Should you release a client who doesn’t trust you?

How can you tell they don’t trust you? 

You can feel when a client doesn’t trust you just by their body language. They’re moving their head to watch everything you do, making you chase them with your comb. They make you explain everything you’re doing and question your decisions as you explain.

What emotion do you feel?

It feels disappointing because it shows you that they don’t see you. You wonder what you’re doing wrong that gives them the impression that you’re not capable of the work they’ve hired you to do.

What are the thoughts going through your mind?

You wish they could see your other work. Or that they had just a little bit of knowledge about how hair worked so they could be excited about what you were doing instead of making you feel like you’re doing something wrong. You feel it’s probably not even about you while you’re rudely reminded that you’re not a therapist or a punching bag.

How does their lack of trust affect your work?

When you’re stressed, and in a situation where you know you’re going to fail at making them happy, you can’t tap into your creativity or your critical decision-making ability. It’s impossible because you’re in survival mode. The only way out of that is to not care about making them happy, but that’s not the kind of stylist you want to be or something you should settle for.

What happens if it affects your work in a bad way?

If you make a mistake, there’s going to be a confrontation. Already being the person they don’t trust will make it challenging for you to get on common ground. You’ll have to drag the salon owner into the melodrama, and the last thing you want is to look like a problem. It’s worse if you have an owner who chooses the clients over the stylists. 

Why can’t you just deal with it?

You could just deal with it, but if it keeps happening it will wear you down and burn you out. Being in a toxic relationship with a client is isolating and it hurts your growth. You have enough self-doubts all by yourself. You don’t need a client making it harder to overcome your self-limiting beliefs.