haveing to put up with rude tanners :(

[tessagirl]

ugh..where to start.I just need alittle advice for when this lady comes back in. When she first came in to get a package i was just about to get on my shift but i let the other girl help her that was about to leave ( we make commission and she hadnt been doing so well so i let her have it) so i stood there doing odds and ends while she helped the lady.The lady was pretty rude that day to start out with,asking the same question about 20 times and getting upset when we told her we didnt offer free lotions right now but we would in a few weeks.

The next time she came in to tan she went for 6 mins and came out complaining that she couldnt see any color. ( at this time she ha only tanned at our place two times! and for like 6 mins each time!!!!) so the girl that was there explained to her its going to take a few more session for her to see anything.Later that night when i was working she called screaming at me onthe phone that she got burnt in the bed and she now has tan lines and that we were 'going to pay ' for burning her.I laughed it off and left a note for one of the owners in the morning.She came in about 2 days later.She wanted to use the stand up this time around because she said she had tan lines.So i showed her the stand up and how to use it.She then asked me " My b/f wants to come in the room with me and sit so he can watch how the bed works." i explained to her that that was impossible andi could not allow that but i could walk him back and show him the beds.Well she was unhappy with the answer i gave her so she stood there with me for about 20 mins telling me howi was wrong and how i should allow her b/f back in the room with her.

Everytime she comes out of tanning she complains she doesnt see color.everytime i explain to her it takes 24-48 hours to see color and i told her that since shes not useing it a lotion its going to take a tad longer.So last tuesday she came into tan 10 mins before closeing.( our thing is if they come in at 8pm we have to let them tan but if they come in at 8:01 they are out of luck).so she comes in 10 til 8.I let her know that there are no Reg. beds open and there will be a 15 min wait for a reg bed and by that time i will be closeing up the store and leaveing.I did let her know we had a face tanner and the sundome open if she wanted that.To make it short and sweet and got peey with me and wanted me to give her the face tanner bed for free since she said " she could just turn off the face tanner and not use it" so it would be like a normal bed.She threatened me with my job and how she ' would never treat her coustmers like that".after she left i called my boss balling my eyes out over this.the lady came in the next day while my boss was there and threw a huge fuss how i should be fired for being so rude and i wasnt helpful at all and i was just a rude person and shouldnt work anywhere.my boss was like " Ok well i will have a talk with her"
WELL my boss remembered her from another one of her stores and this lady had harassed another one of the girls at another store...

Sorry for the long story but how do i handle this lady next time she comes back ?

[Laurel]

I would let her know that you and your boss and employees are in control of the situation and not her and tell her that she can finish out the package that she has bought and then she will have to find another salon to tan out because you will not allow a customer to treat you or anyone at the salon in the manner that she is. Better yet if your salon ever refunds money I think now would be the time because she seems like the kind of person that will bad mouth the salon and they certainly don't want that. Sounds like she is a real pain in the booty to me

[sunbunny]

Does your salon do appointments or walk-ins only. Cause if they do appointments, then no, she shouldn't use the face tanner as one of her visits. If you do walkins, then I feel she should have been able to use the face tanner as one of her package visits. Personally, I feel your boss should have backed you up. Especially since this woman has a prior "record" of doing this type thing. She knows she can get away with it, and she does. If at all possible, I'd avoid this woman like the plague when she came in. If you can't do that, just be as nice and pleasant as you can. I'd definately talk to your boss about how to handle her. CYA!

[Rockee]

You run into customers periodically like this when you work any type of retail. My advice is to be very nice and roll with her bad behavior. Just think how sad her life must be. Tanning is supposed to be a relaxing enjoyable part of your day. If she comes in and is cranky about tanning, just imagine how pathetic the rest of her world is.
It appears she has a limited abiltiy to enjoy the world around her. Maybe you can find a way to make her smile, what a fun challenge this could be for you. If you can not make her smile, all you can do is pray that she finds happiness at some point in her life. Good luck.

[lilmountaingrrl]

That's too bad that she is such a difficult customer.... In the retail business you get all types, and unfortunatly that is one of them. I think that any business owner or employee gets a client like that (maybe not quite so bad as her, though) from time to time. I found that it's best to not let them see you upset. Often times they act like that because they are miserable in their own lives, and want to see someone else unhappy too. If you just keep a calm, collected manner and just talk to her rationally and politely, she will have to either calm down or not. Usually they will calm down when they realize the employee is genuinely listening and concerned about their client's happiness. If this lady doesnt calm down, then she should just move on to another salon. You could tell her in a business like and tactful manner that you can not allow to have that kind of behaviour and attitude in your salon for your other client's well being, in addition to the employee's well being and saftey. If she argues, than you dont need to let her come into your store anymore. All business owners have the right to refuse a person from entering their store and doing business there if safety is at stake....

[Tamar]

I would strongly urge the salon owner (your boss) to discourage this woman from remaining as a customer. She is a very unhappy individual and is going to bad-mouth regardless of whether you do handstands and clap at the same time when she walks in. I think she has been in my salon and a friend's, they just all have different names (we actually call and warn each other) . In the two years since I have been in this business, I have only cancelled three memberships and asked another to keep shopping...down the street.

This woman wants you to keep trying, and trying, and trying....

[LavenderFleur]

I agree with Tamar. If someone was constantly harrassing my employees (at ANY job) I would tell them to not come back. There is no reason for someone to act like that. I am not a salon owner, but I do deal with the public and I do NOT let people treat my employees badly. Just not going to happen. ) Don't let it get you down. This lady obviously has something wrong in her life that she feels it is necessary and okay to treat other people like this.

[BrOnZeDbOmBsHeLl]

It's terrible that some people have to bring you down in order to make themselves feel good inside. Trust me I've dealt with enough clients over time who completely bring you down and make you feel like dirt. In those instances you just smile and try to please them and then come on here and vent. Your salon obviously knows what it's doing if it is successfully up and running. There are just some people who are never satisfied no matter what. You have to feel sorry for them though because they lead miserable lives where they constantly put others down.

[BrownJen]

I'm sorry that some of the customers are so rude to you. You shouldn't have to be treated that way. I would tell her if she didn't like the way the place was run she doesn't have to tan there anymore.

[jenza]

I also work in retail, as alot of us do, and I gotta tell ya this is nuts! I always have customers complaining about the stupidist crap. This usually causing them to say they "will never shop here again" and then show up the next day. These are many of my "regular" customers-go figure. I cant understand why if someone has this much of an issue with something at the salon, why she doesn't go elsewhere. If I go to a salon, store, resturant,etc., and don't like the service or whatever I simply dont go back. She obviously has time and money to waste,because if she supposedly has such a "bad" experience everytime she goes, and spending the money to tan there she would go somewhere else.
Anyway back to your question: If I were the owner i would simply ask her to take her business elsewhere. Explain to her your policy and that there is nothing more you can do.
You may be losing a paying customer, but how many others have walked out the door or not come back because of her being there interrupting their relaxing tanning experience?
Hope any of my rambling helps-sometimes it is good to vent.
jenza:)

[suntangal]

Working with the public can be brutal at times, and sounds like she takes the cake. If I were you, I would just do my job the best you can with her. Just do everything by the book, and let your boss handle it from there. Talk to you boss and ask her what she expects of you and how to deal with this customer. Maybe your boss can suggest she come in on her own shift. When she complains about something, tell her you are just following your orders and if she has a complaint, take it up with your boss. Some people just act like that to push your buttons and see how much crap they can give you and how much free stuff they can get away with. If she is really that unhappy as she says, she would be history by now and finding another salon. Just keep your chin up and don't let her get the best of you. It will only make you stronger for the next jerk that comes along.

[sherlynn 01]

can you refuse to help her if she is rude,and ask her to leave the salon,our salon hs a sing that says we can refuse service to anyone, that is out of control.

[lilmountaingrrl]

Jenza, i know exactly what youre saying about the customers coming in and complaining that they will never come in to that business again, and then they show up the very next day!!!! It's unbelievable! How can anyone take a person like that seriously? If they are that unhappy with the service that they would go lengths to complain about it, then why oh why would they be a return customer? In all my experiences with that they always are return customers, too! It just makes no sense..... except that people like that get their jollies by making others feel bad.

[BrownJen]

Quote:
On 2003-07-08 00:59, sherlynn 01 wrote:
can you refuse to help her if she is rude,and ask her to leave the salon,our salon hs a sing that says we can refuse service to anyone, that is out of control.


My salon has a sign up saying if you're rude the customer courtesy rules don't apply to you.

[Strnghrt]

Here is another thought, she may be one of those people who complain to get freebies. There are a lot of those types. At the salons around here most of them anyway they close at 8pm so their last tanner is at 7:30, after 7:30 they can't get a bed regardless. Now if they were at the salon before then she could still have time to wait for a base bed and tan. Don't let them get to you.

[SpaceCadet55]

I'm all about great customer service, but when a customer is blatantly inconsiderate and rude like this, I'm sure it makes it REALLY REALLY tough. Some people live for causing trouble like this, don't let it get to you as hard as that might seem. At the same time, don't take any crap. Be polite, but frank with this woman about her behavior. If she can't change, she wil HAVE to stop frequenting your salon.

[Tamar]

Another perspective: How much does it cost the salon when a person like this ruins your day? You spend time beating yourself up, in turmoil over this person...how does that affect how you treat the rest of your customers? You probably won't be "top salesperson" that day.

[tessagirl]

Quote:
On 2003-07-08 19:16, Tamar wrote:
Another perspective: How much does it cost the salon when a person like this ruins your day? You spend time beating yourself up, in turmoil over this person...how does that affect how you treat the rest of your customers? You probably won't be "top salesperson" that day.



your totally right because the rest of the day i was out of it and really upset over the whole thing and that effected the rest of my day

[engfant]

The easiest way to get out of a battle with one of these people. Blame it on the FDA. "Excuse me LADY, the reason your BF can't fondle you (I mean watch) while you tan is because the FDA is very strict against this as UV rays can excape the machine..." No one can argue with the FDA. Just confuse the **** out of her and she can't fight back. Then take her money and throw her out. If she wants a refund tell her to contact a lawyer. I PROMISE this person is on some funny drugs and has NO INTENTION in getting involved with the local authorities. (geez this hasn't happened to me before). If you do throw her out please, for me, stick you head out the door and yell "you're not allowed to tan here anymore!"

[jenza]

lilmountaingrrl,
I'm sooo glad someone understands! Arn't these people insane! I could not go somewhere and make an a** out of myself and then go back the next day like nothing never happend!

[Anya1976]

Quote:
On 2003-07-08 01:00, lilmountaingrrl wrote:
Jenza, i know exactly what youre saying about the customers coming in and complaining that they will never come in to that business again, and then they show up the very next day!!!! It's unbelievable! How can anyone take a person like that seriously? If they are that unhappy with the service that they would go lengths to complain about it, then why oh why would they be a return customer? In all my experiences with that they always are return customers, too! It just makes no sense..... except that people like that get their jollies by making others feel bad.

there are a few people like that at the salon i tan at. they always have package points cus they call the corporate office and complain about EVERYTHING....

[BrownJen]

Some people no matter what you do, you just can't please.

[sarah29]

this woman wants something for free. we have a few rude people that come in and we call each other too to complain or laugh about stuff. your manager should have backed you up. mine will point blank tell them that she knows us (we all have been there awhile) and that she didn't believe them. the result is that we all work hard for her. your boss should tell her to take her money and shove it. she'll probably just go down the street to to eat and complain to get the food for free and stiff the server (been there before too.)

[nikptbo]

i deal with public all the time and i have no idea what makes ppl think they can treat people like that...its pathetic how ppl react

[never2tan]

Retail gets hairier by the day. There are those individuals out there whose sole purpose is to haggle, harrass, belittle, and degrade service providers to feel they are getting their own way. The lady described sounds like a person I once had to deal with. I learned early on to keep all policies and rules very handy, and to keep my cool no matter what. For every satisfied customer might tell 6-7 people about your business. A nasty one will blab til judgment day! If she can't conduct herself in a civil fashion in your place of business, you can refuse service, nowhere is it written you have to take that kind of abuse. Do you happen to have a webcam on your store computer to identify customers? Might help record her antics to give her the shoe leather when the time is right!

[tannin Ter-Bear]

KILL HER WITH KINDNESS....sounds corny....but miserable people can't stand to see others pleasant and happy. So, the sweeter YOU are to her, when she is ignorant, the better. It will drive her crazy and she will eventually chill out and give up on trying to up set you because her insults/complaints will bounce off you like bullets to Superman. People like her "feed" off the "weak".......stay strong, confident, and know you are the better person.

[Tamar]

Quote:
On 2003-07-17 06:51, tannin Ter-Bear wrote:
KILL HER WITH KINDNESS....sounds corny....but miserable people can't stand to see others pleasant and happy. So, the sweeter YOU are to her, when she is ignorant, the better. It will drive her crazy and she will eventually chill out and give up on trying to up set you because her insults/complaints will bounce off you like bullets to Superman. People like her "feed" off the "weak".......stay strong, confident, and know you are the better person.


Very good advice, but it does take practice biting your tongue.

[sessa518]

oh my goodness! what is that ladys problem? sounds like she wants something for nothing. and why would she want her b/f to come in the booth with her? kinky sex? anyway at my salon my owner would simply tell her she wasn't wecomed there anymore. its his salon and he has the right

[RydeTheLTRAIN]

Take it from someone who's been working in various retail jobs for 5 years...some people are just out there to make you mad and harrass you. For some reason, that makes them happy inside.

[KonaBikeBabe]

This sounds really petty, but it did ruin the relaxing in my tanning session: When I got in to tan the stall that was next to me was already being used, so I tried to undress and get ready as quietly as possible, as to not disturb the lady already in it. Oh, by the way, to help you understand better, the walls in between the tanning rooms are about eight or nine feet tall, but the ceiling is WAY higher than that, so it's kinda like a changing room for giants, if that makes any sense. So, this lady's session ends when mine has 16 minutes left, because I can hear her timer go off, but she spends about the next ten minutes making the most ruckus I have EVER heard. Well, exaggeration, but still, I found it rude. But I don't know if it was intentional or anything, but it makes me sorry that I tried so hard to stay quiet for her!!

[~Sunshine~]

The owner of my salon can't stand people like this, so he tells us to use our own judgement when handling people who are rude on a repeat basis. We are able to respond however we choose and he will back us 100%. Well, one night this guy's bed shuts off early, and he comes out of the room extremely angry. He's screaming at me that he had to crawl out of the bed (it was an ultrabronz and the top wouldn't lift up). Anyways, turns out the fuse blew, these things happen sometime. Well this guy starts yelling at me that I blew the fuse on purpose. So I say "look, I think I have BETTER things to do than that. That's pretty pathetic of you to think that."

Then the guy gets all mad and demands a free tan, so I tell him I will give him his NEXT visit for free. So he ends up having an argument with me about how many tans he will have left. He had originally bought a package of 5, used one that day, but I would give him a free one to make up for it. Therefore, he would have 5 tans left.

Well, Mr. Incompetent-in-the-Math-Department figured by his calculations he should have 6 tans left. I told him I was only giving him one free tan, not two. His bed had shut off with 4 minutes left on it, it's not worth a whole $30 session. So too bad for him, but I figured I was being fair. He started yelling at me, so finally I gave in. I said, "you know what, YOU'RE wrong, and I'M right. If you don't like it, too bad, that's how it is. But you will NOT treat me like that, you will respect me."

Long story short, he slammed out of there, but returned three days later, nice as can be. The nearest place to us with HP beds is over 500 km away.

Sometimes you really have to stand up for yourself. Because I've worked retail for over 8 years, I have no tolerance for this crap anymore.

Sorry so long, just wanted to share.

Sunshine

_________________
[ This Message was edited by: ~Sunshine~ on 2003-08-14 11:16 ]

[sarah29]

Quote:
On 2003-08-14 11:15, ~Sunshine~ wrote:
The owner of my salon can't stand people like this, so he tells us to use our own judgement when handling people who are rude on a repeat basis. We are able to respond however we choose and he will back us 100%. Well, one night this guy's bed shuts off early, and he comes out of the room extremely angry. He's screaming at me that he had to crawl out of the bed (it was an ultrabronz and the top wouldn't lift up). Anyways, turns out the fuse blew, these things happen sometime. Well this guy starts yelling at me that I blew the fuse on purpose. So I say "look, I think I have BETTER things to do than that. That's pretty pathetic of you to think that."

Then the guy gets all mad and demands a free tan, so I tell him I will give him his NEXT visit for free. So he ends up having an argument with me about how many tans he will have left. He had originally bought a package of 5, used one that day, but I would give him a free one to make up for it. Therefore, he would have 5 tans left.

Well, Mr. Incompetent-in-the-Math-Department figured by his calculations he should have 6 tans left. I told him I was only giving him one free tan, not two. His bed had shut off with 4 minutes left on it, it's not worth a whole $30 session. So too bad for him, but I figured I was being fair. He started yelling at me, so finally I gave in. I said, "you know what, YOU'RE wrong, and I'M right. If you don't like it, too bad, that's how it is. But you will NOT treat me like that, you will respect me."

Long story short, he slammed out of there, but returned three days later, nice as can be. The nearest place to us with HP beds is over 500 km away.

Sometimes you really have to stand up for yourself. Because I've worked retail for over 8 years, I have no tolerance for this crap anymore.

Sorry so long, just wanted to share.

Sunshine

_________________


[ This Message was edited by: ~Sunshine~ on 2003-08-14 11:16 ]

right on! good for you!

[Sundizzy]

If you do not refund packages, i say kill her with kindness for the duration of her package and then when she tries to renew, because they always do , Kindly point out that it would not be beneficial and only a waste of her money since she is never satisfied with the results, and you don't want to continue giving her the results she FEELS she recieves.

[bikini princess]

this lady sounds like a paranoid schizophrenic. i would refund what is left of her package and have the check waiting for her when she comes back. she is a liability to have on your property.

[never2tan]

SInce we're on the topic of rude tanners, does anyone else get miffed when a couple walks into a salon to tan and they are having a lover's spat? It happened today, they were cursing each other out from the moment they walked in the door. They were saying the nastiest things to each other. To make it worse, after they got their bed assignments they were yelling at each other over the walls! He starts up to say "this is my private time, I'm not listening to you anymore." But before he could finish she turns the boom box on in the room and cranks the volume and screams "I can't hear you." Why don't they take it outside and settle it like Ren and Stimpy????? Or at least make a duel at dawn with 2 x 4's as the preferred weapon???? So much for a peaceful tanning session.

[Tpsyduck]

@ Never
I don't envy anyone who has to put up with obnoxious (sp) tanners during their sessions or work hours, I'm so glad I've never had that problem at my salon...Whew

[KonaBikeBabe]

I've never had to witness something like that, although that's probably a blessing, because I don't think I would have been able to stop laughing. I did have this one girl come to my door the other day, and try to open, and I was like, someone is in here, and she's like OH, okay. It's like, so if you keep pushing the door, is it gonna open or something? I love it when people sit there and push on a locked door like it's going to open if they push on it just one more time!

[never2tan]

Graduates of the schools for the gifted these people seem to be. I once saw a farside cartoon where this kid was at the Midvale School for the Gifted, he was leaning his shoulder into the door trying to push it open...he didn't see the sign that said "Pull."

[tantwin2004]

im sorry u had to deal with all that drama! i know what u go through, lol, i work at a salon too good luck with her!

[NJDave]

You sound like your a great worker and want to help your customers. Next time she starts I would say "are you here to give me a hard time or enjoy yourself and get a nice tan"? Do this with a smile. If she starts up I would tell her that her behavior is no long acceptable here and that she needs to leave. This is coming from a salon owner. I feel your boss should back you on this and should of backed you before, because I can tell your a great employee. Actually I might have been more upset with your boss for not backing you. Before you do this though, I would discuss this option with your boss. He is your boss. Just remember, good, caring employees are hard to find.

[BronzeGlowAlicia]

Quote:
On 2003-07-07 10:33, tessagirl wrote:
so she comes in 10 til 8.I let her know that there are no Reg. beds open and there will be a 15 min wait for a reg bed and by that time i will be closeing up the store and leaveing.I did let her know we had a face tanner and the sundome open if she wanted that.
I think you should of just let her used the regular bed after the 15 minutes.. You would of still been closing up by time she got out.. So there shouldn't of been any big deal. If you didnt want to do that..you should of gave her one of those other ones for free.

[BrOnZeDbOmBsHeLl]

It doesn't take an hour to close a salon up. The only things we have to do here to close up the store is fill up the solution bottles, vaccum the floor, count the cash drawer, take out the garbage and clock out. We don't allow tanners after nine so after 9:01 they are too late to tan.

[SassyKat]

Sounds like she needs to buy one( tanning bed ) for her home and save everyone a lot of trouble.