“I want to speak to the manager.”

Five words no salon owner particularly wants to hear.

Then comes:

“I’m really unhappy with the therapist who treated me.”

What happens next matters.

Handle it badly and you can lose a client, damage an employee relationship, create tension within the team and potentially turn a manageable complaint into a much larger problem.

Handle it well and something very different can happen.

You can resolve the client’s concern.

Find out what actually happened.

Support a good employee who made an honest mistake.

Identify someone who genuinely needs further training.

Discover a weakness in your salon systems.

And sometimes even strengthen the client’s trust in your business.

The important thing is not to panic.

A client complaint is information.

Your job as the owner or manager is to work out what that information means before deciding what to do about it.

First: Don’t Choose a Side

A client says:

“Your therapist was incredibly rude.”

It’s tempting to immediately respond:

“I’m so sorry. That’s completely unacceptable. I’ll deal with her.”

Don’t.

You haven’t established what happened yet.

At the same time, don’t respond:

“That doesn’t sound like Sarah. She’s never rude to anyone.”

You’ve now dismissed the client before hearing the complaint.

A better response is:

“Thank you for telling me. I’m sorry to hear you were unhappy with your experience. I’d like to understand exactly what happened so I can look into it properly.”

You can take someone’s complaint seriously without automatically accepting every allegation as fact.

That distinction is extremely important.

Move the Conversation Somewhere Private

Don’t investigate a staff complaint at reception.

Not while another client is checking out.

Not in front of the therapist.

Not within earshot of three employees.

If possible, move the conversation somewhere private or arrange an appropriate time to speak by telephone.

The client should feel comfortable explaining what happened.

And your employee deserves not to have allegations discussed publicly in the workplace.

Let the Client Tell the Whole Story

One of the worst things a manager can do is interrupt every 20 seconds to explain.

“That’s because…”

“What she probably meant was…”

“We normally…”

Listen first.

Ask useful questions.

What happened?

When did it happen?

Which treatment was being performed?

What was said?

What did the therapist do?

When did the client first become uncomfortable?

Did they raise the concern during the appointment?

Was anyone else present?

Has anything happened since the treatment?

What outcome is the client hoping for?

You aren’t conducting a courtroom cross-examination.

You’re trying to establish enough information to understand the complaint.

Find Out What the Client Actually Wants

Not every complaint is a demand for money.

Sometimes a client simply wants:

To be heard.

An apology.

An explanation.

The treatment corrected.

A different therapist next time.

A refund or credit.

The business to know what happened.

Reassurance that it won’t happen again.

Ask.

You may spend 20 minutes preparing to defend a $300 refund when the client really wanted somebody to acknowledge that they were left waiting for 25 minutes without explanation.

Understanding the desired outcome doesn’t mean you automatically have to provide it.

It tells you what resolution might look like.

Don’t Promise an Outcome Before You Investigate

Avoid saying:

“I’ll refund everything.”

Or:

“She’ll be disciplined.”

Or:

“I’ll make sure she’s fired.”

Or:

“I guarantee this will never happen again.”

You may not yet know what occurred.

Instead:

“I’m going to look into this properly and speak with the team member involved. Once I’ve done that, I’ll come back to you.”

Then give the client a realistic timeframe.

And follow through.

Nothing makes a complaint worse quite like promising:

“I’ll call you this afternoon.”

and disappearing for four days.

Write Down the Facts

As soon as practical, create a factual record of the complaint.

Record:

Date and time

Client

Employee involved

Treatment or service

What the client alleges happened

Any injury or adverse reaction reported

Names of potential witnesses

Relevant photos or documents

What outcome the client requested

What you told the client

What follow-up was promised

Avoid dramatic editorial comments such as:

“Sarah was obviously careless again.”

Record facts.

Documentation becomes particularly important if the issue later develops into an insurance matter, employment dispute, serious safety concern or recurring performance problem.

Then Speak to the Employee Privately

Now you have one version of events.

You need the other.

Don’t confront the therapist between clients with:

“What on earth did you do to Mrs Jones?”

Arrange a private conversation.

Explain the issue clearly.

For example:

“A client has raised a concern about yesterday’s appointment. I want to understand what happened from your perspective before I make any decisions.”

That sentence matters.

It tells the employee:

I’m taking the complaint seriously.

But also:

I haven’t already decided you’re guilty.

Current Fair Work guidance recommends that performance concerns be discussed privately, that employees understand the issue being raised, and that they are given an opportunity to respond. Where a formal performance meeting is involved, Fair Work guidance also discusses allowing a support person.

Fair Work Ombudsman — Managing Performance and Warnings

Listen to the Employee’s Version

Ask open questions.

“Talk me through the appointment.”

“What happened when the client raised that concern?”

“Was anything unusual about the treatment?”

“Did you notice the client was unhappy?”

“Was anyone else present?”

“Is there anything else I need to know?”

Don’t feed them the answers you’re expecting.

And don’t turn the meeting into an interrogation.

Sometimes the employee will say:

“Yes. I handled that badly.”

Sometimes they’ll provide important context.

Sometimes their account will directly conflict with the client’s.

That’s why you investigate before deciding.

Check the Evidence You Actually Have

Depending on the complaint, useful information might include:

Booking records

Consultation forms

Treatment notes

Client communications

Relevant photographs

Product or device records

Staff rosters

Training records

Witness accounts

Relevant salon policies

CCTV, if lawfully collected and relevant

Messages or emails

Stick to information relevant to the complaint.

Don’t turn one complaint into a fishing expedition through the employee’s entire life.

Not Every Complaint Means the Employee Did Something Wrong

Clients can misunderstand situations.

Two people can remember a conversation differently.

A client may dislike a perfectly reasonable boundary.

Someone may be disappointed with a treatment outcome despite the therapist following the agreed procedure.

And occasionally a complaint may be exaggerated or unfounded.

Supporting clients doesn’t mean sacrificing employees whenever someone complains.

If your investigation doesn’t support the allegation, don’t manufacture a disciplinary issue simply to demonstrate to the client that you “did something”.

You can still acknowledge the client’s experience and look for an appropriate resolution.

But Don’t Automatically Defend Your Favourite Employee Either

The opposite mistake happens frequently.

“She’s worked here for eight years. I know she’d never do that.”

Long service doesn’t make someone incapable of making a mistake.

Neither does being your highest-performing therapist.

Neither does being your friend.

Take complaints consistently.

A workplace loses trust quickly when employees believe certain people are untouchable.

Work Out What Type of Problem You’re Dealing With

This is where good management matters.

A complaint might indicate:

A service-recovery issue

The employee did nothing seriously wrong, but the client experience broke down.

A skills gap

The therapist needs additional treatment, consultation or communication training.

A performance issue

Expected standards aren’t consistently being met.

A systems failure

The employee was put in a situation where your processes contributed to the problem.

A misunderstanding

Client and therapist had different expectations.

A conduct issue

The employee behaved inappropriately.

A serious safety or misconduct allegation

The matter may require immediate escalation and professional advice.

Those situations should not all receive the same response.

Ask: Was the Employee Set Up to Succeed?

Suppose a client complains that the therapist seemed rushed and barely explained the treatment.

Before blaming the therapist, check the diary.

Were they booked back-to-back for eight hours?

Did the previous appointment run late?

Was adequate consultation time allowed?

Were they covering reception?

Was someone absent?

Were they trained properly?

Did the salon have a clear consultation procedure?

This doesn’t excuse inappropriate behaviour.

But sometimes a “staff problem” is actually a management system problem.

Good leaders are willing to investigate both.

A Complaint Can Reveal a Training Gap

Suppose a therapist gives a technically competent treatment but the client says:

“She never explained anything. I had no idea what she was doing.”

The solution may not be discipline.

It may be consultation training.

Or communication coaching.

Or a better treatment protocol.

Or mentoring.

Fair Work’s best-practice guidance encourages employers to consider training, mentoring and other support where performance needs improvement.

Fair Work Ombudsman — Managing Underperformance Best Practice Guide

The goal of performance management should usually be to improve performance—not to catch people doing something wrong.

Don’t Jump Straight to a Written Warning

One complaint doesn’t automatically equal one warning.

And there is no universal Australian rule that says:

“Three warnings and you’re fired.”

Fair Work explicitly notes there is no general rule requiring an employer to give an employee three warnings—or even necessarily one warning—before termination. What matters includes the circumstances and whether a fair process has been followed.

Fair Work Ombudsman — Managing Performance and Warnings

Depending on the situation, the appropriate response might be:

Coaching

Retraining

Clarifying expectations

Changing a procedure

Monitoring performance

A performance improvement process

A formal warning

A more serious disciplinary process

The response should match the issue.

Serious Allegations Are Different

Some complaints should immediately move beyond ordinary service recovery.

Examples could include allegations involving:

Sexual harassment

Assault

Theft

Deliberately unsafe conduct

Serious discrimination

Serious privacy breaches

Significant client injury

Fraud

Serious threats or aggression

These situations can raise employment, WHS, insurance, privacy, criminal or other legal issues.

Don’t improvise.

Preserve relevant records.

Consider whether immediate safety measures are needed.

Review your workplace procedures.

Notify insurers where appropriate.

And obtain professional workplace-relations or legal advice when the seriousness of the allegation warrants it.

Fair Work distinguishes ordinary underperformance from serious misconduct and recommends care when serious conduct may lead to termination.

Fair Work Ombudsman — Managing Performance and Warnings

Client Injury Needs Its Own Response

If the complaint involves:

A burn

Skin damage

An allergic reaction

Eye exposure

A cut or sharps incident

Unexpected bleeding

Significant swelling

A device-related injury

the priority isn’t deciding whether the therapist deserves a warning.

First manage the immediate health and safety issue appropriately.

Document what occurred.

Preserve relevant treatment and equipment records.

Follow applicable incident procedures.

Consider your insurance notification obligations.

And determine whether the treatment, equipment, product, procedure or training requires review.

For a broader guide to salon hazards and incident prevention, read:

ABA — Common Hazards in a Beauty Salon

Be Careful About What You Tell the Client About the Employee

Once you’ve investigated, the client deserves an appropriate response.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean giving them a detailed account of your internal employment actions.

Avoid:

“We’ve put Sarah on her final warning.”

“She’s had complaints before.”

“She’s having personal problems at home.”

“We’re cutting her hours.”

“She’s probably going to be fired.”

You can instead say:

“We’ve investigated your concerns and addressed the matter internally. We’ve also reviewed the relevant procedure and taken steps to reduce the likelihood of this happening again.”

That tells the client their complaint mattered without turning an employee-management issue into client gossip.

Protect Client Information Too

A complaint can contain personal information.

In beauty, it may also involve sensitive details about treatments, skin concerns, health history or other information supplied during consultation.

Don’t screenshot the complaint and post it into a casual staff group chat with:

“Can you believe this?”

Only involve people who genuinely need the information to manage the matter.

Businesses covered by the Privacy Act should understand their obligations concerning personal information.

The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner provides guidance here:

OAIC — Privacy for Organisations

What Should You Say to the Client?

After investigating, close the loop.

A useful structure is:

Acknowledge → Explain what you can → Resolve → Reassure → Document

For example:

“Thank you for giving me the opportunity to look into this. I’ve spoken with the team member involved and reviewed the appointment information. I understand why you were disappointed with the communication during your treatment. We’ve addressed that internally and are also reviewing how we explain this part of the service to clients. I’d like to offer [appropriate resolution].”

You don’t need a 900-word defence.

The client wants to know:

Did you listen?

Did you investigate?

Do you care?

What happens now?

Should You Refund the Client?

Sometimes.

But don’t make refund = complaint an automatic formula.

Consider:

What actually happened?

Was the treatment delivered?

Was the outcome materially different from what was agreed?

Can the issue reasonably be corrected?

Was there an adverse event?

What are your consumer-law obligations?

What does your complaints policy say?

What resolution is fair in the circumstances?

Australian Consumer Law may provide consumers with remedies where consumer guarantees aren’t met.

For official guidance:

ACCC — Consumer Rights and Guarantees

A salon’s “no refunds” policy cannot simply override rights that a consumer has under Australian Consumer Law.

Don’t Make the Employee Pay for the Complaint

Another dangerous reaction is:

“The client wants a refund, so I’m taking it out of your wages.”

Don’t assume you can make deductions from an employee’s wages because a client complained, a treatment was refunded or a mistake occurred.

Australian workplace laws restrict when deductions from employee pay can be made.

Check current Fair Work guidance:

Fair Work Ombudsman — Deducting Pay and Overpayments

Get advice before making deductions rather than trying to recover a client refund from someone’s next pay.

Watch for Patterns

One complaint can be an isolated incident.

Five similar complaints probably deserve deeper attention.

Track complaints by:

Treatment

Employee

Issue

Date

Outcome

Resolution

Corrective action

Patterns can reveal problems you would otherwise miss.

Perhaps three clients complained about one therapist’s communication.

Or multiple therapists receive complaints about the same treatment.

Or nearly every complaint occurs during Thursday late-night trading.

Or clients repeatedly misunderstand the expected outcome of one service.

Now you have management information.

Don’t Create a Culture Where Staff Hide Mistakes

Imagine an employee realises they’ve made an error.

What happens if they tell you?

If the answer is:

They get humiliated in front of everyone.

They lose commission immediately.

The owner explodes.

The team gossips about them.

employees learn something quickly:

Hide mistakes.

That’s dangerous.

You want therapists to tell you:

“Something happened and I need help.”

Accountability matters.

So does psychological safety.

You can have both.

Don’t Discuss the Complaint With the Whole Team

There’s rarely a good reason to announce:

“We’ve had another complaint about Chloe.”

If the complaint reveals a general training issue, address the lesson without unnecessarily identifying the employee.

For example:

“We’re going to refresh our consultation process this week because we need to make sure every client understands what to expect before treatment.”

Now everyone improves.

Without turning one employee into workplace entertainment.

What If the Client Posts a Negative Review?

Sometimes the complaint becomes public before you’ve finished investigating.

Don’t respond emotionally.

Don’t publicly disclose the employee’s version of events.

Don’t reveal the client’s treatment history.

Don’t turn Google Reviews into a courtroom.

A short, professional response acknowledging the concern and inviting appropriate private communication is generally much safer than publishing a detailed rebuttal.

For a complete guide, read:

ABA — How Beauty Salons Should Handle Negative Online Reviews

What If the Employee Says the Complaint Is False?

Take that seriously too.

Review the evidence.

Look for inconsistencies.

Speak to relevant witnesses where appropriate.

Don’t tell the employee:

“The customer is always right.”

The customer isn’t always right.

Neither is the employee.

Your role is to make a reasonable, fair assessment based on the information available.

Sometimes you may conclude that there isn’t enough evidence to establish exactly what occurred.

That’s still a conclusion.

Document it.

What If the Client Doesn’t Want You to Tell the Employee?

This can be difficult.

A client might say:

“I’m telling you, but please don’t tell her I complained.”

Don’t automatically promise complete confidentiality if you may need to put allegations to the employee in order to investigate or respond fairly.

Instead explain:

“I’ll handle the information as sensitively as I can and only involve people who need to be involved. However, I may need to discuss the substance of the concern with the employee so I can investigate it properly.”

That’s much safer than making a confidentiality promise you later can’t keep.

Create a Client Complaint Procedure Before You Need One

Your salon shouldn’t invent its process every time somebody complains.

Create a straightforward procedure covering:

Who receives complaints

Who investigates

Where complaints are recorded

How quickly clients are acknowledged

How employees are informed

How serious matters are escalated

Who can authorise refunds or corrective treatments

When insurers should be contacted

When professional advice is required

How outcomes are documented

How recurring problems are reviewed

Then train managers to use it.

Consistency protects clients, employees and the business.

ABA’s 7-Step Client Complaint Framework

When a client complains about an employee, remember:

1. LISTEN
Let the client explain what happened.

2. RECORD
Document the facts and preserve relevant information.

3. PAUSE
Don’t promise an outcome or decide who’s right immediately.

4. INVESTIGATE
Speak privately with the employee and review relevant evidence.

5. ASSESS
Determine whether this is service recovery, training, performance, conduct, safety or a serious matter.

6. RESOLVE
Provide an appropriate client response and take proportionate internal action.

7. LEARN
Ask what needs to change so the same problem is less likely to happen again.

Common Mistakes Salon Owners Make

Immediately blaming the employee

A complaint is an allegation until you’ve established what happened.

Immediately defending the employee

Loyalty shouldn’t prevent a fair investigation.

Promising the client someone will be fired

Employment decisions require appropriate processes.

Discussing complaints in front of the team

Protect everyone’s dignity.

Automatically issuing a warning

Match the management response to the actual issue.

Giving the client details of disciplinary action

Internal employment matters don’t need to become client gossip.

Deducting the refund from the therapist’s pay

Don’t make wage deductions without understanding the applicable workplace rules.

Ignoring small complaints

Patterns often begin with apparently minor issues.

Treating every complaint as a “difficult client”

Sometimes the business really did get something wrong.

Treating every complaint as an employee failure

Sometimes your systems created the problem.

ABA Expert Tip: Ask One More Question

After every meaningful complaint has been resolved, ask:

“What would have prevented this?”

Not:

“Whose fault was it?”

What would have prevented it?

Better training?

A longer consultation?

Clearer pricing?

Better treatment notes?

A different booking duration?

Improved equipment maintenance?

A clearer policy?

More supervision?

Better client screening?

A more realistic roster?

That question turns complaints into operational improvement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I tell the employee immediately when a client complains?

The employee should generally have an appropriate opportunity to understand and respond to relevant concerns before decisions are made about their performance or conduct.

How quickly and formally this happens will depend on the seriousness and circumstances.

Do I have to believe the client?

Take the complaint seriously.

That isn’t the same as automatically concluding every allegation is correct.

Listen, document and investigate.

Can I give an employee a warning because a client complained?

Depending on the circumstances, disciplinary action may be appropriate, but it shouldn’t be automatic.

Fair Work recommends having a valid reason and following a fair process before disciplinary action.

Fair Work Ombudsman — Managing Performance and Warnings

Do employees legally need three warnings before dismissal?

There is no general rule requiring three warnings before employment can be terminated.

The circumstances, reason and fairness of the process matter.

Termination is a significant employment decision and professional advice may be appropriate.

Can a client demand that I fire an employee?

A client can express what outcome they want.

Employment decisions remain the employer’s responsibility and should be made according to the facts, applicable workplace laws and a fair process.

Should I tell the client whether the employee received a warning?

Usually there is no need to provide detailed information about internal disciplinary action.

You can tell the client that their concern was investigated and appropriately addressed without disclosing unnecessary employment information.

Can I deduct a refund from the therapist’s wages?

Don’t assume you can.

Australian workplace laws regulate deductions from employee pay.

Fair Work Ombudsman — Deducting Pay and Overpayments

What if the complaint involves a client injury?

Prioritise the client’s immediate health and safety, document the incident, preserve relevant records and follow appropriate incident, insurance and regulatory procedures.

Serious matters may require professional advice.

What if I think the client is lying?

Don’t accuse them impulsively.

Investigate the available evidence and document your findings.

You aren’t required to accept an allegation simply because somebody made it.

What if the employee has received several similar complaints?

A pattern may indicate a training, performance, conduct or systems issue.

Review previous records and consider whether a structured performance-management process is appropriate.

Useful Australian Resources

Fair Work Ombudsman — Managing Performance and Warnings

Fair Work Ombudsman — Managing Underperformance Best Practice Guide

Fair Work Ombudsman — Deducting Pay and Overpayments

ACCC — Consumer Rights and Guarantees

OAIC — Privacy for Organisations

Final Thoughts

When a client complains about an employee, there are two people standing on either side of the problem.

One is your client.

The other is your employee.

Good management doesn’t require you to instantly choose one.

It requires you to listen.

Investigate.

Document.

Be fair.

Protect privacy.

Address genuine problems.

Support improvement.

Escalate serious matters appropriately.

And then look beyond the individuals and ask what the business can learn.

Because sometimes a complaint reveals a difficult client.

Sometimes it reveals an employee who needs help.

Sometimes it reveals unacceptable conduct.

And sometimes it reveals something even more valuable:

A weakness in your business that you now have the opportunity to fix.