Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Sally Connor on February 4, 2012 at 7:57pm

Good points.

I like your advise...Get in, get out, get it done!

Permalink Reply by Kyong on February 18, 2012 at 11:25pm

Thanks for the gentle reminder ;)

I have a tendency to breathe-it-out with them. I offer breathing cues and short breaks before I redirect back to the waxing action. For some, this seems to offer a sigh of relief and they like this 'element of control'.

On the other hand, sometimes I wonder if I am too passive. (My average bbw is ~20mins utilizing hard wax.)

Permalink Reply by Crickett Enos on February 23, 2012 at 5:17pm

Kyong,  20 minutes is a great time using hard wax.  If your client's antics are making you go over 30 minutes then that's too long.  For my extra sensitive client's I will give them a stick to bite and get to waxing.  What we forget is that waxing isn't a relaxing spa service, this is a hair removal treatment.  We don't want to kill them, but we want to get them in and out as quickly as possible.   The best way to calm our clients is for us to take control, not give the control to them.  By that I mean, being confident in performing the service as efficiently, and professionally as possible will put them at ease. 

Permalink Reply by Noura Obeidi on May 30, 2012 at 9:26pm

Hey there! I was reading though your awesome advice and have a question. I also take about 20 min for a full braz and use breathing techniques like Kyong mentioned, but what if they are lifting their legs, grabbing your wrist, getting 'frustrated' because it hurts more than they imagined etc and you realized it's taking more like 30-45min.  (I have maybe 2 clients like this).

Is it appropriate to just give them a bikini wax? I recently did a groupon and I booth rent alone, so I have about 900 brazilians to complete within 6 months and could use some advice on this. Thank you!

Permalink Reply by Crickett Enos on May 30, 2012 at 10:58pm

Wow Noura, 900 Brazilians in 6 months!   If they all claim their groupon that should be some kind of record :)

First, for your Groupon customers, you must provide what you sold the groupon as.  If they bought a Brazilian, then that is what you will need to give them, unless they agree, in writing, that they are willing to do just a bikini line, if they can't handle the full service.  Otherwise you will then be dealing with the issue of, "well I paid for "this" and now I'm only getting "that", I should get two of those for that price."  Or, "does that mean I will get some money back? "  Keep it simple and clear ANY changes made and agreed to in writing.  ex: I "client name" withdraw from doing the full service as purchased and agree to "lesser waxing service", at the same price.  Or something like that.

If your client is in real pain and cannot continue, of course you should not put them through it.  If they are just panicked because it's their first time and they are being drama queens, keep going, they will get through it.  Give them a stick to bite on and wax away.

Remember, you are the boss.  If you let your client run the show, you will be in there all day waiting for them to calm down. This is not a relaxing, pampering service, it is a treatment that can be uncomfortable.   If they cannot do the full service in the allotted time, then yes, it is acceptable to tell them that you will have to shorten their service as you have a full book and cannot make the next client wait.  That does not automatically mean that you charge them for the lesser service, you can work that however you choose on a case/case.  Or set a policy, that they pay for the service they booked regardless of what they end up with.  Your time is valuable and your client's must understand that you allow a certain time frame to perform each service.  Educating them is a great way to help them understand.  

Hope this helps.

Permalink Reply by Noura Obeidi on May 30, 2012 at 11:19pm

Thank you! It's been really fun, really a business booster for me as well. 

I didn't even think of that or the groupon guidelines either! Luckily I haven't had anyone just get a bikini wax or anything of lesser value, and they all went through with their brazilian service. I had one client (drove me nuts) kept wanting to take breaks, would NOT sit still, I also had to do a full leg on her and she would move around so much, ruined about 8 towels total AND was so eager to look at her legs in different lighting that she stood up and knocked over my wax pot, getting wax everywhere (It was a nightmare and took me about 2.5 hours when I could of finished it in an hour). I've been seeking advice on situations like this but you're absolutely right, I have to remember that I control the time, and the service, not the client. Thank you for your advice, if I wasn't in Alaska I would totally visit one of your shows. I plan on making a large order of your products and dvd order within the next two weeks. Thanks so much!

Permalink Reply by Crickett Enos on May 31, 2012 at 8:40am

Hey Noura,

It can be daunting sometimes, when client's are overly sensitive, jumpy or just strange as your full leg/braz client.  Calculating how much time it takes you to perform each waxing service is critical to booking client's.  Say you are doing a full leg and Brazilian and you allot  an hour and 15 minutes for their appointment; if it's a first time client, you may want to add a little extra time, say an additional 15 minutes to allow for the dramatics. (I say that in the kindest way, we can all be drama queens at one time or another).   Then it's up to you to keep on track.  The easiest way to do that is to start small.  When you are doing the Brazilian, you should always start from the outside and work in, that way, if they decide half way through that they just can't do the full thing, or if they are so jumpy that you are in danger of spilling over into your next time slot, you can end the service and still give them something that looks good even if it isn't what was originally planned.  Does that make sense?   And with the legs you can start with the lower leg and work up, if they are going to be wiggly and jumpy, then you can decide how to proceed from there.  It's all about keeping on your schedule.  Even if you don't have anyone right after them, keep to your schedule.  Otherwise you will be teaching them that no matter how much they wiggle and giggle, you will always give them the full service no matter how long it takes. 

We teach our client's how to treat us, which is ultimately how we would like to be treated.  Respecting our current client by being on time with their appointment, and respecting our next client by being on time for their appointment. Again, don't feel bad if you are half way through a tough client and aren't going to be able to finish the full service on time due to their sensitivity, just explain that they seem to be a bit more sensitive than usual and that has extended the service beyond the scheduled time.  Once they understand that their time is the only time they get, they will probably suck it up next time so that they can get the full service.  Or you can book more time next time and charge more. 

Hope this helps.  If you would like to chat live, feel free to call me anytime or email me.  My contact info is on my website www.thewaxchick.com  

Permalink Reply by Noura Obeidi on May 31, 2012 at 1:05pm

Wow thank you so much for all of your advice. I definitely work from the outside in with Brazilians and lower leg, up with full leg waxing but I'm a softy when it comes to clients and I do need to start speaking up about time and take control of certain situations and also learn to not schedule beyond my hours. The client  thought it was okay to take breaks after every pull, look, lay back down, breathe for a few min and then get ready for the next one. I should of just went through the service unless she was so sensitive that we needed to stop. Thank you again, I really appreciate it and I will refer back to your advice often.  I'll be reading through your forums for more advice, and will e-mail if I have any other questions. Thanks so much!

Permalink Reply by Crickett Enos on May 31, 2012 at 1:16pm

I know, it can be difficult to be firm, but just keep in mind that for every break they take, you are losing money. Once you get used to speaking up, it will become easier and easier.