I've pretty lucky in my esthetics career, I've never had a nasty client. In fact, I need to thank my lucky stars because I've always had nice clients. I never took them for granted, but today I am even more thankful for the wonderful clients in my business.
Recently, I had the unfortunate experience of having the most unhappy person land in my facial bed. I had a "friend" appointment--if you don't know what that is, it is when friends book appointments together and one gets a massage while one gets a facial and then they switch. These two ladies come in, and the one lady goes with the massage therapist and as I walk out with my smile on, ready to embrace the day, I introduce myself to my next client who has the meanest look on her face. Even before I introduced myself she looked like a Rottweiler protecting his owners---she was scary looking--not because she was ugly but because the negative energy exuding from her.
Panic set in a at first because I am not used meeting with disgruntled clients. I knew this would be a challenging situation. At first, I didn't want to pamper this lady--who would want to? I thought "I will just give her a bare bones treatment" because I can't give someone a great service when they are so mean. She wasn't nice at all, even when I spoke to her before the treatment. She seemed mad at the world.
I decided that I had to pamper her like I would any other client, not because I was scared that she would curse me out if I didn't (she probably would have) but because I didn't know her background. Maybe she just had a chemo treatment for cancer, maybe her husband left her for another woman recently or maybe she just lost her job. I looked for that place in my heart that would have compassion for someone who clearly was disgruntled with life in general.
I knew at the end of the facial that it was likely that this woman would not be happy with my service, and it was even more likely that she wouldn't leave me a tip at all. In the end, she surprised me with a $20.00 tip for a $60.00 facial. I don't want to deal with unhappy people because I am a happy person, and I refuse to let my personal life, no matter how difficult it becomes to allow me to treat people badly. It is hard having a client with such negativity enter your treatment room, but I appreciate my happy customers who fuel my passion for life. They make me remember that there are still compassionate, kind and nice people out in the world.
This lady may never come back, or maybe she will surprise me and she will return. I don't know, but if she comes back I will try to ignore her own unhappiness and try to strive above it, and treat her with compassion. I want every client, no matter how unhappy to leave my treatment bed more relaxed and calm. But I have to be honest, I prefer working on happy clients--this is the best job in the world when you have happy clients. There is nothing better than making someone feel pampered and refreshed, nothing better when clients skin improves.
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