MANAGING DIFFICULT, ABUSIVE, OR INAPPROPRIATE CLIENT BEHAVIOUR
- EOHCB National
- 7 hours ago
- 6 min read
Written by Laurence Moeti
In the hairdressing, cosmetology, beauty, and skincare industry, client relationships are at the centre of the establishment. A client may arrive for a haircut, colour treatment, manicure, facial, massage, make-up application or other beauty service expecting a particular result. Most interactions are positive. Occasionally, however, a client may become verbally abusive, threatening, discriminatory, sexually inappropriate or otherwise disrespectful towards an employee.
For an employer, the instinct may be to keep the client happy at all costs. After all, clients generate revenue and reputation matters in an industry where referrals, reviews and repeat business can determine whether an establishment succeeds. But there is an important boundary: protecting the client relationship must not come at the expense of an employee's dignity, safety or wellbeing.
South Africa's workplace harassment framework (Code of Good Practice Prevention & Elimination of Harassment in the Workplace) recognises that harassment can arise in situations connected to work and that clients, suppliers, contractors and other persons dealing with an organisation can be perpetrators or victims. The Department of Employment and Labour has specifically confirmed that protection against harassment extends to situations related to an employee's work and work-related communications (Department of Employment and Labour, 2022b).
A typical establishment scenario
Consider a client who is unhappy with a colour treatment. Instead of raising the concern calmly, the client shouts at the hairdresser in front of other clients, calls the employee incompetent and threatens to post damaging comments online. The client then demands that the hairdresser redo the service immediately and refuses to partake in a discussion when the establishment manager asks to resolve the problem.
The employer now faces two legitimate interests. 1. The client's complaint should be taken seriously, particularly because consumers have rights regarding the quality and performance of services. At the same time, 2. the employee should not be expected to tolerate abuse simply because the person is a paying client. The Consumer Protection Act recognises consumers' rights to timely services and services performed at a quality that people are generally entitled to expect, while providing remedies where services fall below the required standard (Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008, s 54).
The answer is therefore not to choose automatically between the client and the employee. It is to manage the complaint fairly, investigate what happened and set reasonable boundaries on behaviour.
What counts as inappropriate client behaviour?
Not every difficult client is abusive. A client is entitled to complain, question a charge, challenge the quality of a service or request that a problem be corrected. The difficulty arises when legitimate dissatisfaction crosses into unacceptable conduct.
Examples may include:
Shouting, swearing at or humiliating an employee.
Threatening physical harm or threatening to damage the establishment or its property.
Making racist, sexist, homophobic or other discriminatory comments.
Making unwanted sexual comments, propositions, engaging in unwanted touching or other sexualised conduct.
Repeatedly insulting an employee after the employee has attempted to resolve the complaint.
Bullying, intimidation or deliberately humiliating an employee in front of colleagues or other clients.
Using social media, reviews or messaging platforms to harass or threaten an employee personally.
Refusing reasonable instructions to leave the premises after abusive or threatening conduct.
The employer's responsibility: do not normalise abuse
Employers should not create a culture in which employees are told to 'just take it' because the person is a client. The Code of Good Practice on the Prevention and Elimination of Harassment in the Workplace aims to eliminate harassment in the workplace and in activities linked to or arising from work. It also emphasises respect for employees' integrity, dignity, privacy and equality (Department of Employment and Labour, 2022a).
This is particularly important in establishments because employees often work in close physical proximity to clients and may provide services in private treatment rooms or, where applicable, at clients' homes. Employers should therefore consider client conduct when assessing workplace risks and developing practical procedures.
Where an employee reports harassment or abusive conduct, the employer should take the complaint seriously, assess the circumstances and take appropriate steps to address the problem. The Department has emphasised that the Code applies to situations related to an employee's work and that harassment may involve third parties such as clients and customers (Department of Employment and Labour, 2022b).
A practical response for employers
Listen to the client without sacrificing the employee
The first response should be calm and professional. Allow the client to explain the complaint and record the relevant facts. If there is a genuine service problem, the employer should investigate it. The employee should not be forced to continue providing a service while the client is shouting, threatening or behaving in a manner that creates an unsafe environment (Department of Employment and Labour, 2022a).
Separate the complaint from the conduct
A client may have a valid complaint and still behave unacceptably. These are two separate issues. For example, a colour treatment may genuinely not have produced the agreed result, but that does not give the client a right to threaten or abuse the hairdresser. The employer can offer an appropriate remedy while making it clear that abusive behaviour will not be accepted.
Set clear boundaries
Managers should be trained to use simple, firm language: 'We want to resolve your complaint, but we cannot allow our employees to be sworn at or threatened. If you continue, we will have to end the appointment.
This approach is professional because it protects the relationship without rewarding misconduct.
Escalate threats or safety concerns
Where conduct involves threats, violence, stalking or other serious safety concerns, the employer should prioritise immediate safety. Depending on the circumstances, this may include ending the appointment, asking the client to leave, securing the premises, arranging assistance and considering whether the matter should be reported to the appropriate authorities. In this instance, the Protection against Harassment Act, 2011 may be applicable - obtaining a protection order against the client/third-party.
Document the incident
A short incident report can become extremely important if the behaviour is repeated or later disputed. Record the date, time, people involved, what was said or done, witnesses, steps taken and any relevant messages, emails or social media posts or communications.
Documentation also helps the employer identify recurring problems and improve procedures.
Support the affected employee
An employee who has been verbally abused, threatened or sexually harassed by a client may feel embarrassed, frightened or unsupported. The employer and/or manager should check on the employee, provide an opportunity to report what happened and ensure that the employee knows how the matter will be addressed. Where appropriate, further support should be considered.
Client policies are not just paperwork
An establishment should consider adopting a clear client conduct policy. This can be included in booking confirmations, terms and conditions, reception signage or online booking information. It should explain that clients are welcome to raise complaints, but abusive, threatening, discriminatory, sexual or violent conduct towards employees will not be tolerated (Department of Employment and Labour, 2022a).
A useful policy can also identify the consequences of unacceptable conduct, which may include ending an appointment, refusing future bookings, requiring that future appointments be managed by a senior employee, or taking other appropriate steps depending on the circumstances. The policy should be applied consistently and should not be used to prevent legitimate consumer complaints.
Employees should also know who to contact when a client becomes difficult. A junior hairdresser, beauty therapist or receptionist should not be left to manage a serious confrontation alone. Managers should have a clear escalation process.
Protecting reputation without silencing employees
Reputation management is another challenge. A dissatisfied client may post a negative review or make allegations on social media. The temptation can be to respond publicly and defensively. This can make the situation worse.
Employers should avoid disclosing confidential information about the client or employee and should not encourage employees to engage in online arguments. A professional response might acknowledge the concern, invite the client to communicate privately, and indicate that the establishment takes service complaints seriously. Internally, the employer should investigate whether the review reveals a genuine service failure.
The objective is not to eliminate every negative review. It is to demonstrate that the establishment responds professionally, learns from legitimate complaints and protects its employees from abuse.
A balanced approach benefits everyone
The strongest client relationship is not one in which an employer accepts every demand. It is one built on clear expectations, professional service and mutual respect. Clients should receive services of an appropriate standard and have meaningful avenues to complain, consistent with the consumer rights recognised by section 54 of the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008. Employees should be able to perform their work without being subjected to abuse, harassment or threats (Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008, s 54; Department of Employment and Labour, 2022a).
For employers in the hairdressing, cosmetology, skincare and beauty industry, the practical lesson is simple: the client is important, but the employee is not expendable. An establishment that protects its staff while dealing fairly with clients is more likely to build a sustainable reputation.
Managing difficult client behaviour should therefore form part of the employer's broader employee-relations, health and safety and reputation-management strategy. Clear policies, manager training, proper documentation and consistent enforcement can prevent a difficult appointment from becoming a serious workplace dispute.
Key takeaway for employers
Do not confuse a legitimate client complaint with a right to abuse an employee.
Take allegations of harassment seriously and address them fairly.
Set clear standards for client conduct and communicate them before problems arise.
Train managers and front-desk staff on de-escalation and escalation procedures.
Document serious incidents and retain relevant communications.
Prioritise employee safety where threats, violence or harassment occur.
Respond to online complaints professionally and protect confidential information.
Review client policies regularly to ensure they support both consumer rights and employee dignity.
