When asked what they love the most about their job, hair stylists are able to list you numerous subjects and situations that made them feel happy to work in the beauty industry. However, when asked about things that aren’t as great, the list is almost as long… and sometimes far more dramatic. Let's take a look at some of the stories stylists have shared with the Booksy team about their everyday struggles with difficult clients, last-minute cancellations and careless coffee lovers - and find out how to dodge these situations.
“I had a client who came to my salon 20 minutes late… with a cup of Starbucks latte in her hand. Girl, unless you have the second cup for me, it’s unacceptable.” “I had one girl cancel approximately three hours before the appointment because she realised she prefers her hair blonde. All my years in beauty school didn’t prepare me for this.” “Okay, so one time, one of my clients made an appointment for a full-on hair transformation - I’m talking 4-5 hours of work. She arrived on time… but with a hyperactive toddler in her arms. She said he won't cause any problems and 'will be watching cartoons on her smartphone'. He managed to dump the dryer, get a head bump hitting our glass door and drove everyone, other clients included, absolutely bananas.” “One of my regulars came to me coughing like crazy. She explained that she got the flu and had to go on sick leave, but managed to make it to the appointment. She was very proud of herself and said: 'I know you don’t like late cancellations so I ate twice the dose of painkillers and here I am!'. She had pure intentions so I said nothing… of course, two days later I got sick. As well as two of my other stylists, my receptionist, and worst of all, my kids.” What to do: Some clients can be too caught up in the moment, and to avoid the nasty repercussions of their actions you need to implement salon policies. Write a set of rules and display them in your salon, on your website and preferably also on your social media pages. The well-written policy should explain your approach towards late cancellations, no-shows, kids, pets, being sick and so on, in a polite but clear manner.
“My biggest pet peeve are clients who are super happy with their new hairstyle… and then I see them on social media whining about how horrible a hairdresser (meaning ME!) made them look! Why do people do this?! I would be happy to correct what they didn’t like about the style IF THEY ONLY TOLD ME SOMETHING WAS WRONG!” “Similar thing, but I get people loving their cut or dye initially… and then they give me a negative review online. Like, tell me, why!" “The worst clients are those men who just walk in, sit down and just wait. So you ask them what they want, and they say they want it shorter. So you say okay, but how much shorter? A little shorter. How much is a little? You are the hair cutter, you should know. Some days I feel like giving them a mullet after something like this.” “Orrr those who say: Do whatever you want. So you do whatever you want - and they complain like there is no tomorrow! Because it is not what they wanted! SO WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT, SUSAN” “Had a girl, 18 or 19, who wanted cobalt blue. In order to get a vivid colour, I started bleaching. She claimed to have virgin hair… so yeah, long story short, she had a perm done earlier and now she has to rock a pixie cut. She looks dope with it, though.” “One time I got a bride-to-be who requested a very cool blonde as she would like to be, as she put it, 'an icy bride, like Elsa from Frozen'. She was a level 3 or 4 at the time, so I told her the estimated amount of sessions needed to get her there, after which she was flabbergasted and told me: but the wedding is next week!" What to do: Always begin with an in-depth consultation and a strand test, especially if the customer is new - and write down everything significant in the customer records section in Booksy. Also, explain why you ask them about previous treatments - they have to understand that it is not your curiosity, but the fact that some treatments affect one another. This way you will minimise the risk of hair damage. Moreover, during the initial consultation, make sure both you and your client are on the same wavelength - sometimes the silliest misunderstandings cause the worst dramas!
“I had a walk-in, a man in his late forties. He came in like he was some big cheese and told my receptionist he wanted to have his hair done right now. She politely explained that we are fully booked for the day, but he said he noticed a stylist on break outside. Once again, she politely explained that the stylist is on break and has a client in less than ten minutes. He kept on demanding, saying things like 'In my business, this kind of laziness would be unthinkable' and 'My hair takes two minutes to do, you only pretend that it takes longer to get more money'. We were forced to ask him to leave.” “One time, we had a woman who was pretty much harassing my employee during the whole cut - for no particular reason. As it turned out later, my employee reminded her of her ex-husband’s mistress. The poor girl spent her lunch break crying. When I heard about this, I banned that woman from our business. I won’t tolerate such behaviour, no matter who you are.” What to do: Remember that you don’t have to tolerate offensive customers who try to harass you or your staff. You can ban them so that they will not be able to book a visit ever again - and if the case is serious, don’t hesitate to call the police. However, if the customer is known for being a little too assertive, but is a good person (and a client) overall, you can simply tag them in your Booksy system as “problematic” - and have a nerves-of-steel stylist deal with them!
“For about three months, I was working on a customer who wanted a silver balayage. Slow lifting, nourishing, toning, repeat. She was super patient, took good care of her in-process hair and paid hundreds of pounds without a word. When it was finished, it was magnificent. Sounds like a stupid meme, but the whole salon applauded when she stood up. We shared pictures of her transformation on social media, which received twice the number of likes as our regular posts. Not even a month later, and she dyed her hair black with a box dye - as she explained, she didn’t feel like herself in the silver. I came back home that day and literally burst into tears.” What to do: I know how heartbreaking it is to see the results of hours of your hard work gone with the wind. You basically go through all stages of grief: denial (“It’s a joke…”), anger (“How could she?!”), bargaining (“Please, God, I won’t set dryer on hot air ever again if only it isn’t true!”), depression (“I don’t want to do hair anymore…”) and finally, acceptance. The thing is - the hair on the client’s head belongs to them, and as long as they pay for the service fair and square, there is nothing you can do. It’s their decision! It’s not always all sunshine and rainbows being a salon owner and a hair stylist - some situations and behaviours can really get under your skin. But you learn from mistakes and earn the experience needed to handle difficult cases - and with a digital helper at your service, Booksy, you'll always be ready for clients who get on your nerves ahead of time!
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