Hairbrained – Be A Champion When It Comes to Challenging Clients by Beauty Expert, Gina Rivera

Here it comes; that feeling in the pit of your stomach. You wonder how it will go this time and you hope you will be able to do your best work. I am not talking about displaying your work at a hair show or educating on stage. I am talking about that challenging client that continues to show up on your appointment book. So, just how do you deal with a client that you just can’t seem to please? We have all had them and though you think that they may leave, they don’t seem to want to leave you .

First, start out with communication. Make sure that if you speak to them prior to their appointment that you ask them some specific questions. Do they want a color change? If so, can they bring a photo showing the color they would like? Do they want a style change? Again, request a photo. You may want to ask some additional questions such as; how much time do you want to dedicate to styling your hair daily? Either way, make sure that you are communicating with them in a very specific way to ensure that get what they are requesting. Remember, sometimes people are poor communicators and they don’t even realize it. This means it’s up to you as the professional to focus on getting a lot of detail.

Along with showing you pictures of what they want as I discussed above, ask the client to show you photos of what they don’t want and looks that they dislike. Right away this will allow you to eliminate various looks and assist you with developing a more clear picture of what style they are seeking. Knowing the “do nots” can be equally important in helping the client to achieve their desired look.

Try giving yourself a little extra time for this client’s appointment. The last thing you want to do in this situation is to be stressed out because you are running late or rushing. The more time you take with this client, the more successful the appointment will be for both of you.

As I always say, attitude is everything when it comes to a successful professional life. Though it’s easy to feel tension when you have a difficult client, try to remain calm, cool, and collective during their appointment. This will help you to perform your best and it will make it easier for you to communicate.

Finally, if the client continues to be a problem, and you are constantly having to redo their service; make a change. I don’t advocate pursuing a situation that will bring you both down. This isn’t good for you or the client. So, politely make a recommendation for another hairstylist that you believe may be a better fit and don’t rebook them. In the end, you will both be happier.

As you know, every now and then, this may happen with even the best of clients. People sometimes are dealing with things that are out of your control. So, make sure to show some grace to your client during those times. That’s sure to go a long way.