Never Have A Toxic Client Again

Toxic Clients Are Allergic To Boundaries

When you say, "I will not be able to take you if you're 15 minutes late." An ideal client will be there before the cutoff time. The toxic client will show up late and try to bully or manipulate their way into your chair. ⁠

And that’s what most stylists and salon owners are scared of. A bully.

Remember what you’ve heard about handling bullies? Stand up to them and they’ll run away. It’s the absolute truth. 

But, if you keep allowing it, it will keep happening. You have to stand up to them. 

There's a clear separation that happens when you draw a line. Those who respect you stand out against the few who don't. ⁠

⁠Make sure your boundaries are clear and easy to find. You want to know that they have every reasonable opportunity to make themselves aware of them. 

When they cross a boundary, they did it to themselves. You did not do anything to them. Remember this because they will argue otherwise. ⁠That’s what a bully does. 

If you have a boundary in place, do you have a plan for when your client pushes it? ⁠

If you’re afraid of what the client will say when they hit your boundary, you can come up with something to say that is not emotional and doesn’t require a response. 

The key is to remember that they did this, not you. You require a level of cooperation from them that is FOR them. And they are setting you up for failure by not cooperating. 

Make sure your response is short and easy to remember. Bullies don’t care what you have to say, and they will interrupt you. They’re only listening to find something to argue. Be kind, clear, and confident, and keep your response short and impersonal enough to be repeatable. 

They’ll be gone in less than 5 minutes and you’ll feel so empowered after you stop shaking from the fact that you stepped up and faced a bully. 

Please send me a DM on my Instagram account when you stand up to a bully. I want to celebrate that with you!