When (and how) to break-up with a client!

When we all start out in this business, we envision our days filled with the joy of doing what we love – working on healthy, clean lashes with amazing clients who sometimes, even turn into friends! And most days, that is exactly what we get to do! However, we seldom think about (or are told about) those OTHER days… those OTHER clients, who – if we let them – can really damage our business, our self esteem, and in the worst cases – our drive to continue doing what we really love - LASHES!

This article is about THOSE clients. After being in this industry for over 10 years, I have encountered all kinds. The overtly rude, the unhygienic, the constantly late, the price haggler, the entitled – I even had one lady cuss me out for not squeezing her in on Christmas morning!

There are too, the situations that are tough to navigate. The times when you’re on the fence about how to handle a naughty client - maybe that client always has a really good excuse, or maybe they’re a friend of yours and you don’t want to offend them, or maybe you’re just afraid of losing a client – this is especially common when we’re starting out. We want all the clients we can get and we’re willing to put up with almost anything to keep them! …Well I am here to tell you, that is a MISTAKE! Don’t do it! And here’s why…

When we allow clients to treat us poorly and do not set boundaries (aka “policy’s”) we are setting a standard for all other clients. We will begin to attract these negative clients because our energy and practice lets them know they’ll be able to get away with anything and we won’t do a damn thing about it. This will trickle down and effect everything else. As the saying goes, “the fish rots from the head.” Imagine, for second, you have one client who is constantly late, which in turn pushes back all of your other clients. Now, all of your other clients are not only inconvenienced and annoyed that their appointment is late, but they SEE that they can be late too, and you’ll accommodate them. Think for a second what kind of reputation this speaks to. Not a very professional one!

My most memorable client (and not in a good way) was a lady who embodied, pretty much, every bad behaviour you could get from a client. She would always be late, by a minimum of 15 minutes, she would attempt to tell me what price she was going to pay (after the service was done), saying she only brought so much cash so, “that’s what I will pay.” She was a bargain shopper and would go to anyone having a deal (which I never did), meaning she would consistently come back to me with poorly applied lashes and expect me to fill them, as opposed to doing a removal and a full set. This lady would even go as far as to ask me to move my other clients around to accommodate her schedule! Now, I am actually grateful for her. This lady taught me so much about how I want to run my business, how to honour and value myself and my time, what I was NOT willing to put up with and how to handle the situation in a professional, non-confrontational way.

Our toughest clients will be our biggest teachers! So before you go screaming at them (and trust me, sometimes you’ll want to), ask yourself what type of business you want to run, what type of reputation you want your business to have, and always remember – the worst position to be in, is the one where YOU have to apologize for having done something wrong!

HOW TO FIRE A CLIENT (in a calm, professional manner)

1. Start with writing out a Policy Agreement.

Firing a client is always about valuing yourself, your time, and your business. Having clear lines and boundaries around how you want to be treated is key. Your first step, (which should be done prior to having poorly behaved clients but can be implemented at any time!) is setting up your policies and having them very visible. Making sure each client agrees to them, not just once, but prior to every appointment, making sure there is no confusion. The easiest way to do this, is by having an online booking system. There are plenty of free ones available – I personally use Acuity Scheduling and love it, however there are LOT’S out there! With these systems, you can input policies that your clients must read and agree to in order to continue with the booking.

Your policies should include:

- What your expectations around fills are (how much of the set need to still be intact for it to be considered a fill and what constitutes a full set). I also include a time-frame acceptable for fills, i.e. past for 4 weeks is considered a full set.

- How late you will allow them to be, and at what point will their appointment be considered a no-show. Also, if the client is late, will this time be taken off their appointment to ensure you don’t inconvenience your other (on-time) clients.

- What will happen when they come with dirty lashes.

- What happens to no-show clients, whether you charge a fee or not.

- If deposits or payments are refundable.

- Your policy on cellphones in your establishment.

- Whether or not you will fill another artist’s work.

These are policies you should have in place, so your clients understand what is expected of them.

2. Stand behind your policies!

Your policies mean nothing if you don’t uphold them! These should be hard lines, not suggestions. Now, of course there is always the exception to the rule. For example, if a client is 1 or 2 days past the 4 week mark and technically is considered a full set according to my policy, but still has 50% or more of the lash set left, I may bend the rule. However, I would usually have an additional charge. Having the extra charge tells your client you are serious about your policy, while maintaining that relationship by “giving them a deal” and not charging full price.

3. Stay calm.

When you are explaining to a client why you will no longer be taking their appointments, the most important thing is to stay calm. Maintain your professionalism and don’t be condescending or passive aggressive. The worst behaviour I see, and unfortunately one of the most common, is when a business owner puts on that fake smile – you know the one – and calls the client something like “sweety,” or “hun.” This is VERY unprofessional and not the way to handle the situation in a business environment. This is also a sure-fire way to escalate most situations when our goal is to diffuse them! Sometimes, thanking them for their business can also come off very condescending.

The best way to speak to a client that you are about to fire, is like an adult. Sounds simple right? Well, it isn’t always easy, especially if that client is unhappy, because THEY aren’t worried about their professionalism. So, my best advise is to stay calm. When a client tries to book in with you that you are unwilling to take, politely explain what has happened and how it has affected your business, and that unfortunately you will no longer be taking their appointments. If they argue, calmly explain your policies, apologize for any inconvenience, and try to not engage any further than that. MOST times, when you are polite but assertive, your client will be apologetic for their behaviour, a little embarrassed and understanding.

Remember, you do not have to engage with a client who is rude. Once the conversation turns past polite and professional, you have the control and the power to shut it down. Value yourself. Value your business. Keep those standards high!

4. When to fire a client

Earlier in this article, we covered a few bad behaviours. Here is my personal list of unacceptable behaviours and how I have dealt with it:

· No-show’s:

When a client no-show’s, there are a few things I consider. If it is a regular client and this is not her typical behaviour, I will just give her a call, 9 times out of 10 it just slipped her mind and she’ll reschedule – keeping in mind, this is a loyal client who otherwise is a treat to work with, I won’t charge anything. Things happen. However, if this is a new client or one who has caused issues in the past – I will reach out to them and let them know that “as per our policy”, if she’d like to book in again she will have to prepay in full for her next appointment, and that if that appointment is missed or cancelled within 24hours, her payment is voided, non-refundable and we will not be taking any further appointments. Most clients find this perfectly reasonable and follow through with prepaying for the next appointment. This also let’s them know that their behaviour will not be tolerated and will rarely happen again. If it does, that client is blocked from rebooking. My time is valuable, and worth respecting.

· The Unhygienic Client:

These clients are tough, because often they are genuinely nice people and you can feel badly for pointing out their nasty lashes, especially if you are not comfortable with confrontation. When dealing with these clients, keep in mind that keeping their lashes clean isn’t just about you having more work during your fills. This is a safety issue for them. Explaining it to them, keeping their health and safety as the basis for the conversation lets your client know you care, maintains your reputation and professionalism, and potentially keeps the client as opposed to having to fire them. However, if you have a repeat offender, who after explaining the risks associated with poor lash hygiene, continues to come in with nasty, make-up caked lashes – letting her go is the BEST option for your business. When you are letting this type of client go, keep it in her best interest. I personally tell her that due to her high risk of getting an infection because of improper aftercare, she is not a candidate for lash extensions, and you will no longer be able to accommodate her. Likely, she will go somewhere else – and let her go. This is not the type of client you want. If she does end up with an infection, you can bet your business on the fact that she’ll blame the lash extensions – and in that, YOU, causing irreparable damage to your reputation in the industry.

· The Negotiator:

Personally, I do not offer discounts on my lash services. This is because I have spent years of my life and countless dollars on training and education to be able to offer the best service possible. I believe I deserve to be paid appropriately for my work – and so should you! So when a client tries to tell me that I am “too expensive”, I don’t take offence to it, I just understand that this person is not the client for me, and let them go to someone cheaper. I stand by the motto “I don’t do cheap sets; I fix cheap sets”.

I used to offer discounts on my Lash services when I was starting out. I found that the type of clientele I was attracting were bargain shoppers. The type who only want to get lashes from me when I was having a sale and would go somewhere else the second that sale was over. I knew that in order to build my business, I would need steady, loyal clients. Business 101 tells us that 20% of our clients will give us 80% of our business. So in order to find those loyal clients, I needed to attract the people who valued my work as much as I did – and they weren’t going to be the ones coming in just when I had a sale.

So, my advice when dealing with someone who wants to cheapen your work: stand firm to your prices. In doing this, you will attract those dream clients who are happy and willing to pay for the quality you provide!

· Chronically Late:

First and foremost, I make it clear in my policies that a client who is any later than 15 minutes is considered a no show. Then those clients, I will handle as stated in the section above. I also make it clear that the appointment time ends when stated, so if they are 5 minutes late, that will come out of their allotted time. This is important in keeping your business running smoothly and ensures you don’t inconvenience those clients who have showed up on time.

When I have a client who consistently runs 10 mins or more behind – but always sneaks in before the 15 min cancellation mark, I politely let them know that I am not able to offer them a quality service when I am feeling rushed and I am not okay with putting my name on work that is below my standard of quality. I let her know if she’d like to continue, she needs to either pay for added time, show up on time, or find someone else to accommodate her. Often, putting your foot down will be enough to make this client wise-up. Otherwise, it is okay to let her go. Again, value your work and your time and it will reflect in your business.

· The Entitled:

This client really grinds my gears! These are the clients who expect to be accommodated at a whim, and don’t respect your time or your other clients. They expect to be “fit in” before of after your already remarkably busy workday (or sometimes even on Christmas morning!). They believe that because they are paying for your service (like everyone else…) they are somehow entitled to special treatment, regardless if it is a major inconvenience to you or your other clients, and they can be pushy about it! All I can say is, stand your ground! If you are not comfortable with something, make that clear – calmly and professionally of course! Let this client know that you are unable to accommodate them and they are welcome to book in during your available time slots. You are not a robot! You NEED down time! Whether that’s an hour between a few clients, or your morning routines, or your time to wind down at the end of the day - it is also okay (and important!) to have days off. Your quality of work will only suffer, and in turn your reputation, if you are constantly “squeezing in” people instead of resting. Trust me, the clients you want WILL manage to work around your schedule. In extreme cases, I have simply just stopped answering these clients calls. Sometimes, no amount of polite discussion will get through to certain clients, and total avoidance is the only answer. If they become rude, or refuse to stop the behaviour, it is okay to simply stop engaging with them.

· Belligerent or Rude Client:

This is the type of client who becomes combatant when asked to adhere to a policy. The worst of the worst. In these situations, it can be hard to keep your cool, or on the other side, it can be hard not to cower to them depending on how you handle confrontation. There is only one thing to do when a client becomes rude or belligerent: DO NOT ENGAGE. These people are looking for a fight, and by engaging with them you are only feeding into it. As long as you have respectfully explained problem, kept their best interests, or that of your company as the basis of the conversation, then you have done all you can do. You do not have to allow them to treat you badly. Tell them you understand they’re upset, but you will not tolerate rudeness. If they calm down, great. If not, shut it down by politely exiting the conversation.

· The client who always comes back to you after getting a fill somewhere else:

Now, I don’t consider this a fireable offence, however it can still be a frustrating behaviour, so I felt it was worth mentioning.

When I have a client, who doesn’t come in regularly, and when she does, always asks me to fill another artist’s work – I get instant anxiety. I never know what I am about to have to deal with in regard to quality of work (I have seen some things…. Eek!). For example, I have a few clients who were once regulars but have since moved out of town. Whenever they are back for a visit, they will come in to have their lashes done by me. With these clients, I always remind them that I do not guarantee I can fill another artist’s work. They are welcome to come in, and I will take a look through her lashes. If they are applied properly and safely, then I have no problem filling them and typical fill requirements apply (50% or more). If they are not applied properly or have less than 50% remaining, it will be a full removal, new set, and she will be charged accordingly. I personally have never had a client have an issue with this. I have (many!) times had to do a full removal, and when I have explained to the client why this is necessary, they are very understanding and usually grateful for fix!

In conclusion, the customer is NOT always right! Value yourself, your work, your client’s health and safety, your business, and your reputation. Set your standards high and accept nothing less! In doing this, you will begin to attract those dream clients and build a successful and sustainable business <3