those brides are demanding.... watch out or they'll smash you

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Posted by Jessica on August 26, 2003 at 00:37:38:

In reply to: venting about frustrating clients....long and tangentially henna posted by Natasha on August 25, 2003 at 23:55:21:

Ahhhhh..... this is awful.... The bride is totally taking advantage of you and not
treating you like a professional. She wouldn't do this to a caterer!
Stand your ground. Be professional and sure of yourself. No waffling.
You really need to take the corporate appointment with a large block of time
AND a possibitlity of future work. $...$...$...
Some women (brides specialize in this) really have a nack at taking
advantage of you and your time.
(I just got totally rolled over by a woman last month. She was more forceful
than I and by the time I got off the phone with her she had me agreeing to do a
bar mitzvah 2 hours away, for 3 hours with 2 of us. That's a total of 14 hours
for $200.00! When I told her I needed a %50 deposit she simply said no. She
absolutely refused. Oh - and she wanted bindi's thrown in for the 100+ guests
too. I was flabbergasted, when I finally got it together the next day I called to
discuss this with her, she was suddenly unavailable when told who was
calling. this went on for 3 days. I finally just left a message on the machine
cancelling.She was surprisingly available 5 minutes after I left the
cancellation. I was so upset by this crazy, pushy, and mean woman I spent a
week fixating over 15 buck an hour. So not worth it)
I'm working on saying no right off the bat. Or just standing firm. It's hard. We all
worked so hard to get people interested and wanting henna that it seems
wrong to turn people down, but the fact is, sometimes it's not in your best
interest.

You booked an appointment with the bride at a specific time. You booked a
2nd appt. several hours later. There is no conflict.
It's sad she had to change her plans but you are booked for that evening.
I'ts simple, you are booked, she changed her appointment. Either way you say
it, she screwed up, try not to feel badly, there's nothing you can do. Take the
job that you can build a relationship with.

(I've referred several people to you this summer, have they tracked you
down? I'm trying to throw cash your way, I hope it makes it into your pocket.)

good luck, relax, and tell her it's sad you can't accommodate her.

Jessica

: Then I got a call last week that the bride changed the time of her
: party and the party will START at 6:30pm. Being a doormat, I told
: her that at most I could henna for a half hour....but then I looked
: at the map today and the corporate gig is very far away -- I'll be
: lucky if it only takes an hour. So I called and told her that I had
: to leave at 6:30, so I couldn't do her party. And she pitched a fit,
: and said that all her guests were coming in from out of town and
: they're all expecting mehndi...couldn't I call my other gig and tell
: them that I'll be 15 minutes late or something.
:
: No. I can't do that. And she starts to cry b/c she's so overwhelmed
: with everything and she just wants her wedding to be perfect....
:
: And I feel guilty. I offer to find another henna artist. She
: doesn't want another henna artist whose work is unknown.
:
: I told her I'd call her back tomorrow.
:
: But I can't do her party at 6:30 b/c I don't want to miss my other
: gig which is paying full rate (for 4 hours) and might lead to other
: gigs. I'm furious that the bride switched the time of her party w/o
: consulting my plans, but I feel some weird sense of obligation b/c I
: promised her I'd do the party.
:
: Please help me be strong!!!
:
: My other frustration of the summer has been getting payment from the
: resort where I've been doing henna every week-end since June. I
: haven't been paid, yet. And as a result, I have no money int he bank
: and can't register for school b/c I can't pay for my classes (the
: University doesn't accept VISA cards...). Part of the problem is
: bureaucratic -- the accounting dept. sat on my invoice through July
: and then rejected it b/c it didn't have a special invoice number. So
: I had to rebill. Then they lost the invoices and I had to rebill
: again....but the fact remains that they owe me more than $1000 for
: services rendered and I'm totally broke and have to take a leave of
: absence for this semester.
:
: Grrr. And I met the owner of a salon who had said she wanted a henna
: artist and when I spoke with her she tried to get me to go to
: cosmetology school to be a manicurist! She said she would definitely
: hire me to do manicures and pedicures....but I don't WANT to do
: manicures. I want to do henna; that's why I've been doing henna for
: the past 5 years instead of pursuing a cosmetology license...
:
: OK. Gotta go give my diabetic kitty his shot. Thanks for listening
: to my whining. The spouse tries to be helpful (which doesn't help),
: but doesn't really understand.

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Re: those brides are demanding.... Natasha 20:20:43 8/26/2003 (0)

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: Ahhhhh..... this is awful.... The bride is totally taking advantage of you and not : treating you like a professional. She wouldn't do this to a caterer! : Stand your ground. Be professional and sure of yourself. No waffling. : You really need to take the corporate appointment with a large block of time : AND a possibitlity of future work. $...$...$... : Some women (brides specialize in this) really have a nack at taking : advantage of you and your time. : (I just got totally rolled over by a woman last month. She was more forceful : than I and by the time I got off the phone with her she had me agreeing to do a : bar mitzvah 2 hours away, for 3 hours with 2 of us. That's a total of 14 hours : for $200.00! When I told her I needed a %50 deposit she simply said no. She : absolutely refused. Oh - and she wanted bindi's thrown in for the 100+ guests : too. I was flabbergasted, when I finally got it together the next day I called to : discuss this with her, she was suddenly unavailable when told who was : calling. this went on for 3 days. I finally just left a message on the machine : cancelling.She was surprisingly available 5 minutes after I left the : cancellation. I was so upset by this crazy, pushy, and mean woman I spent a : week fixating over 15 buck an hour. So not worth it) : I'm working on saying no right off the bat. Or just standing firm. It's hard. We all : worked so hard to get people interested and wanting henna that it seems : wrong to turn people down, but the fact is, sometimes it's not in your best : interest. : : You booked an appointment with the bride at a specific time. You booked a : 2nd appt. several hours later. There is no conflict. : It's sad she had to change her plans but you are booked for that evening. : I'ts simple, you are booked, she changed her appointment. Either way you say : it, she screwed up, try not to feel badly, there's nothing you can do. Take the : job that you can build a relationship with. : : (I've referred several people to you this summer, have they tracked you : down? I'm trying to throw cash your way, I hope it makes it into your pocket.) : : good luck, relax, and tell her it's sad you can't accommodate her. : : Jessica : : : Then I got a call last week that the bride changed the time of her : : party and the party will START at 6:30pm. Being a doormat, I told : : her that at most I could henna for a half hour....but then I looked : : at the map today and the corporate gig is very far away -- I'll be : : lucky if it only takes an hour. So I called and told her that I had : : to leave at 6:30, so I couldn't do her party. And she pitched a fit, : : and said that all her guests were coming in from out of town and : : they're all expecting mehndi...couldn't I call my other gig and tell : : them that I'll be 15 minutes late or something. : : : : No. I can't do that. And she starts to cry b/c she's so overwhelmed : : with everything and she just wants her wedding to be perfect.... : : : : And I feel guilty. I offer to find another henna artist. She : : doesn't want another henna artist whose work is unknown. : : : : I told her I'd call her back tomorrow. : : : : But I can't do her party at 6:30 b/c I don't want to miss my other : : gig which is paying full rate (for 4 hours) and might lead to other : : gigs. I'm furious that the bride switched the time of her party w/o : : consulting my plans, but I feel some weird sense of obligation b/c I : : promised her I'd do the party. : : : : Please help me be strong!!! : : : : My other frustration of the summer has been getting payment from the : : resort where I've been doing henna every week-end since June. I : : haven't been paid, yet. And as a result, I have no money int he bank : : and can't register for school b/c I can't pay for my classes (the : : University doesn't accept VISA cards...). Part of the problem is : : bureaucratic -- the accounting dept. sat on my invoice through July : : and then rejected it b/c it didn't have a special invoice number. So : : I had to rebill. Then they lost the invoices and I had to rebill : : again....but the fact remains that they owe me more than $1000 for : : services rendered and I'm totally broke and have to take a leave of : : absence for this semester. : : : : Grrr. And I met the owner of a salon who had said she wanted a henna : : artist and when I spoke with her she tried to get me to go to : : cosmetology school to be a manicurist! She said she would definitely : : hire me to do manicures and pedicures....but I don't WANT to do : : manicures. I want to do henna; that's why I've been doing henna for : : the past 5 years instead of pursuing a cosmetology license... : : : : OK. Gotta go give my diabetic kitty his shot. Thanks for listening : : to my whining. The spouse tries to be helpful (which doesn't help), : : but doesn't really understand.
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