You can't win them all and why you probably don't want to...

When you work in an industry in which you provide hand crafted, repeat services for people, you attract a repeat clientele that appreciates your "flavor." They are your dream clients-- the ones who always prebook their next appointment before leaving, want their hair done in hair styles and hair colors that you actually enjoy to do, and quickly become more of a friend. These are the types of clients that you know walk away feeling better about themselves and tell all their friends about it which in turn makes you feel good because your job was done and done well! Another satisfied client! YAAASSSS!

But what about the darker side of this industry? If you are a hairstylist that is still building a clientele and accepting new clients (as I am), you are still inviting a lot of people into your salon home that you have never met and know nothing about. You don't know their hair history (or trauma) and ultimately you don't know for sure if they are going to like what you do for them.

Don't get me wrong-- I am well aware that it is the nature of working with the public and with a really good in depth consultation, you have the blueprints for the goal but things HAPPEN. Maybe their is a part of their hair history that they forgot and is making their hair very stubborn to change Perhaps both of your visions or ideas of the plans in words sounded the same but in fact were different when executed. The slightest miscommunication can make the end result a miss. The client is feeling unpleased and bad about their appearance and you are feeling defeated.

I always guarantee my work which means if a client is unhappy I will invite them to come back to make any adjustments without additional cost. Thats right-- FREE. My attitude is that if I didn't get it right the first time, I didn't do my job and I want to make it right. Of course I do this within reason. If it's been over a month well of course your color will not look fresh, you are due for another treatment!! But if I get a call a few days to a week later, I know the client is not satisfied with my work. I make it right.

Now WHAT IF you get a client in your chair that just happens to be the type of person that is not happy with MANY aspects of their lives and they decide their hair will always be one of them whether it's you or anyone else that does it. Perhaps they want something done to their hair that is out of their budget and this is why they are always unhappy with the results. Or maybe... they are just having a bad day and you get the brunt of it.

You might even get a client that tells you how much they love their hair when they leave your salon, give you a generous tip, and a huge big hug and kiss, and thank you so much when they leave.... and then some point after decide they don't like their hair and instead of calling you as you encouraged them to do if they had any concerns about their hair, they instead go online and decide to blast you. They can make any claims about how their appointment went even if they are not true. I wonder if people would behave this way if their was a version of yelp to rate customers. Sure as a customer, they are paying for a service. However, someone's time is something they can never get back along with the wear and tear on one's body. I'm sure if customer ratings were a thing, people would think twice in fear that they would be treated with a poor biased opinion of them or simply not be serviced. I'd rather take clients I know ahead of time are going to be super appreciative and respectful versus taking clients I know are difficult, unhappy, and "type happy" online bullies. To that type of client, I would let them know that I am booked. Infinitely.

Sometimes people forget that hair is fixable. Hair is forgiving. But a nasty review online doesn't go away-- it's out there for anyone and everyone to see, long after your hair has been fixed meanwhile someone's livelihood is tarnished and overall rating is lowered by how that client felt about their hair in that one moment. Imagine if online trolls were exiled to the box color aisle at Target? Then they would look how they act-- like a troll. HA!

I too often find myself accommodating a customer because they didn't want to pay for a color correction or didn't have realistic expectations to slowly get to their hair goal with repeat appointments over time. I find myself feeling BAD for CHARGING people for the services THEY WANT. Imagine that. A grown woman feeling guilt about charging customers the full cost of services for her OWN business. Sounds crazy but I know for A FACT that I'm not alone... I shoulder this with fellow hairstylists and many service providers who concerns themselves WAY too much about other people's financial standing. Bottomline is if someone can't afford a service, then they should either SAVE UP for one or NOT GET ONE AT ALL. It is not my job (or problem) to imagine what someone's bank account looks like.... except for my own... YET.... often times I do VERY silly things for example.. not charge people for additional applications of color, etc.... because apparently I have a color tree in my backyard-- admit it, you do it too.

My point is... it's a career, not a hobby. If I can't afford something, I don't do it. As much as we want more clients in a clientele based career, we want dream clients. We want our new best friends that come to see us every month or so. We all deserve yelp's top rated customers. Not this guy...