Dealing With An Unhappy Client While Keeping Your Cool

An ideal workplace would be a friendly (drama-free zone) with absolutely no hassles or issues to deal with at all. Unfortunately, life is not that easy, and at some point, you could find yourself in a situation where you have to deal with unhappy clients, if this is the case, it's a good idea to know how to deal with things so that you never lose you cool.

Maintain professionalism

Maintaining professional behaviour is make or break; if you fail to do so, you could lose clients and business and be headed towards either early retirement or change of career. When clients come to the salon, you want them to leave happy; you want to put all of your hard work and training into creating something that the client will love, but unfortunately, no matter how hard you try you will, at some point, you may get an unhappy customer. 

How to recognise unhappy

Everyone deals with emotions differently; some unhappy clients may be vocal about it, and straight-up say it, others may remain fairly reserved for fear of upsetting the therapist. Truth is it is better to be aware than not to know so that some sort of solution can be drawn up in order to keep the client. An unhappy client may be happy for a refund or free treatment on the next visit, for instance, so be sure to take notice and try to establish how a client is really feeling, especially if they are not so vocal about it. Signs of unhappy clients are usually evident by facial expressions or asking for last-minute changes, so take note of things like that.

Self evaluate and show empathy

Oftentimes we hate to admit that we are in the wrong, but take a look at your work and consider if, on this occasion, perhaps you could have done something differently. Or even better, put yourself in the client's shoes and consider whether or not you would be happy with the work you've just done. Take it on the chin and try to correct the mistake rather than argue over who's right or wrong.

Fix the situation

Finding solutions is the best method to take, talk to the client, what would they like to be done to make them happier? Can the mistake be corrected this time, or perhaps a free appointment and treatment to correct things could be booked for a later date? Most salons have policies where clients can be compensated if the staffs are in the wrong, so speak to management and adhere to policy rules in order to find the best approach to rectify the situation.

Look Professional in uniform and be professional in mannerisms

Donn your best salon uniform with the utmost professionalism and try to remain composed and calm at all times. Ok, it can be difficult to admit that you are wrong, but when it comes to business you know how the saying goes, 'The customer is always right,' and if you intend on keeping business for the longevity you need to establish a good solid client base that is happy with not only the work that you provide but also the attitude you exude. Wearing a nice professional uniform and presenting yourself well sends out all the right messages, so be sure to look you best, work your best and be the best that you can.