Effective Techniques for Dealing with Difficult Aesthetics Clients

Dealing effectively with difficult clients is a skill that all aestheticians should learn, and for that matter all business people should know. Anytime you deal with the public most people will be fairly easy to deal with and some will be a joy. Others, however, will be the type of people you would simply prefer not to spend time with if you had a choice.

The first thing to keep in mind is that an unhappy customer can do your business damage, so the difficult client is worth some effort. An unhappy, difficult client may tell her friends about her perceived problems and in that case the truth really does not matter: what is perceived is what matters. So, do your best to keep her happy if you can.  

Direct and polite communication is the best place to start. Explain to the client that you will do anything you can to give her a positive experience and simply ask her what. As long as the requests are reasonable it is probably worth your while to do so and simply making the effort can go a long way to making someone happy who otherwise would not be.

Was the client unhappy with a product you sold her? If so, offer a refund no questions asked. Was she unhappy with the results of a facial or some other procedure? Offer information. Sometimes a misunderstanding can arise with a client due to expectations the client may have had that were simply not reasonable. If that is the case educating the client could help with the problem.

As a business person who deals with the public you may benefit from human interaction training, or from reading some of the classic books on the subject. Dale Carnegie, the master of human relations, always said that the most pleasant sound to anyone’s ears is their own name.  Using the client’s name when speaking with them, whether it is Mrs. Jones or Miss Smith, or what have you, along with keeping your voice low and even and avoiding becoming offended by the client can help you retain control and perhaps win the client to your side and help them see things in a reasonable fashion. Reading the books by Carnegie and others in the field can help you, and getting advice  from your peers who are more experienced can assist as well.

Regardless, keep your head and do what you can. But, if the client leaves unhappy it isn’t the end of the world. Do what you can and then let it go. You’ll sleep well knowing that you’ve done everything you can and if the client can be swayed you will have done it.