Whether you love ‘em or loathe ‘em, you’ve got to have policies. And, you’ve got to stick to them. Without clear policies in place, your clients (and their mother) will just walk all over you.
Why?
Well, it’s because you let them.
In this Q&A episode, I answer the simple question, “How do you stick to your policies?” Don’t worry. I don’t tell you to grow a bigger backbone, stand your ground or fire a bunch of rebellious clients.
Believe it or not, there’s a method behind the madness of policies. And, I’m going to share what that is as well as some great tips to ensure your clients follow your rules!
{If you want to listen to the podcast episode on this topic, click on the player at the top of the post. Alternatively you can watch the video below, or read on…}
1. You need CLEAR policies!
First and foremost, you need clear policies. If your policies don’t make any sense, how will you ever enforce them? This is not the time to be vague. The last thing you need is pages and pages worth of pure gibberish!
A client needs to be able to look at your policies and understand what the boundaries are. If clients can’t make sense of your policies, you’ve got no leg to stand on.
Without clear boundaries, clients will continue to push you to the breaking point.
Eventually, you’ll end up resenting your clients and your business. Soon, you’ll even lose money because you lack confidence in yourself as a business owner to set necessary boundaries.
Keep it simple with an “if this, then that happens” approach. Something like, if you’re late for your appointment, I’ll cancel it, or you’ll get fewer lashes. If you don’t show up for your appointment, I’ll charge you. Think about the most common scenarios. Then, create a format based on what’ll happen if your policies aren’t followed.
If a client tries to give you any hassle about your policies, so what? As long as you went over your policies with the client during their first consultation and they’ve signed them, you’ve got nothing to apologize for. They’ve agreed to it, whether they actually took the time to read it or not.
Remember, it’s okay to treat adults as adults.
If they don’t want to follow the rules, they don’t get to play the game!
2. An understanding of the purpose of policies in your business
Policies aren’t meant to be viewed as a punishment. They aren’t a cruel form of extortion either.
Your policies keep you in business.
Yes, they’re a set of rules. But, they are rules to protect your ability to keep your business open. When a client calls you up to cancel five minutes after their appointment was scheduled, you should charge them. If you don’t, you’ve just lost the money you anticipated to make that day.
If you get a lump in your throat at the thought of having to enforce a policy, remember that it’s in place to keep you open for business.
Nobody wins when the healthy boundaries of a business are broken.
They aren’t unreasonable boundaries either. Your boundaries are explained in a way to help make sure that you, your staff and your customers are all on the same page.
3. Draw a line in the sand and take 100% responsibility
If you don’t like confrontation, but you find yourself stuck in the middle of it because a client won’t back down until they get their own way, tough! They knew what they were getting into and what they agreed to when they signed your policy agreement. So, try your best to maintain professionalism and keep a cool temper.
Yes, it’s frustrating when you know you’re right and you’ve got a client who’s making your life a living hell. But remember, you’re the business owner. All it takes is one social media post about your negative reaction to blow up. It might even go viral. You don’t want that to be your 15 minutes of fame, believe me.
Never respond from a place of instability or emotion. You’ve got to be the bigger person, always.
You’ve got to take 100% responsibility. If someone leaves you a bad review on Yelp or wherever, don’t lash out. Instead, respond professionally. Apologize and ask them if there’s anything you can do or ask them to get in touch if they have any other questions.
Deep down, you might know that their accusation is entirely uncalled for. And, you probably don’t want to give them the satisfaction of replying to their comment. But, you don’t want to leave a negative review in the world that you didn’t respond to. Take the mindset that you’re not responding to the person that left the review. You’re responding to anyone else who might read that review.
My policies
If you need inspiration on what policies you should have in place and how to word them, I’m sharing an example of my policies that you can look at to craft and create your own policies!
Please note that anytime someone agrees to a document and you require them to sign it, it is considered a contract. So, I can’t recommend enough having a lawyer look over your client contracts to ensure they’re enforceable AND legal!
If you’d like to take a look at my policies that I created for the most common issues we as lash biz owners run into, you can do so at thelashpreneur.com/lashbizpolicies
Have a Good One!
Tara Walsh
The Lashpreneur
