SHERYL SAID...There Are NO Bad Clients, Just Untrained Ones

Stroud Skinstitute Podcast

I hear complaints form estheticians all the time about how their clients disrespect them.

From showing up late, canceling at the last minute or telling the esthetician how they want their facial step by step.

Well, I am here to tell you that there are NO Bad clients, ONLY untrained ones.

Just like children have to learn the rules of raising their hand to ask a question in school to teenagers learning to clean up their dishes after dinner, clients aren’t any different.

They too need to be taught the Ground Rules of your business.

Clients come into your business impulsive and undisciplined. They need to be taught spa and socially acceptable behavior.
They need "behavior training" to learn good from bad spa behavior. They need universal rules and limit-setting to keep them from becoming a "spoiled" client.

It's the entire staffs job to set limits. It's the clients job to object to and test them.

Here are 14 Ground Rules to train your clients well.

1. START EACH SERVICE WHEN THE CLIENT IS ON THE BED WITH THIS SIMPLE STATEMENT.
Mrs. Smith, we are starting the service at 10:00 and we will be ending at 11:00.

If your client arrived at 9:15 for a 9:00 appointment the statement would be Mrs. Smith we are starting the service at 9:15 and we will be ending at 10:00. She will get the hint that she will not be getting her full hour treatment. Your front desk should have been the front line in addressing this lateness with a phone call prior to her arrival and an explanation giving her a choice of rescheduling or having an express 30 min facial. If you are a solo-preneur then this will help train your clients to be on time.

NEVER make any exceptions. Don’t be “thirsty” over your rules. This client will not be a money maker if you allow her any wiggle room, she will just cause you anguish and end up costing you money by making you late for your next appointments. Even if you don’t have any appointments after her, DON’T give in. Train her.

2. STATE EACH UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR AS A CLEAR AND BRIEF RULE:
The more arrogant the client, the more concrete the rule must be. Examples of clear rules are: “Please turn your phone off before the service begins. Thank you”

When possible, give a brief reason for the rule: “You only have 60 minutes to relax." or “We do not want to disrupt services going on in adjoining suites”.

3. SOCIAL REINFORCERS FOR GOOD BEHAVIOR:
There are two kinds of positive reinforcers; social and material.

Social reinforcers, such as praise, are used to encourage desired behavior. Praise the behavior, not the person.

Preface your praise with “Thank you for …and then praise the behavior,

Something like this. “Thank you for being on time for your appointment so I don’t have to shorten it.”

Examples of good behavior are; being on time, calling if running late, understanding an hour may be shortened to a half hour depending on lateness, making an appointment in advanced or before they leave the current appointment, giving constructive feedback allowing you to fix errors, not yelling at staff, checking phone at the end of the service outside of the service suite, or tipping staff.

Try to "catch your client being good".

4.WRITE HOUSE RULES FOR THE MOST IMPORTANT KINDS OF MISBEHAVIOR:
Choose your rules (limits) carefully. They should be important and non-negotiable.

5. STATE THE ACCEPTABLE AND DESIRED BEHAVIOR:
Your client needs to know what is expected of him or her.

Examples are: “Please arrive 15 minutes before your appointment time,” or “Please take off all your jewelry and place it in your bag etc.,” or “I’m booked solid so can you please make your next appointments for the series we discussed today so we can achieve the results you are desiring.”

When praising any good behavior, make it specific.

6. MATERIAL REINFORCERS FOR GOOD BEHAVIOR:
Material reinforcers (incentives) can be offers or product, they may sound like this: book early and get 10% off your service, or complete 6 consecutive visits without a reschedule to receive 25% off you 7th visit or when you tip your provider 20% or more, you get a deluxe sample.

Incentives often need to be added to overcome client resistance

7. DECIDE WHAT CONSEQUENCE YOU WILL USE FOR EACH RULE IF BROKEN:
All behavior, good and bad, is mainly changed (or shaped) by consequences. If the consequence is pleasant (getting what they want or a reward), the client is more likely to repeat that behavior. If the consequence is unpleasant (negative feedback or a punishment), the client is less likely to do the same thing again.

Clients do not respond to lectures or reminders. Actions speak louder than words. The most effective actions are ignoring harmless misbehavior, redirecting the client to appropriate behavior, or firing your client .

Yes, you heard me say it! You can fire your clients. After the second infraction, sit her down and nicely let her know what she did, why it can not continue and that if it happens a third time, she will not be invited back to your spa for services.

Here’s what it might sound like. Mrs. Smith, this is the second time a row you have been late for your appointments despite our reminder efforts, we appreciate your business and as you can understand being late creates scheduling issue for the business. If it happens a next month, we just want to let you know that we will not be able to book you for future appointments. We value you as a customer, how can we make this work for you?

8. IGNORE HARMLESS MISBEHAVIOR:
The more rules you have, the less likely your client will obey them. Constant criticism doesn't work.

9. STOP ANY ARGUMENTS:
Yelling teaches your client to yell back. Yelling matches also can escalate into a verbal battle (called playing "uproar"). We know the emotional brain turns on fast and the thinking brain takes a bit longer. So if you start to yell, try to stop until you gain control of your emotions.

Your client will respond better to a calm voice.

10. AVOID TRYING TO CHANGE "NO-WIN" POWER STRUGGLES THROUGH MORE PRESSURE:
The client is aways right, and you are able to stop an argumentative client right in their tracks and redirect their anger and attention with these simple questions, “Is everything alright?’’ or “What resolution would make you happy to resolve this situation?”

11. TRY TO TAKE DAILY BREAKS FROM YOUR CLIENTS:
Tell your team when you need a break from your clients.

12. APPLY YOUR RULES CONSISTENTLY:
You or your company has agreed on a set of rules, it's helpful to write them down. Then post them in a conspicuous place in the spa to remind you of your game plan. EVERYONE on the team must follow and implement the rules to clients. Otherwise, you get the bad cop, good cop deal going and just like children the client finds who they can manipulate, making the team members that apply the rules look bad or incompetent.

13. GIVE YOUR CLIENT MORE POSITIVE FEEDBACK:
It comes back to setting priorities. Have less rules, less criticism and more praise. Many experts feel that it takes 10 positive interactions to counter one negative interaction.

14. PROTECT YOUR CLIENTS SELF-ESTEEM:
Remember that you are trying to change a bad behavior, but in a good person. Your client needs to know that she's a "great person and that you appreciate them dearly.

Don't discuss your client’s behavior problems with other team members .

Correct your client in a kind way. Sometimes begin your correction with "I'm sorry I can't let you..."

Setting Ground Rules for clients is easy, implementing the rule is the hard part.

However, if you don’t consistently maintain your spa rules, clients will continue to walk all over you.

For an extreme and humorous take on having ground rules watch Jerry Seinfeld’s “Soup Nazi on YouTube Link: “ clip https://youtu.be/euLQOQNVzgY
I find it outrageous as well as histerical.

Hope you are able to start incorporating some of these ground rules in your practice today.

Drop me a note @stroudskinstitute on Instagram and let me know what has worked for you.