As service providers, we love our clients! They are the reason we do what we do! However, there are some we love more than others and our favs definitely get some special treatment!

What do we mean by that? Well we might be able to squeeze an appointment in on a usual day off or on an already packed day (time permitting). I for one love visiting service providers who seem genuinely happy to see me! It makes you feel more special and happy with the service you receive! I know it sucks to feel like the service provider doesn't enjoy having me as a client.

But what if you feel like you have done everything right and you aren't making a positive impression? These few tips will help you be the client of our dreams!

1. Arrive On Time!

We get it, life happens! Sometimes things happen that are out of your control and you might be late! You can plan to be early. This is one trick that works with ALL of your time sensitive commitments. Make sure you also consider the time that could be spent looking for parking if you drive or transit delays if that is how you travel.

If life happened and you are expecting to be late, call your service provider and let them know you are running late and give REALISTIC time estimates. It doesn't look any better if you say you're going to be 5 minutes late and you end up being 20 minutes late. It actually makes you look like you're late, and a liar.

A busy service provider most likely has another commitment after you and will not cut down the appointment time of another client because of your tardiness.

2. Arrive Prepared!

When getting a service for the first time, you may need to research how you should arrive. If you need to have no makeup on or clean hair, do not leave this for the service provider to do for you! This adds time onto the appointment that could be spent doing what you're actually paying for!

As always, we understand if life got in the way and you are unable to do the prep work! But as always, do your best to avoid being a pain in the butt and you'll find your service provider much more forgiving.

3. Communicate!

Whether you want something specific, are uncomfortable or don't like where things are going, tell your service provider how you feel and what you're thinking. It is always better to over communicate. We CANNOT read minds (despite people thinking we should). Here are some specifics you should consider telling your service provider about:

- Desired looks (there is a million versions of "natural makeup". I'm serious)

- Preferences

- Allergies

- Dislikes

By letting us know all of the above information, we will be better prepared to create your perfect look! The more talking we do ahead of time, the less things we will need to fix! It should be noted that makeup, hair, lashes etc. always look better when you do them without trying to fix a million little mistakes or changes.

This is also a really big one. DON'T GIVE ONE WORD ANSWERS. Please elaborate on what you're answering to our questions! Even if you don't know the proper terms, we can understand you better when you give any further details you can. There are millions of ways to do natural makeup. There are millions of up-dos or curl styles. There are millions of different styles of eyelash extensions. You want to make sure we get it right the first time. Trust me.

4. Be Kind.

We are people.

Providing services does not mean we are servants (and quite frankly servants are people too so consider your perspective). We deserve to be spoken to respectfully and treated like an equal. When you treat your service provider like crap, you deserve a crappy service. Period.

This doesn't mean you have to be best friends or even talk the whole time. Many clients like to pop their headphones in and zone out during their appointments. All relationships between clients and service providers are unique and personal.

From working in a salon and running my own personal business, I can tell you that I (and many other service providers) have no problem turning away a client that makes us feel terrible. They are not worth the money. We tell our receptionists not to book specific people with us because it isn't worth it for us. Any salon (or business in general) that values its employees will respect an employees wishes to not have to work for a client that disrespects them.

5. Consider Tipping.

Not all services require a tip. There are many service providers that include gratuities in their costs. Before booking a service, consider researching whether you are expected to tip or not when paying for a service.

We understand if there are some situations where clients cannot or do not wish to tip. It is understood that a tip is a sign of a great service experience and is something that the provider earns by providing excellent service. By being a good client, you should expect an experienced provider to give the best service possible.

When you regularly tip your provider, you are telling them that you are a client worth going the extra mile and a half for. You are showing that you appreciate the time we give you and that you are deserving of our hard work.

If for some reason you cannot tip at any given time, let your provider know you want to but are maybe unable to. If it happens every so often, most providers will understand and appreciate the communication. Theres no harm being honest.

There you have it! If you feel like you have been skimping on some of these actions, you might be a nightmare client (sorry)! But there's hope! Most service providers will respect that we are only human and are usually trying our best.

Until next time, I hope you have a great appointment!