The Making of an Esthetician

After reading Sandra’s last entry on a certain “difficult client,” I couldn’t help but comment myself. I, too, have had this client and the first thing she asked was if I was a senior student, because she associates your level in school with how good or bad of an esthetician you are.Since she comes in so frequently, she also did not want me to go over her health form. During the facial, she left her cell phone resting on her stomach and asked me to check who it was for her throughout the treatment. She said it could be her kids or one of her girlfriends, and she may have to answer.

And she did.

Twice.

It became a little awkward for me trying to figure out if I should continue with her treatment, sit silently and wait for her to be done, or leave the room. We even have a note on our menu asking clients to please turn their cell phones off in the school.

She requested samples from me also and was very upset when I did not offer her the warm mitts for her hands during the basic facial. She did give me a good evaluation, however, and a small tip.

I think a good client is someone who values our knowledge and appreciates the professional treatment that we are giving them. We as students are taught to respect the clients at all times, and respect from the client should come in return. And although they are paying for the treatment, the client needs to realize that we as practicing estheticians are going into this field to help people and not to answer their cell phones! For the most part, we have very nice people coming into our school; people who are already aware of the importance of skin care and are just looking to maintain their skin.

1. Svetlana
   May 12th, 2008 at 4:31 pm

   How can you concentrate on doing any serious job when your mind is so busy! I always tell that what we do is very similar to what teeth hygienists do; only skin is larger than a set of teeth. Does this client ask her hygienist to answer her phone while cleaning? I don’t think so.
   We use to have a client visiting our spa for several of different treatments. She was a doula. She’d ignore the request for not using cell phones, kept one on and answered it as it rang. It had a very loud alarm, just as her voce was. When we tried to let her know that she’d make a surprised face: “Am I too noisy? Oh, being Italian…” If you remind her about the policy, she’d reply: “There is an exception for every rule. With my line of work, you have to understand…” If you’d make an effort to educate her about the condition of her skin and suggest taking particular care of it she found that offensive and complained about poor conducting business, and asked for compensation. And got it. Being asked, why she keeps coming back, she’d say:” Because nobody knows how to do better job.”
   On top of everything she’d skip appointments. Usually big ones. A few times she was warned. Finally, when she was trying to make an appointment after one of our commission based technician once again lost a half of her day because of this mean lady, our receptionist informed the client of the necessity to pay ½ price of that previous service. That was a shock! She could not believe it. She was trying to explain her own importance to the technician and both managers. After she understood that she had to pay in order of being able to come again, she wished us good luck and never came back.
   She now makes an hour commute to see one of the girls who use to work with us and keeps her appointments. She still fills free talking on the phone.
   Everybody is happy in our spa that she left. You can not satisfy everyone. You don’t have to. It is sometimes healthier to reject one person for the sake of rest of your clientele and, of course your fellow coworkers.

2. Cynthia Ellis, aesthetician
   May 14th, 2008 at 10:57 am

   Yes Dearest, She has left and all are happy. I am sure you suggested that anyone in her family can call the front desk if it is an emergency? We provide clients with a very fine service and in order to do that, we must have boundaries so that we can do our job. Her loud voice must have been heard all over the salon. Your receptionist was right on!! Set your boundaries and stand by them. Good Luck

3. Svetlana
   May 14th, 2008 at 8:23 pm

   Thank you, Synthia, and good luck to you, too:).

4. Valerie
   May 21st, 2008 at 7:46 pm

   I had a client that was perpetually at LEAST 15 minutes late for her appointments. I turned it around. I spoke to her in a very soft voice and said “You KNOW I can do your service in whatever time you give me. However, you are paying for a full hour. When you are late, you are only cheating YOURSELF. Imagine if you arrived 5 or 10 minutes EARLY - you could use the restroom, get yourself a cup of herbal tea, relax in the waiting area, and you are HERE and not out fighting traffic. How would that feel to you?”

   She was NEVER late for me again.

   Try turning the situation around on your client. Make it all about the client. If the client doesn’t care that she is disturbing others, suggest that her cell phone is ruining her OWN appointment. If that doesn’t work, while her cell phone is on her stomach put it on *silent* mode and say it never rang. If she doesn’t like that, tell her she can speak to your manager/owner. If the manager/owner caves in, you have to decide if you wish to work there.

   I agree - sometimes it is best to “fire” a client to make things better for everyone else around. But DON’T ever let a client push the limits of your boundaries!

5. Can Too Many Hydrating Facials Result in Oiliness? | The Making of an Esthetician
   June 23rd, 2008 at 10:28 am

   […] she could pay. On our way up, I ran into the difficult client that I wrote about in my entry called ‘What Kind of Operator Am I, Anyway?’ This woman answers her cell phone during facials, demands samples and requests only the best senior […]