3 Types of Challenging Clients Hairstylists Have to Deal With

/ posted in: Hair Stylists

Working as a hairstylist is more than just cutting and coloring hair. For one thing, hairstylists are most likely the most affordable therapist you will ever get. Professional hairstylists are capable of enhancing the physical beauty of their clients. In relation to this service, hairstylists significantly improve the confidence and self-image of their clients.

However, they still have to deal with challenging situations with some clients. Read on.

Hairstylists Have a Rewarding Career

It’s quite a rewarding job – especially if you are passionate about helping improve your clients’ feelings about themselves. However, being a hairstylist may come with its own trials and tribulations. For instance, you can’t please everybody.

Most clients’ entire self-worth and sense of self are attributed to how good their hair looks – and since you are the one with the scissors and styling capabilities, there is a lot of pressure on you to make clients feel good.

In today’s post, we will discuss some of the common issues most hairstylists face every day on the job – and how best to overcome them. Some are trivial, others more serious – either way, many hairstylists will agree to what’s on this list.

Unhappy and Hard-to-Please Clients

No matter how hard you work, unfortunately, there are going to be clients who are hard to please. While most people – stylists and clients alike – don’t like confrontations, there are some who just like focusing on the negatives.

Even if you know that you only provided superior service and did only what they asked for, some clients would just not let you off the hook.

This can be avoided by making sure you have a thorough initial consultation with the client.

Before you even let them sit on the chair and do work on their hair, both you and the client must agree about the style, pricing, and everything else related to the service they want to get from you.

Having a consultation sheet that lists your clients’ preferences helps. By having this documented form, it’s clear to both parties what they agreed on. This way, if they end up not liking it, you can refer them back to the consultation sheet.

Problematic Clients

Every business owner has their own horror stories surrounding entitled and problematic clients. While it’s true that the customer is always right, when it comes to problematic clients, you have to learn how to the great significance of standing your ground.

Make sure that you and fellow hairstylists know the importance of sticking to your salon policies – especially if you know full well that you are in the right. When stylists face particularly problematic clients, they keep a rational mind while referring back to the documented consultation records in case things escalate and get out of hand.

If a client is entirely disruptive, you are within your rights to escort them out of your premises – or even call local authorities. It may be difficult, but try to stay calm and rationale throughout the whole ordeal. Try to address problematic clients in a non-confrontational attitude. Inform them that they may try another hair salon and that you don’t think you are a good fit for them.

Con Artists

The sad truth is there are some clients who will pretend that they didn’t like the service they got just to get out of paying for it.  These types of people are more commonly known as con artists. There are many types in different industries.

Clients like this are rare in the salon industry, but they are out there. Thus, it’s essential to keep documentation of the services and your consultation records. Also, warn other stylists in the area of this type of client behavior.

What About Refunds?

Every salon has different ways of handling refunds. If you have an unhappy or dissatisfied client asking for a refund, don’t do it over the phone or social media.

Ask them to come over to your salon and discuss what aspects of the service they didn’t like.

In some cases, they would just want a small change; other times, they want to get more than what they paid for.

If they want a major change simply because they had a change of heart over the results they got, let them know calmly that doing so entails a new charge and a refund is not within your business policies. Remember that it’s not your fault as a stylist if the client ends up not liking their new look – especially if you did what you were asked.