Raise Your Brow At This Request

I have a client bring her non-English-speaking mother back to the spa a week after having her brows done. I guess the aesthetician who did her brows had made them too thin.

Daughter: *Demanding* “You need to do something about it! Make them thicker and reshape them again!”

By industry standards, her mother’s brows are fine: nice arch, clean line, and not dramatic for a grandma.

Me: “How do you propose I fix her brows?”

Daughter: “Make them thicker!”

One of my methods for dealing with angry clients is to repeat back to them what they have asked.

Me: “How would you like me to thicken them?”

I’m assuming she wants a pencil or brow powder to cosmetically thicken them.

Daughter: “Make them thicker. Reshape them and make them thicker!”

When you shape brows, one is usually removing hair.

Me: “Would you like a brow pencil to fill them in?”

Daughter: “No! Make them thicker!“

Me: “So, without makeup, you would like me to remove more hair to make them appear like there is more hair?”

I’m repeating this in front of the entire spa, where all the customers can hear this crazy lady.

Daughter: “I want to speak to the manager!”

Me: “I am the manager.”

Daughter: “You are useless! Why can’t you fix her brows?!”

Me: “Ma’am, I cannot make hair grow back; only time can do that. Her brows are fine, and your mother has not indicated that she is upset about this.”

The mother has been standing there doing and saying nothing to her daughter. In fact, she looks quite embarrassed. Now this lady is screaming at me, so I tell her to lower her voice.

Daughter: “I will not lower my voice! Make her brows thicker! I don’t give a f*** if everyone hears me. Your staff is stupid, and the clients are idiots if they come to a spa like this where they cheat you and can’t fix a problem!”

Me: “Ma’am, you are now being aggressive to me, my staff, and the clients. Your request is unreasonable because I am not God and cannot grow back your mother’s eyebrows. Just wait four weeks and they will be back to how you want them for your mother. Please leave the spa now, or I will call the police.”

Daughter: “No, I won’t leave.”

Now all the clients, about five at the front, three in the back, have come up and are looking at this lady. I’m thinking, “F*** me. They are never coming back.”

Other Customer: “Lady, get out or we will call the police and let them know you are being aggressive and threatening. She has tried to fix your problem. You are being completely unreasonable, and now you’re disturbing us!”

She looked at me, looked at the clients, and actually left!