Hairbrained – Customer Service Serves You Right by Beauty Expert, Gina Rivera

You know the good ole’ saying, “The customer is always right”… even if they aren’t. Well, it still stands true today.

We have all experienced having a client show up for an appointment and you are suddenly struck with sheer panic because you don’t have them down on your books. For me, this typically happens when I am two clients deep and running 30 minutes behind. LOL. And, the funny thing is that nine times out of 10 times, my client is usually in the wrong!

However, wrong or not, the absolute worst thing that any Salon Professional can do is make a client feel embarrassed for showing up at the wrong time. Even worse, arguing with them when they challenge you is a big no. It’s a quick way to lose a client and at a minimum create discord.

Well folks, I have seen this happen first hand. I don’t care how wrong the client may be, please, always remain professional. Take a deep breath and work through it with the client. Try to accommodate them the best that you can. Maybe you can fit them in during the next day or two, or if you’re lucky, later that day. Just remember, always take care of your clients.

Work to become a Master of Relationships. You want the individual in your chair for a long time. Especially if it is not typical for the client to confuse their appointment time.

We also all have those habitually late clients that we can never make happy. I have had a few myself. However, I always remain professional and try to figure out a solution that works best for the client and myself. Sometimes that means that I had to have a heart to heart talk with them.  At times you may even need to suggest that a client should try out a different stylist who might be a better fit.

I think that as humans we tend to forget about the clients who we can’t make happy. Just know it may not be their unhappiness with the service or with you. Remember, you never know what is going on in someone’s personal life that is generating negativity. So, strive to be as understanding as possible and make sure you focus on working through challenges professionally.  It will pay off in the long run!