When you think traumatic salon experiences, you may only think about the client- but the truth is that it goes both ways. As stylists we have encountered clients who have left such an indelible impression that we change what type of clients we service in the future or even the processes of how we do business. Here’s a few examples:
Crying Children
Parents don’t like their kids to cry when getting their hair serviced and neither do we. Here's what happens...
A parent books an appt. Upon booking, the parent is told our salon policies, which are that if their child is crying, we will have to stop the service but they will still be responsible for the payment. The kid shows up and proceeds to cry in silence. We stop the service and follow through with what we told the parent.
The parent then begins to tell the stylist they have to complete their child’s hair. The stylist does as they’re told and after the service declares “I no longer service children.”
Loud Clients
A client arrives 8 minutes late. At the end of their service they’re charged the late fee. They ask why their service is more expensive than last time. They’re informed of the late fee being added on. The client proceeds to raise their voice in front of other clients about how they should not be charged a late fee because they were less than 15 minutes late.
The stylist says ok, removes the late fee from their service and puts a note in their account that they do not want to service this client again.
Missed Appointments
A client books a very busy stylist 4 weeks in advance. 3 days before their appointment they call to cancel. They are within the 24 hour mark so no penalty is afforded them. But this very busy stylist has built up a clientele who books 3-4 weeks in advance. So for the past few weeks her loyal clientele have been booking around this appointment and she doesn’t get it filled.
She mandates that a $35 non-refundable deposit is due upon booking.
Paying Less Than What’s Due
A client comes in for a service that is $150. Over the phone, she shared that the service was over-priced and that it was only worth $120, but she took the appointment because she needed her hair done. Upon checkout, she pays in cash and tells the stylist how much she loved the service and would be back.
The stylist counts the money after the client has left. It’s $120.
The stylist makes a new rule. Credit cards only. So she can make sure moving forward the clients card is swiped for everything that is due.
Detangling for 2 hours
Imagine, a full day of clients. One client shows up and her hair is extremely tangled. The entire day is thrown off because what was supposed to be a 30 minute portion of the service is now a 2 hour portion and there is no time to style.
The stylist may do one of two things.
1. Start charging clients based on time
OR
2. Tell clients to show up with their hair already shampooed and detangled.
So what have we learned here…. We’ve learned a lesson that brings us to understand these new age braiders. When you go to their booking sites and they list out 200 rules to book their services, it’s from their past experiences with clients that have rubbed them the wrong way.
Hair service businesses are very personal. They can deeply affect both parties. Let’s keep things as courteous as possible so neither sides are traumatized into making rash decisions.