completely agree. The reason that woman is so open about her views is probably because nobody has ever actually stood up to her before and challenged those views. It's got to end somewhere. "Be the change you want to see in the world"...

 

[Carlalouise]

I am in know way a racist, my eldest daughter's father is mixed race and my now husband's family have a lot of black and mixed race relatives. I love them all and would never see anyone differently just because of the colour of their skin. However the area I work in is predominantly older and I have found them the worst! Because of their age they are not aggressively racist but they are non the less, I just send a massive signal by not commenting and changing the subject, if I told them all where the door was I'd lose too many clients so I just keep my mouth shut and do my job.