TonyaH

I have found in my experience with dealing with difficult clients, for the most part you can always please a client with a little tack and thoughtfullness. Most clients when they call, if they have had a bad experience or problem, they are already upset. You have to approach them in a way they will not feel threatened. Conveying concern for their problem is always the best approach, "I am sorry you have had a bad experience, how can I help". Making them feel like they are being a burden is a sure fire way to upset them into terminating there account with your business.There is always an exception. You will come across 1 out of 20 that will not be pleased no matter what you do. After trying to "fix" the situation and not reaching a conculsion I try to find out what they think I should do to solve their problem. I do not tolerate being yelled or cursed on the phone. I will politely tell the client, "I will be glad to help you as soon as you calm down, I am here to help you". Most people will calm down and you will be able to evaluate the situation and solve it or at least reach some kind of compromise. In my experience here at Sandollar, difficult clients are few and far between. My suggestion is to not let the situation escalate to the point that the client is disgruntled enough to cancel there membership.

MattD@puretan

You are absolutly 100% correct. The situation should never escalate to the point of canceling. What is usually forgotten is the first rule in sales. CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT. No matter how wrong you think they are. The easiest way to solve the problem is to LISTEN to what they are saying, just by how they tell you what is wrong, you should be able to know the direction to go in solving the problem.

Anthony Zachreson

I agree. Sometimes you even have to take a small loss to please the customer, because in the long run they will be satisfied, and a happy customer is a buying customer.

solid

*bump

Bronze Star

I disagree in part. The customer is not always right. When you work in a field such as this, that could directly affect the condition of the customer's health... they may not always know best.Let me site a few examples.... when a client comes in, signs an agreement to wear protective eye wear, then in the privacy of the room does not use it... the client is not right. When a client breaks your equipment and steals your lotion... they are not right. When a client lies about the medications they are taking or about tanning more than once in 24 hours somewhere else, they are not right.This is our business and we must protect it as if it were a small child. It is our responsibility to educate our clients. But our clients also have a responsibility to us as well. They do NOT know everything... we are the salon professionals. That is the way that it is.This does not mean being rude to our clients or tolerating their sh** either. But it does mean that part of professional demeanor is not letting the client walk all over us. No different than allowing a guest in our home to light our curtains on fire or drink all our beer. We owe that to our other paying clients to not tolerate the bs from our rude clients who demand, demand, demand and are ignorant of what they speak.I'll pass the rude buck to the competitor's salon, let her deal with it. I'd much rather have a friendly environment that perhaps costs a little more, is a safe place to tan where my clients are happy and keep coming back.Just my 2 cents,Laurie

Tan-U-Too

I agree BronzeStar. There are bad customers. I would not tolerate someone who is continusly (spelled wrong) abusive to my employees or my business. Sometime there outburstick crazyness drives good cutomers away. I like that word, outburstick, I made that up you know. LOL

Forever Tan

Unfortunately in business the customer is always right, but that doesn't mean they actually are.Every customer situation should be handled with tact.

Jamacia Jim

Come on forever I'm from Jersey too and you know we dragg them into the ally and "tenderize em"

Chippp

What about the client that says they think your price is higher then what the want to pay and that they want to barter every session and every lotions before they are willing buy. Then when they finally buy they say "You will never see the face of god. You are making too much money."It really happened. The one in a million.Too funny.

Chippp

I said"I have already seen the face of Buddha and he was happy."Shut her right up.