Firing an old lady.

I had to fire a client recently. It was sad. She was 84, which made it even sadder.
She was mean. Not just cranky mean. Not just "I have had a bad day" mean. Insulting mean, make me feel inadequate mean, want stick my pointed comb into her head mean.

I've been a hairstylist for over 30 years. I know how to do the "Big" hairstyles. I backcomb hair ..tight.
I can do the little curls that women of that generation love, I can even do a roller set. Does this mean it is something I love to do? No, but I love my elderly ladies and I will do most anything to please them. Except Wilma.
Wilma called me to ask if I backcombed hair. "Yes" Could I backcomb it tight? "Yes" She lost her hairstylist due to a back injury and needed in that week.
You must understand that only Ashley and I do the "older" ladies. She was busy and while I am not taking new clients for a "weekly" spot, I felt sorry for Wilma and booked her in. First mistake.
She was bossy, demanding and not very nice. Like a trooper though, thinking it would get better over time, I held my tongue, did every little thing she asked me to with a smile to end with " Maybe you'll do better next time".
Mind you, I don't take that from clients. I've been doing this too long to be treated in a demeaning way. I am not perfect, I don't always nail a style the first time, but I work hard to please clients.
I knew this was going to be a tough one.
Next week, same thing. I didn't shampoo right, I didn't put the color rinse on right. I'm seething inside all the while thinking how I could get out of this. By the end of each appointment there would be a glimmer of niceness so I'd stuff my "let go" speech away.  Then she started bringing her "Wal-Mart" products in because those would help me do better.
I do not embarrass people. I would never say anything in the salon to make anyone uncomfortable, but I had to get rid of this client. Plus her products.
I decided to call her and tell her how I felt, then mail her products to her.
Do you know what a 555 telephone number is?  It's what you hear on TV when someone gives out a number. They do that because that number does not exist.
Wilma's number was 405-555-0012  I get people's info off of checks. That was on her check.
84 tear old woman, fake elephant number. What was she hiding?
Time was running out though. It was Friday and her appointment was the next Thursday. I mailed her products along with a letter explaining why I no longer wanted to do her hair.
Done!
Monday I checked the tracking number to see if it had been delivered. No such address. Returned.
WHAT??
Fake phone number and nonexistent address. How did she even get checks??
One of my other clients knew her so I had to call Betty to get her number, which meant I had to tell Betty I was firing her friend. Betty Said " I don't blame you, she's a mean person  Well, if nothing else my feelings had been validated.
On to the call.
No answer. So I left a message.
"Wilma, I hate to leave this on your answering machine but seeing as your phone number and your address are nonexistent I have no choice.  I no longer want to do your hair. I can't please you and you would be much better off finding a new stylist".
Hey, that wasn't so bad. I tried everything I could and finally left the message. Problem resolved?
No, she called back.
"I'm not mean. I don't understand what you are saying. Would you do my hair this week?"
Lordy. So I had to talk to her. "No Wilma. "
I had never fired a client before. This is tough stuff. Especially when they don't understand why.
I finally got through to her, she picked up her Wal-Mart products and life in the salon has gone on.
I told my protege Ashley if I ever get like that she has permission to send me to the looney bin..or fire me.

Hanging on to old styles.

In an ever changing world of hair styles, colors , cuts, texture and more I find, even at my old age, a fascination with what can be done with hair.
Very few of my present clients will ask for the pastels, or rock the vivid colors, but I wish they did.
Anyone who knew me years ago, knows I would be a veritable rainbow if I could. Gray hair has a life of it's own though and is not condusive to brights or pastels. Hell I have a hard enough time going one week before the crap comes through. That's a post all of it's own though.

One of the hottest colors right now is the silvery white blonde ( at my age, we call that gray) but it is gorgeous when done on the right head. Add a few lavender pieces and my tongue hangs out at how beautiful it is. My clients usually say " Isn't that awful?"  "Can you imagine someone doing that to their hair?" when all the time I'm drooling wishing I could do it.
Not all mine are that bad, but as many of my clients and I have grown old together, I have discovered how strongly women hold on to their hairstyles.

Client: Thelma   Age: 72  Hair type:  Thick, straight, steel grey  Hairstyle: Roller set ( ugh)
I started doing her hair when she was 64. As I have always at some point or other had ladies with roller sets, this one was a thorn. I was hard to roll her hair, took a long time to dry and while it looked good,  I thought something else would look so much better.  Fast forward 5 years. Conversation in salon about women who hang on to hairstyles never wanting to change. Thelma asked what I would do if I could change it. I would cut it short, over the ears, give her the volume on top she needed but make it much more stylish. She said "Go for it" Once I got over the shock I started cutting. The salon was watching as was Thelma. It looked fantastic. Thelma looked in the mirror and said "We'll see how it does through the week"  While I wanted her to jump for joy at the new style I also knew she was the type of person who didn't throw out compliments and needed time. Of course everyone gushing over her about how much younger she looked and how much better it looked, added to the possibility she would come back the next week appreciating the new look.
I don't think she ever flat out said how much easier it was, but she kept it for a few months. After about 4 months she started letting it get longer and longer until it was close to her own style.  I never said anything because this is a "comfort" zone for many women.  Try something new, then gradually go back to the old style.  While she never again let me cut it as short as I did the first time, at least we got away from roller sets and it was a much softer looker.
May she rest in peace now. She was a wonderful client.  She would have rocked silver and lavender.