Although the thought of letting a client go may seem contradictory when you are running a business, sometimes letting go of a client here or there actually is good for business—or perhaps just good for you. “Letting go” is a nice way to say you are firing a particular individual as a client.
Why would you do this? Perhaps this client is a chronic canceler. She may give you just about 24 hours notice but not much more. This has happened frequently, and on many occasions you weren’t able to fill the appointment vacancy. Maybe she doesn’t cancel but is simply unpleasant to work on. I will say that only once did I “fire” a client who I found offensive. She would come in and talk start to finish about things that for me were not pleasant to hear. This, of course, is an individual preference and call, but keep in mind this is your business and you actually have the right to refuse service to anybody for any reason.
Why would you do this? Perhaps this client is a chronic canceler. She may give you just about 24 hours notice but not much more. This has happened frequently, and on many occasions you weren’t able to fill the appointment vacancy. Maybe she doesn’t cancel but is simply unpleasant to work on. I will say that only once did I “fire” a client who I found offensive. She would come in and talk start to finish about things that for me were not pleasant to hear. This, of course, is an individual preference and call, but keep in mind this is your business and you actually have the right to refuse service to anybody for any reason.
I can’t remember ever actually telling a client that I would no longer give her facials. I suppose that kind of confrontation wasn’t something I felt comfortable having in my business environment. However, since I run my scheduling book, I can make it difficult for a problem client to get a next appointment. Usually if it is so hard to get in with you over the long-term, that particular client will find another practitioner who is easier to get an appointment with, and this new person can take on what you may have found intolerable. I have spoken with many professionals who employ a similar strategy for letting a problem client go. In all of my 30 years in skin care, I have only had one or two “problem” clients. Truly, most everyone is a good fit, whether long- or short-term.
Something I have discovered to be true in my business as well as in life: If something isn’t working for you about a particular person, more than likely something about you isn’t working for them. So in this instance, it may not take much for a client to move on. And if you feel OK about confronting a client head-on, by all means speak directly to the individual about letting them go—firing them. We all do what we feel most comfortable with most of the time. So however you choose to do it, if you have a client you no longer want to serve, somehow let them know.
Something I have discovered to be true in my business as well as in life: If something isn’t working for you about a particular person, more than likely something about you isn’t working for them. So in this instance, it may not take much for a client to move on. And if you feel OK about confronting a client head-on, by all means speak directly to the individual about letting them go—firing them. We all do what we feel most comfortable with most of the time. So however you choose to do it, if you have a client you no longer want to serve, somehow let them know.
Even when I didn’t let a client go intentionally, sometimes I have done things for the health of my business that turned someone off. I had a lovely client in Dallas who was regular every month—for years. One day she came in for her facial in her pajamas and slippers (yes, she was wearing big, fuzzy bedroom slippers), and she looked horrible. She had deep dark circles under her eyes and her hair was disheveled. Neither of those things means someone is not well, but she just had the aura of someone who was sick. Although I asked her if she was indeed sick (she said yes), because she was a good client, in my mind I thought I could just let it go. I’d wear my surgical mask and hope for the best in terms of my not getting sick.
I got her settled into the bed, but once my hands were on her face, it was hot—red hot—indicating what felt like a high fever. I asked her directly if she thought she was contagious. She said she wasn’t sure. She did say she came in because she thought the facial would make her feel better. Although I was upset, I got up and nicely said that because she was sick and most likely contagious (she was contagious!), I didn’t feel comfortable giving her a facial. She picked herself up out of the facial bed and scooted in her bedroom slippers out my front door—never (ever) to return again.
I got her settled into the bed, but once my hands were on her face, it was hot—red hot—indicating what felt like a high fever. I asked her directly if she thought she was contagious. She said she wasn’t sure. She did say she came in because she thought the facial would make her feel better. Although I was upset, I got up and nicely said that because she was sick and most likely contagious (she was contagious!), I didn’t feel comfortable giving her a facial. She picked herself up out of the facial bed and scooted in her bedroom slippers out my front door—never (ever) to return again.
Sometimes if a client comes in sick I will just put a mask on and give the facial, hoping to not get what they have. Sometimes this works, other times I have gotten their cold or flu. That is why I am rather adamant (as you can read in my blog posts and on my website) about clients not coming in sick to get their facials. It’s just not fair to me and it doesn’t help the sick people to get well. They should be home resting in bed, drinking fluids and going to the doctor if necessary. Still, when I do find it necessary to don the mask when a client comes in sick, I hope for the best and load up on supplements when I get home.
With the PJ client, although I was sad to lose a long-term, regular monthly client (who also purchased products), I was just as happy to let go of someone who obviously didn’t care about my health as a fellow human being. I get the idea of how relaxing a facial would be and how this might make you feel better if you’re sick. And if the facial was given by a robot—great! But I am a living breathing (your breath) person who, just like you, can get sick—from you! Going to the doctor when you’re sick is one thing, but arriving at a facial or massage appointment infirmed is not the appropriate thing to do in my book.
There haven’t been any more instances of a client coming in sick and after being rejected for a facial, never coming back to see me. But there are other situations where I have “lost” a client over something that I’ve done that didn’t set right with them—usually (almost always) it has been due to charging for a no-show or (chronic) last minute cancellations. If a client’s concept of time and respect that I am running a business is so miles away from where I need them to be, then I am OK with them leaving. This is how I see it: When I lose a client who was not really a good fit for my business (and therefore I was not a good fit for them), it opens up space for another, perhaps more conscientious client to take their place.
I will say that 99.9% of my clients in all the cities I’ve had offices are wonderful, respectful, joyous people who have given me so much more than I could have possibly given them. So if I lose .1% here and there, I am OK with that.
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