How To Deal With Client Complaints Like A ProAugust 31, 2019The success of a business in the service industry is solely dependent on customer service. As a salon owner, you want nothing but the best for your salon. In order to reach the top, you need to master your dealings with difficult clients. Some people enter your salon in a lousy mood and end up arguing with your staff or you. Their entitled attitude can be upsetting to deal with, but it must be done! How thin should you stretch yourself to please a client? The answer lies in how much of the issue is caused by your staff and how much by the client? More importantly, how do you balance the relationship between client and staff? There is no fixed formula for solving client related issues. With experience, you will learn how to read a client and figure out what they want. Till then, here are some tried and tested tips straight from our experts: Get the facts Collect as much information as possible regarding the issue. While customers usually complain because they are upset or unsatisfied by the services provided, some are just out to get a free gift, discount, or treatment. You need to identify which category your client falls under and move forward from there. If a client is creating a scene in your salon, they are most likely looking for attention. They know that public arguments can tarnish the reputation of your business. Salon owners or managers usually try to appease such clients with extra services or a handsome discount. It’s pretty obvious when clients are waiting for something to go wrong; a missing tool in a manicure set is hardly anything to be fuming about after all! You may come across complaints about the attitude of your staff. Since your services are highly dependent on the interaction and quality of work by your staff, you need to keep an open mind about the fact that, once in a while, they may be having a bad day. Have a word with both the client and your staff individually. It’s a good way to see if their narratives are consistent. Don’t jump the gun and pick a side immediately. Put the facts together and determine who is at fault. If such an incident has previously occurred with the same staff member, chances are, there’s something there. On the other hand, a particular regular client may have a history of being difficult. Such situations make it easier to pinpoint the problem. Diplomatic action The client is always right. This rule of thumb calls for a more diplomatic approach to working with such sticky situations. If your staff is at fault then you need to step up, accept the mistakes and take action. We suggest you offer a free treatment from another aesthetician. You also need to focus on why the problem arose in the first place. Once your client has left, it’s now time to deal with your staff. Always remember that a salon or spa is a place visited for relaxation. The focus of such businesses is wellbeing and therefore any friction with staff can upset the environment created. If needed, lead by example and show your staff the correct way of performing a procedure. If you have come to the conclusion that the fault lies in the customer, you still need to swallow your pride. Apologize to them despite the fact. You may lose a customer but you tried your best. It’s better for your business to lose a spiteful client. Don’t take things to heart If you’re an over-thinker, minor issues can really play on your mind. This particular situation at hand hasn’t been created by any wrong-doing on your part but you still need to solve it. This is the best approach for angry clients. Mistakes happen! Don’t take any complaint personally. A good customer will generally let things go if it isn’t major. As an SOP it’s good to take in all the complaints with a positive attitude. Clients generally want to report a shortcoming or their dissatisfaction for the money they have spent. It’s human nature to be defensive but you need to hold back on that impulse. Any aggression on your part can lead to the loss of a client and negative marketing of your salon. Don’t quietly take abuse Let’s not be naïve! Some clients can be downright vicious. Not liking the results should not result in a blatant malicious attack. Certain people have a violent streak and tend to get up in arms about even the smallest thing. If you are facing such a client, we are here to help. When trying to gather information from your client, if you feel an aggression coming through, it’s quite likely they will blow things out of proportion. Don’t accept any such abuse, if they have crossed a line, that is it! Begin with calmly telling them that you are trying to address their problem but they need to tone it down. If you, your staff or your property is under any sort of threat by that client, feel free to ask them to leave. If the situation has gone out of control, drastic measures will have to be taken. Get it in writing When trying to understand the extent of a problem, listen very carefully. You’re trying to make things better, but you are also looking out for clues that the customer is exaggerating things. Every time they explain their position, if they seem to inflate the problem, they are probably not being truthful. In such situations, ask them to provide a written complaint. Having things in writing can avoid over-exaggeration, as well as better targeting the problem. You can then focus on coming to a solution. Having things on paper can sometimes help a client notice their unreasonable claims. It never hurts to try! Focus all your attention to preventing such incidents Every day we learn something new. With every client complaint, we learn a little bit more about our salon. It isn’t as perfect as we imagined. There is always room for improvement. Learn from the mistakes that occurred with every complaint you get. Make sure such issues don’t occur again. Also, understand every client’s temperament. If a particular client has come in before and caused a stir in the salon, be vigilant the next time they arrive. If you notice this is constant behavior on their part, adopt a different strategy for them. Make sure they have no reason to complain. Appoint another aesthetician to perform their services, for example. Inform clients that it’s your policy to resolve any problems or shortcomings they are facing in the duration they spend in your salon. Such strategies work well to keep the level of frustration low among your customers. They feel a lot better when they know that feedback and problem resolution are aspects the salon is open to. Openly communicate with your customers. If something has happened that will affect their experience, let them know. If your salon falls short on a certain product, offer a discount to make up for that. If there’s a power related issue, let them know. Making them wait for information is unprofessional on your part. We at Salon Income Booster provide a fantastic online platform for salon-owners. The tips mentioned above and many others are revealed in our e-book. We also specialize in techniques to increase salon revenue and ways to improve upselling of your salon services. Follow our blog to stay up to date with the latest in the salon business!