4 ways beauty professionals can set boundaries with clients
By Guest Writer | 11 January 2024 | Expert Advice, Feature
Following a study by Yell – which revealed that 87% of beauty businesses could be losing out on almost £80 per appointment, as a result of not charging for additional time spent with ‘friendly’ clients – the business marketplace’s head of PR, Sarah O’Rafferty, details four ways business owners can set boundaries more effectively:
1. Communication is key
Professionals can immediately be on the back foot when an appointment is overrunning, because they haven’t communicated any extra costs that will be incurred to the customer. Having to backtrack and try get this extra fee paid after the time has been spent is where a lot of negative responses can come from, as customers can feel ‘cornered’ into paying more or that they haven’t agreed to the additional spend.
If you feel your session might overrun or are mindful that previous sessions have done so with that particular client, it’s always best to communicate before this happens of any additional fees, or that you are simply unable to spend the time due to other commitments. This way, both yourself and the customer will be in agreement and there’s no grey area, no matter how close your relationship is.
2. Visualise boundaries
Detailing any policies on your website and directing all customers to these and any changes in them will go a long way. You can then refer to these during appointments. Having policies present on a website or even social media bios can be particularly useful for customers that contact you out of your working hours.
Listing these hours clearly manages expectations of when you will and won’t respond. There’s a reason large companies have their customer service opening hours clearly displayed with their contact details. It should be no different for your business, no matter how big or small you are.
3. Truly separate work from your personal life
It isn’t all up to your customers to read your website, policies and when you are available to respond to them, as you also need to manage your time. When starting up, many businesses owners opt to use the same phone number and e-mail address for the sake of ease, however ignoring calls or messages when they’re right in front of you is easier said than done. Setting up a business e-mail and purchasing a low-cost work phone that you can switch off once the working day is done will help solve this problem.
4. The power of saying ‘no’
A big skill to learn in any businesses is being able to say ‘no’. There can be a tendency to want to agree to everything, please everyone and take every job on, but it simply isn’t possible. Remembering that you’re the boss and you make the rules is key. Politely declining a request or making it clear up front that an appointment needs to finish at a particular time will help to manage expectations with your customers and, in the long run, help them to respect you and your business more.