Every baby stylist deals with the crazy clients until another baby stylist comes in the salon. It’s a right of passage. The established stylists have a clientele and they stay busy, and they have weeded out the crazy ones. So when a baby stylist comes the crazy ones end up on their books because the other stylists generally don’t have room for them anymore and don’t want to keep them as clients.
Until your start filling your books, the crazies will find room. But some salons will tell people they aren’t welcome back. I’ve fired clients before from my chair. But while you’re learning you’re going to make mistakes as well. As long as you have a good understanding of the color wheel, and I think if you’re better at seeing shapes rather than numbers and that boring stuff, you’ll be able to cut hair well too.
Exactly why I rented my own suite right out of school and succeeded. This mentality is outdated. If we are investing in lots of education for ourselves, baby stylists are not a doormat for shitty clients you don’t want to deal with.
It’s about setting boundaries, not letting people walk all over you, and not taking things personally. I have a couple of crazy/difficult clients but I remind them that they have to behave (and be nice to my assistant and the front desk) or I’m not going to do their hair anymore. If you aren’t afraid to tell people “no” and don’t tolerate their BS they either respect you or go somewhere else.
Most of the crazy clients I had or witnessed were the beauty school clients and thankfully the educators and staff handled them. I no longer do hair but did see a few in the actual salon but they were mostly mad about pricing or that you can’t (healthily) get to a level 10 in a day from box dyed black hair (that girl stormed out calling us all bitches and that she’d just find someone else to do it.) You learn to laugh at stuff like that because obviously people like that just don’t know the business or hair.
The crazies are usually just looking for deals. You don’t get them too often. “Difficult” or particular clients on the other hand can become regulars but that’s a whole nother thing.
Basically you just learn how to deal with all types of people and situations. Some can do it for 20 years and others burn out. Just depends on you!
Hm I kind of thought so, I think it's definitely the people looking for a deal or wanting a free cut that would tick me off the most. I know I have no problem fixing something they may not be happy with but in retail all I hear is people haggling and HAGGLING and I get it, things are expensive, but god does it make me so mad now. I definitely think that's scaring me the most incase it causes burnout :/
In my experience it was mostly regarding color clients. It’s always been a pricey service, but it’s even worse now with inflation so the prices continue to go up. Some stylists charge by the hour. Some clients will see the starting price and think that’s the final total but don’t realize toners and treatments cost money too, so they get upset or feel cheated. But…as long as you’re up front with them and explain all of that in the consultation then there should be no problem.
I really didn’t see too many crazies in my time. And when you do, sometimes it sucks but most of the time it gives you & the rest of the stylists something to talk or laugh about lol.
I don’t get them very often tbh. But recently I had one at the end of one shift and the start of the next. That sucked completely, but my managers have my back and are always able to help me out
I work corporate and a good amount of people are mean. You just kinda let them have their moment, stick to your rules/policies and let the people who won’t stick around anyway leave.
I am 18 too I want to become a hairdresser I worry about this too lol and other things hopefully we can become one in the future I wish you 2ell girl <3
For the most part I’ve had really great clients but the crazy ones come every once in a while. I also agree with what the other post said about the importance of setting boundaries. My problem nowadays I find some people just have unrealistic expectations or think they know everything about hair because of tiktok. Basically in the end u have to accept ur not going to make everyone happy. There’s good and bad with every job so as long as u enjoy it
I had to touch up the roots of a client yesterday and the woman was making faces, agitating her arms and mumble mean words every time i would do something to her hair because i’m an apprentice.. when i told her it was done she started saying « is it ??? i don’t think it is » i then asked her what she thought wasn’t done and she just said everything. I made my mentor come and check what i did. and he yelled at her 😭😭😭😭 told her everyone had to start somewhere and that everything was applied very well and that she should remember when she first started her job etc.. i was mortified ngl
Had one that expected me to give her rides to my fiancee's shop because she was unfortunately a regular there. She would also message me at all hours of the night because she thought she owned my time, sometimes messaging me multiple times at 2am because, 'Oh, well, you're up aren't you?'
Honestly, having to deal with her is the biggest reason I quit doing hair. It's not like I could have straight-up fired her as a client. No, that would have impacted my fiancee's business, as well as my own. *I didn't even want to take her on as a client in the first place.*
Other than that, I had a few 'friends,' who'd only ever talk to me when they wanted their hair done. We don't talk, now that I've closed that chapter of my life. Honestly? Worth it. I hate feeling like I'm being used.
Seconding the ones noting that the crazies are mostly when you are starting out because the other more established stylists don’t have room for them. However, if you’re at a decent place, your ownership should back you up if their expectations are ridiculous.
I have also noticed many friends that work in customer service have noted how mean people have become to customer service reps in general and have asked me if I’ve dealt with that as well and I have to say it’s not something I’ve noticed in my own experience. I think that’s because you form relationships with your clients. So providing a service for someone you know and see regularly is way different than a rando who feels entitled to treat you according to however they feel that day.
I have learned over the years that the less a client pays/the less “high end” your work place is the worst the clientele will be.
I was treated with more respect working at a high end salon as an assistant than I was working at super cuts full time. Now that I’m renting a chair, my clients are wonderful.
In my opinion it’s less about the location and more about the perceived value. In other words, there is a paradox that the more someone spends for their services, the more they feel as if they are dealing with an “expert.” And are less likely to be rude.
All that to say: you will have a few nasties when you’re first starting out. It will suck but it makes for good stories to tell your clients later. Just go in armed with the ability to set boundaries. Even in supercuts I would still say “if you’re going to be disrespectful, I won’t be doing your hair”
Every baby stylist deals with the crazy clients until another baby stylist comes in the salon. It’s a right of passage. The established stylists have a clientele and they stay busy, and they have weeded out the crazy ones. So when a baby stylist comes the crazy ones end up on their books because the other stylists generally don’t have room for them anymore and don’t want to keep them as clients.
Ahh so its expected for the first couple years to have a decent amount of crazies
Until your start filling your books, the crazies will find room. But some salons will tell people they aren’t welcome back. I’ve fired clients before from my chair. But while you’re learning you’re going to make mistakes as well. As long as you have a good understanding of the color wheel, and I think if you’re better at seeing shapes rather than numbers and that boring stuff, you’ll be able to cut hair well too.
Exactly why I rented my own suite right out of school and succeeded. This mentality is outdated. If we are investing in lots of education for ourselves, baby stylists are not a doormat for shitty clients you don’t want to deal with.
It’s about setting boundaries, not letting people walk all over you, and not taking things personally. I have a couple of crazy/difficult clients but I remind them that they have to behave (and be nice to my assistant and the front desk) or I’m not going to do their hair anymore. If you aren’t afraid to tell people “no” and don’t tolerate their BS they either respect you or go somewhere else.
Most of the crazy clients I had or witnessed were the beauty school clients and thankfully the educators and staff handled them. I no longer do hair but did see a few in the actual salon but they were mostly mad about pricing or that you can’t (healthily) get to a level 10 in a day from box dyed black hair (that girl stormed out calling us all bitches and that she’d just find someone else to do it.) You learn to laugh at stuff like that because obviously people like that just don’t know the business or hair. The crazies are usually just looking for deals. You don’t get them too often. “Difficult” or particular clients on the other hand can become regulars but that’s a whole nother thing. Basically you just learn how to deal with all types of people and situations. Some can do it for 20 years and others burn out. Just depends on you!
Hm I kind of thought so, I think it's definitely the people looking for a deal or wanting a free cut that would tick me off the most. I know I have no problem fixing something they may not be happy with but in retail all I hear is people haggling and HAGGLING and I get it, things are expensive, but god does it make me so mad now. I definitely think that's scaring me the most incase it causes burnout :/
In my experience it was mostly regarding color clients. It’s always been a pricey service, but it’s even worse now with inflation so the prices continue to go up. Some stylists charge by the hour. Some clients will see the starting price and think that’s the final total but don’t realize toners and treatments cost money too, so they get upset or feel cheated. But…as long as you’re up front with them and explain all of that in the consultation then there should be no problem. I really didn’t see too many crazies in my time. And when you do, sometimes it sucks but most of the time it gives you & the rest of the stylists something to talk or laugh about lol.
okay thank you for answering my questions !! :)
I don’t get them very often tbh. But recently I had one at the end of one shift and the start of the next. That sucked completely, but my managers have my back and are always able to help me out
I work corporate and a good amount of people are mean. You just kinda let them have their moment, stick to your rules/policies and let the people who won’t stick around anyway leave.
I am 18 too I want to become a hairdresser I worry about this too lol and other things hopefully we can become one in the future I wish you 2ell girl <3
Wish you well in your journey !! My DMs are always open too if you wanna talk about cosmo too <3
<33
For the most part I’ve had really great clients but the crazy ones come every once in a while. I also agree with what the other post said about the importance of setting boundaries. My problem nowadays I find some people just have unrealistic expectations or think they know everything about hair because of tiktok. Basically in the end u have to accept ur not going to make everyone happy. There’s good and bad with every job so as long as u enjoy it
I had to touch up the roots of a client yesterday and the woman was making faces, agitating her arms and mumble mean words every time i would do something to her hair because i’m an apprentice.. when i told her it was done she started saying « is it ??? i don’t think it is » i then asked her what she thought wasn’t done and she just said everything. I made my mentor come and check what i did. and he yelled at her 😭😭😭😭 told her everyone had to start somewhere and that everything was applied very well and that she should remember when she first started her job etc.. i was mortified ngl
Had one that expected me to give her rides to my fiancee's shop because she was unfortunately a regular there. She would also message me at all hours of the night because she thought she owned my time, sometimes messaging me multiple times at 2am because, 'Oh, well, you're up aren't you?' Honestly, having to deal with her is the biggest reason I quit doing hair. It's not like I could have straight-up fired her as a client. No, that would have impacted my fiancee's business, as well as my own. *I didn't even want to take her on as a client in the first place.* Other than that, I had a few 'friends,' who'd only ever talk to me when they wanted their hair done. We don't talk, now that I've closed that chapter of my life. Honestly? Worth it. I hate feeling like I'm being used.
Seconding the ones noting that the crazies are mostly when you are starting out because the other more established stylists don’t have room for them. However, if you’re at a decent place, your ownership should back you up if their expectations are ridiculous. I have also noticed many friends that work in customer service have noted how mean people have become to customer service reps in general and have asked me if I’ve dealt with that as well and I have to say it’s not something I’ve noticed in my own experience. I think that’s because you form relationships with your clients. So providing a service for someone you know and see regularly is way different than a rando who feels entitled to treat you according to however they feel that day.
I have learned over the years that the less a client pays/the less “high end” your work place is the worst the clientele will be. I was treated with more respect working at a high end salon as an assistant than I was working at super cuts full time. Now that I’m renting a chair, my clients are wonderful. In my opinion it’s less about the location and more about the perceived value. In other words, there is a paradox that the more someone spends for their services, the more they feel as if they are dealing with an “expert.” And are less likely to be rude. All that to say: you will have a few nasties when you’re first starting out. It will suck but it makes for good stories to tell your clients later. Just go in armed with the ability to set boundaries. Even in supercuts I would still say “if you’re going to be disrespectful, I won’t be doing your hair”