One of the most common questions asked by those working within the
hair extension industry is advice on dealing with complaints or difficult customers. This isn’t because this happens very frequently within the industry, but more for the fact that as this is a customer facing role, from time to time you will inevitably come across a customer who is a little bit more challenging than the majority.
When you are first starting out as a hair extension technician it can be difficult to know how to deal with these kind of situations, especially if you have not had any previous customer service experience, therefore we shall outline some typical scenarios to help you learn how to most effectively deal with these situations, should they ever arise.
Don't Panic If Your Receive a Hair Extension Fitting Complaint
The first and most important thing to remember is not to panic. Just because a customer may hint to having a problem, or seems to be unhappy, does not mean that it is the end of the world. In fact, most situations are very easy to resolve, so keep your cool and work through the problem one step at a time. When you run a business it is important to remember that you wont be able to please everyone all of the time, so learning to deal with complaints effectively is key.
Assess The Problem Your Hair Extension Client Is Experiencing
You will initially need to take the time to understand the problem your client is experiencing so that you can begin the steps to finding a solution. Your client may have dropped you an email, sent you a text, or left an answer phone message simply stating “I am having trouble with my extensions, need to speak to you”, or something along those lines. This could mean anything from losing their
aftercare information and simply needing a new copy, to having some more serious issues, therefore do not worry until you have spoken to the client directly to find out what the problem is, as you may find it is nothing to worry about at all.
Be Understanding Of Your Hair Extension Clients
Whatever problem the client is experiencing, you should always be kind, understanding and professional. What may not seem like a big deal to you may in fact be a big deal to your client, so take the time to listen to the problem fully and with an open mind.
Offering Your Client A Solution
Once you have understood the problem you can then look to offering your client a solution. Here we will go through some common issues your clients may experience and possible solutions which could work for the client. These are only examples; each client will have their own individual needs so this is just to give an idea of the type of responses you could provide.
I’m having trouble managing my hair extensions on a daily basis. For this client you would need to tell them not to worry, and that you are happy to go through the aftercare advice with them again in more detail. You could provide a more comprehensive
aftercare sheet for them to read through, talk them through it on the telephone or pay them a visit to fully understand the problems they are experiencing.
My hair extensions are starting to feel dry. No matter which brand of hair extensions you use, from time to time you will come across a client who is experiencing dry hair extensions. This could be due to a wide range of causes, from using the incorrect aftercare to going on holiday, therefore it is always best to pay your client a visit to check how they are getting on . 99% of the time you will find that just a small change in their aftercare routine, for example ensuring they are using the right
hair extensions aftercare products, or a
intensive moisturising hair extension conditioner after a holiday is all the client needs for some reassurance.
My hair extensions are uncomfortable and I’m worried. Hair extensions can from time to time be a little uncomfortable especially for the first few days and if the client is new to hair extensions. You would first need to reassure her that this is normal, and that it should pass in a day or so. You would also need to advise her that if the problem persists you would need to pay her a visit to ensure all is ok and to check her scalp. We would advise to follow this client up with an email a few days later to see how she is getting on. Check out our article on
why hair extensions can be uncomfortable to understand what your client is experiencing.
I have already lost some extensions, and I’m worried they are not put in properly. Losing hair extensions quickly can be down to a number of reason, including aftercare routines, so you would need to advice the client not to worry, and that you are happy to help her with this. If they have only been in a matter of days or a few weeks, we would recommend a complementary check-up appointment free of charge to reinstall the hair extensions she has lost, go through her aftercare routine again, and to check there aren’t any other possible causes for this. If the client has had the extensions in for 4 weeks or more we would advise this client to book in for a maintenance appointment, as she may have forgotten that these are required regularly to avoid this type of issue. Find out why
hair extension maintenance appointments are so important here. For more information on why hair extension can become lose, check out the following articles:
Micro and nano ring hair extensions falling out
Nail Tip hair extensions falling out
Serious Hair Extension Issues
Above are examples of common, but resolvable issues you may encounter working with customers, however what do you do when faced with a customer who has an issue you aren’t able to resolve.
Unfortunately this can happen from time to time, so it is important to try to understand some techniques to deal with this type of client. Above all, you must remember to remain professional at all times, and to represent your business properly even in a challenging situation.
Depending on what the issue is, you will need to stay 100% true to yourself and your client at all times. This means that you may encounter a situation where you have to be honest with yourself and may have to admit to a mistake on your part; for example, if you were to install a set of hair extensions and have not achieved a good colour match that the client is happy with. In this case you would need to be honest with yourself in that a mistake has been made that is not the clients fault, and it is down to you to put this right in either a refund or a refit of the correct colour. No one is perfect, and therefore mistakes can be made on our part as well as the clients, so we must always act in a fair and professional manner at all times to guarantee happy clients and a growing business.
Unresolvable Hair Extensions Customer Issues
If the issue the client is experiencing is not down to you or your service in general, for example, the client has gone against your advice by bleaching her hair extensions and is now unhappy with the quality of the hair, you will need to learn to stay polite but firm with your clients. It is at this point that your
consultation form will become very important to you, as many of these issues will be included on there for you to refer back to your with your client. For example, you may have included on your consultation form that dying or bleaching hair extensions is at your clients own risk.
Stay Calm, Cool, and Collected When Managing Hair Extension Clients
Unhappy customers are a fact of life for all businesses, therefore try not to let it knock your confidence too much. Most customer issues as illustrated above are very easy to resolve, and your clients will be blown away by your customer service if you are happy and willing to help under most circumstances. You will just need to remember to always stay calm, cool, and collected in your responses to your clients, even if they are more challenging, and when you have tried everything to please a client which simply does not seem to be responding to your efforts, as long as you know you have tried your best and performed a satisfactory service this is all you can do.
It's Not All Bad
Talking about this kind of issue can be uncomfortable for some, as we do not like the idea of unhappy customers, however fortunately these are rare as long as you working hard and offering your clients a professional service. All businesses have good and bad customers, and it is in learning how to deal with these successfully and effectively that will help your business to grow, and for you to continue on a path of self-improvement within your business.
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