I guess I'm still very sore about how my staff have behaved over the last 6 months. Instead of focusing on business development, I've been led on a merry chase after them. I dread to think how much money has been wasted in legal costs, wasted training, wasted licenses, useless products and most worryingly, customers put off by bad attitudes.
When I hired these girls, they were all lovely and keen to work. But when reality struck, their true colours appeared. I found out that Therapists will only move when they are paid a commission. It was getting close to me having to pay them for each breath they take during work hours. If they asphyxiate, it's my problem!
So few have pride in what they do, the environment they work in. My instructions were to not hard sell, but they did not take the oppportunity to build trust and give advice. Instead of building their clientele, they just waited for me to bring customers to them. They just did the least they could get away with, and internal arguements occurred with fingers pointing about who shirked leaning duties.
I lost my temper at one of them today. I called the spa and the person who answered was very curt. She did not introduce the name of the business or her own name. I don't remember if it was a simple "hello" or even a "yah?" . If I were a client, I'd have gone elsewhere. Thankfully, she's leaving at the end of this week anyway, but that's really no excuse for such shoddy attitude. Her excuse was the ring tone suggested it was an internal call. Nonsense! I had called through my mobile, and the clinic was closed today. There's no way it could be internal. And this was no way to speak to your colleagues even if it were.
But I've had really bad luck with employees last year. From a psychopathic ex-spa manager (I just found out she's been investigated by police for the last 10 years!) to cannot-be-bothered staff, and even an Australian nurse who walks out of the job (owing me money!) and refuses to pay her income tax. It's only with Amy & Julie that I see real passion for the spa industry. Even the new girls that started this week are shocked at how bad the situation has become, and can't wait for these old girls to leave so they can run the spa properly!
Regardless of how the business is doing (and we've had a very rough year), these girls have always been paid. Yet they see fit to not deliver on their side of the contract. Coming in late, not keeping the place clean, not following up with clients, poor attitude, stealing products, frequent MCs, ignoring my instructions...
I've been close to strangling them umpteen times. They have really tried my patience to the extreme.
What upset me the most today was how thoughtless they are. Their actions could have brought me to financial disaster. But they wouldn't have cared. Nope. They'd just find some other sucker to bleed dry. And it's clear that they are leaving in droves because Julie's now in to pull the business back to some form of order. They just do not want to learn proper spa practice, pride as a Therapist and most of all integrity.
It'll be interesting if they think they can use me as a referee in the future. Lucky for them, the Spa players don't often call for references. We've started. In fact, we've taken an extra step now. Any potential candidate that passes Julie & myself have to speak to Lily in Australia for a final clearance. And nothing, but nothing, can be hidden from the Divine Miss Lily!
