Stress Reduction Kit

I have to say that my week this week could have been very frustrating! I spent a lot of valuable time fine tuning haircuts that weren't just right, and a lot MORE time working on re-adjusting a clients hair extensions only to have her call back again for a "RE-readjustment". Very frustrating!- AND a CRAZY client who's daughter was unhappy with her color because it "wasn't what she expected". As it turned out, she expected the "racing stripe" highlights that we agreed she wasn't getting!- yep, fixed that too!-for FREE! Even though it truly was her fault.

It's funny how these "needy clients" always have a story of how their previous hairdresser "would never call them back", or "getting an appointment was too difficult", or "they treated me rudely when I called".

After this week some things dawned on me: 

• Most salons don't have the patience it takes to satisfy these clients
• It's easy to quit on a difficult client
• Difficult clients "talk" a lot and don't mind bad-mouthing other salons

Here's the conclusion I came to this week:

I now look at needy clients as an investment. Even though they "need" your attention, they only need it from time to time. Once you have them figured out, your relationship gets much better. If you can be patient and see it through to their satisfaction, they will talk you up to others(maybe), but definitely not be able to bad mouth you.

It's hard to build a good reputation, but if you have low tolerance and low patience, you will build a BAD REPUTATION faster than you ever dreamed! And you may never recover from that!

So here's my advice. I sum it up like this on my bad days:

"Today I invested in my reputation. Some days I don't get compensated for my time spent and I'm forced to wait on it to come. But it will come."

I hope this will help you the next time you have that "needy" client that drives you absolutely up the wall! Remember that EVERYTHING IS AN INVESTMENT. You either invest wisely or poorly, but every decision in life is an investment one way or the other! Make good investments in your clients! -your friend, Jayson Lacy