“The customer is always right!”
Ah, this Golden Rule of business. But is it really always true?
As businesses, we tend to overlook bad client behavior just because we want to keep each and every client that comes through our door. After all, the key to keeping a successful business is by constantly gaining and gaining clients and keeping every single one of them happy, right?
Well, no… We of course want to do everything we can to accommodate our lash clients, but sometimes a line has to be drawn. On rare occasions, we even have to totally let go of a client because it’s just not possible to work with them.
This can be a very difficult thing to do, so we’re here to help you do it right.
When to say goodbye to your lash client
Being protective of your time (and sanity for that matter) is not being selfish. While you may depend on clients to be able to earn money, if one of them is causing too much trouble than it’s worth, cut the strings!
Still, when do you know it’s really not going to work out anymore with a client? It depends on each person, of course, but here are some red flags to look out for that just aren’t worth dealing with:
- They’re constantly (super) late to appointments. And we don’t mean 5-10 minutes every once in a while. We mean late EVERY time their appointment comes up, no matter when they book it. (if they were in school, they’d have already failed that class and have to redo it next year!
They don’t listen to your instructions or aftercare advice. Whether they have unrealistic expectations of their results or they never seem to follow your after-care tips, these types of clients are not only damaging their natural lashes, but they’re putting your reputation on the line. Because they don’t listen, they’ll blame you for the problems they inevitably end up causing themselves.
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- They’re rude and insulting to you and your colleagues. It’s surprising how much people think they can get away with when dealing with any sort of service provider. They feel entitled to treating those who are CARING for them as second-class beings. If a client is in any way discriminatory against anyone in your lash business, for whatever reason, they need to go.
These are just some reasons to say goodbye to a client, but you may come across others in your work. If something makes you or anyone else feel uncomfortable or it happens over and over again, that’s enough of a reason to fire a client. There will always be better ones out there.
Step by Step: How to fire a lash client
Have a clear assessment
Ok, so it’s much easier to figure out who needs to go, but how do we do it?
For one, you need to sit down and properly evaluate the situation. What went wrong exactly? Can anything be done to fix the situation before this drastic step? Are you OK with blacklisting this particular client?
If after all this you still feel like this relationship is over, then make your plan of attack.
Stay calm and collected
Doing anything in anger always backfires and hurts you more than it does the other person. If you’ve just got done dealing with a nightmare client and your blood pressure is soaring as you think of ways to tell them off, hold back. You’re the professional here, and you have a business reputation to protect. Take some time, a few hours or even overnight, to collect your thoughts.
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Write it down
Normally in a situation of conflict, it’s best to speak to the other person face-to-face. But, it’s not like you’re seeing clients out in the world or can call them to meet you at a cafe for a chat.
And since you definitely don’t want to have a scene at your lash salon, it’s best to communicate through email or text message. This way you can also use the right words and keep yourself from showing your anger. Even if they’ve disrespected you, you can still show them respect.
Here are some examples:
For the one who’s always late:
"Dear Katie,
I understand that sometimes life doesn’t always go to plan, but for our last four sessions you have come in half an hour after your appointed time. Each time I have had to push other appointments back and have left other clients waiting. I value you as a client and respect your time, but I also expect the same in return.
If this keeps happening, I will have no choice but to not keep taking you on. Please consider this for next time. I hope you understand."
For the one who never listens:
Dear Michaela,
I am sorry to hear today that you once again had problems with your lashes. As I mentioned in our appointment, the way your natural lashes grow simply does not work with the look that you wanted. Still, I did my very best to make sure you got what you were after. I also provided you with tips last time on how to care for your natural lashes to help them along, but it seems that you hadn’t followed my advice.
For this reason, I regret to say that I won’t be able to take you on as a client anymore. I hope that you can continue your lash journey elsewhere, but I am simply not able to give you what you want at this stage.
Stand your ground
No one likes being told to leave. Many even get angry about it. Since you’ve made a decision to fire a client, you should not budge. You’d already given as much thought to this as it deserved. The other person will try their hardest to convince you otherwise, but you need to let them know that your decision is final. And if they’re rude and insulting, then simply ignore them. They just gave you even more reason to never work with them again.
Hope these tips are helpful. Happy lashing, everyone!
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