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Bad Behaving clients Vs Salon owners By Brodie Tsiknaris Business can be tough, but let’s talk about one of the not-so-fun parts: dealing with difficult clients. Now, we’ve all heard the saying that the client is always right, but let’s be real here, sometimes they can be downright awful! I mean, who in their right mind thinks it’s okay to treat someone with disrespect, when they’re paying for a service? It’s mind-boggling! Lately, my team and I have had to deal with some seriously rude people. I think the rise of social media has made things even harder for hairdressers. We’ve had clients with unrealistic colour expectations and others who want to haggle over prices. It’s crazy how some people feel entitled to criticise our business and the prices we charge. We have a bunch of awards hanging on our salon door and plastered all over our website, but still, some folks walk in thinking they can get a cut and colour for a measly $150. When we give them a quote, they act like we just told them the sky is purple. It’s mind-blowing! Listen, if you want to shop at Kmart, that’s totally fine. But don’t come into a fancy salon in a swanky location expecting bargain prices. And for the love of all things fabulous, don’t take your frustration out on
our receptionist or us! It’s not cool, period! Maybe it’s the time of year or the full moon or the end-of-year financial pressure, who knows? But here’s the thing: hairdressers are kind-hearted people. So, please, be nice and don’t be an idiot. It’s not that hard! Now, let me tell you about the crazy stuff my salon, Rokstar, and I have had to deal with. We’ve been on the receiving end of some serious threats and awful claims. People have gone on social media rampages against us. It’s hard to ignore this stuff, and it’s really horrible as a business owner to have to deal with this crap! It’s just one more thing to add to our never-ending todo list. No wonder some people sell their businesses! But you know what? We are so lucky to have the AHC (Australian Hairdressing Council) and the incredible Sandy Chong to speak with. I called up Sandy, and she happened to be driving to Canberra, representing the industry like the boss she is! Sandy always has time for me, no matter how busy she is, and she helped me break down those ridiculous threats and bullying, she’s experienced it all in her long career and 30+ years of one of Australia’s best salons, Suki. She explained my rights as a
business owner and guided me through the fair-trade process, what would happen and encouraged me to call out the bad behaviour and see the funny side of a very stressful situation! Sandy is a wealth of knowledge with a heart of gold. We’re so lucky to have the AHC! If you’re not a member, join, every salon owner should be! Thanks, Sandy, for all you do for our industry! But also, for talking me through a stressful situation. Ok back to the situation… I called out this woman on her bad behaviour and told her she’s not welcome. Of course, she didn’t like that, but you know what? I don’t like bullies, and I don’t like threats. And if you slander my name, it won’t be taken lightly. But what really upsets me is when people treat my team like they’re not even human! It’s just not right. People have no idea of the damage they can cause to business owners mental health and also staff mental health by being horrible! So, here’s my advice to you: know what you stand for and call out any bad behaviour. Don’t tolerate it, and make sure your team knows what’s acceptable. We even have a script at our front desk now that says we won’t tolerate unkindness or bad behaviour. Can you believe we need a script for a hostile phone conversation? It’s crazy!
