Grace & Boundaries: Handling Late Clients & Their Phone Use in the Salon

It continues to sadden me when I see our Technicians complaining about their clients all over social media. Do you remember where your bread and butter comes from? Do you know who literally pays your bills?

You must remember, In our world of beauty, providing an exceptional client experience is at the heart of what we do. Yet, even the best of us dedicated professionals face the challenge of clients who arrive late or talk on the phone during appointments. While frustrating, our response can be navigated with grace and professionalism—without sacrificing your time, schedule, or sanity.

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The Impact of Late Arrivals

When a client arrives late, it doesn’t just affect their appointment—it ripples through your entire day. It can push back other clients, cause you to rush through services, or even leave you working past your scheduled hours. There really is a very simple way of handling this; SEC

• Set Clear Expectations
  Your policies should be clearly stated on your website, appointment confirmations, and signs in your Salon . A standard policy might read:  “Clients arriving more than 10 minutes late may have their services shortened or rescheduled to respect the time of all our guests.”

• Enforce Policies Consistently
  Don’t be afraid to stick to your boundaries. If a client is 15 minutes late for a 30-minute service, or any… calmly let them know the full service cannot be completed in the remaining time. Otherwise, decide if one of your policies include paying for your time.

• Communicate with  kindness                                                                                                                                                                     Use empathetic language:  “I understand things come up. Unfortunately, since we’re already 15 minutes into your scheduled time, I won’t be able to complete the full service today. We can either shorten it or reschedule for a time that works better.”   Again, will you charge them for your time?

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What About The Client Always On The Phone?

There’s nothing quite like trying to focus on precision work while your client is mid-conversation—especially if it’s loud, distracting, or causes them to move their hands or feet. It can compromise the quality of your service and create tension in the space. Yet, maybe you like it, allowing you to do your work without having to have conversation. Either way, what is your policy? Do you….

1. Set the Tone Early
   Add a gentle reminder in your welcome email or pre-appointment message:
   “To ensure the best experience for you and others, we kindly ask clients to silence their phones and avoid phone conversations during services.”

2. Address It in the Moment
   If a client answers a call during the service, wait a moment. If it becomes disruptive, speak politely but firmly:  “I want to make sure you get the best results, and it’s hard to do that while you’re on the phone. Would you mind wrapping up the call so we can continue?”  Another option is to remind your clients to silence their phone as soon as they sit at their station.
   

3. Reinforce Your Role
   You are a professional providing a specialized service. If a client’s phone use interferes with your work, it’s okay to pause until they’re ready to focus.

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You Get What You Create

Clients take their cues from you. When you communicate boundaries professionally and consistently right up front, most will respect them—and even appreciate the structure. Don’t feel guilty about upholding policies designed to protect your time, energy, and craft.

Just remember, Handling late clients and phone use isn’t about being harsh—it’s about preserving the integrity of your work and creating a respectful, calm environment. With the right approach, you can turn even uncomfortable moments into opportunities to educate your clients and elevate your own work and their salon experience.

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With all this information, do you feel like you can make some adjustments or….are you just “over it”?  If you are, than maybe you have burnout.  If so, you need to recognize it and reclaim your passion.

Our Industry is filled with passion, creativity, and connection—yet, it’s also physically demanding, emotionally draining, and often overlooked when it comes to self-care for us as technicians. Between long hours, back-to-back appointments, dealing with difficult clients, personnel etc. along with the pressure to always “be on,” burnout is more common than most are willing to admit.

If you’re feeling exhausted, detached, or like your spark is fading, you’re not alone—GOOD NEWS…there is a way back.

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Burnout isn’t just about being tired. It’s a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion caused by prolonged stress.

Symptoms include;

• Dreading going to work—even with clients you love

• Feeling irritable, anxious, or emotionally numb

• Struggling to concentrate or stay inspired creatively

• Experiencing physical aches, fatigue, or frequent illness

• Losing the joy you once for what you do

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Helpful Tips;

 

1. Reclaim Your Schedule

One of the biggest burnout triggers is overbooking. More appointments may mean more money—but at what cost?

• Set firm start and end times for your workday—and honor them.

• Schedule intentional breaks, even if just 10 minutes to breathe and stretch.

• Build in “white space” on your calendar to buffer late clients or no-shows.

It’s important to eat, rest, stretch and reset between clients.

2. Nourish Your Body

The physical toll of beauty work is no joke—bent over feet, arms stretched across nail tables, hands cramping from constant motion.

• See a massage therapist, chiropractor, or physical therapist regularly.

• Invest in supportive footwear and ergonomic equipment.

• Hydrate and snack on nourishing foods during the day.

If you don’t take care of your body, your body will force you to slow down.

3. Guard Your Mental Space

Client conversations can be beautiful—but sometimes heavy. Listening to stories, venting, or trauma can take a toll.  We are people, people and we do get involved.

• Learn to set emotional boundaries. You can be compassionate without absorbing everything.

• End your day with a mental “reset” ritual: a short walk, journaling, or silence.

• Consider talking to a coach or therapist to offload and process.

You’re a service provider—not a therapist. Protect your energy.

4. Reconnect with Your Why

Burnout often makes you forget why you started. Go back to the beginning.

• Take a class or attend a beauty event to re-ignite your passion.

• Do one “fun” service a week—on a friend, a model, or yourself.

• Celebrate the wins: the client transformations, the thank-you notes, the referrals.

You are making a difference. Remind yourself of that often.

5. Know When to Pause

Sometimes, the best thing you can do is step back to come back stronger.

• Schedule a long weekend off—even if it means blocking out your calendar.

• Consider adjusting your hours seasonally to avoid overload during busy times.

• Give yourself permission to rest without guilt.

Rest isn’t lazy. It’s necessary.

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So the next time you get upset or discouraged with one of your clients.  Ask yourself…is it them or me?

CJ Murray, President