My receptionist made me rethink how I do consults at the front desk

So last Thursday, this older lady comes in for a color correction, and I'm doing my usual consult, asking about her history and what she wants. I'm mid-sentence about maintenance and she just cuts me off and says, "Honey, I don't need a lecture, I need to know if you can fix this without me looking like a pumpkin for my daughter's wedding." I laughed, but my receptionist, Dana, pulled me aside after and said, "You do that to everyone. You tell them all the risks before you tell them what's possible." I didn't think I was that bad, but she had a point. I've been doing consults for 12 years and I always lead with the warnings. She said clients just want one clear yes or no first, then the details. So today I tried flipping it, starting with what I CAN do, then the catch. Felt weird but the client actually relaxed way faster. Anyone else notice how the order you say things in a consult changes how people react?

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wendy7217d ago

I get what Dana's saying, but "lecture" feels like a strong word. You're a pro, you gotta cover your bases. I've sat through consults where they skip the risks and I end up surprised later, and that's worse. Maybe flipping it works for some people, sure, but I'd be careful about making a huge change based on one older lady who was in a hurry. She probably would've snapped no matter what order you said things in. Honestly, if the client relaxes faster but doesn't hear the warnings, that could bite you later when they blame you for not saying it upfront.