Spilled toner all over a client's white blouse last Wednesday and thought my career was over

I was at my chair in the back corner of Salon Lofts in Austin. Had just mixed up a custom violet toner and knocked the bowl clean off my cart. It went everywhere. Her blouse was ruined. I felt sick. I literally grabbed some developer and dabbed it on the stain before it set. Then rinsed with cold water immediately. Got like 90% of it out before she even noticed. She laughed it off and tipped me 20 bucks anyway. Has anyone else recovered from a disaster like that with quick thinking?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_john6d ago

Spilled toner all over a client's white blouse" - that's the kind of thing that makes you think about how much we all rely on quick fixes instead of facing the real problem. You got 90% out, but the other 10% is still there, and the trust is a little cracked. It's like when someone rear-ends you in a parking lot and you buff out the scuff but the bumper's still got a hairline crack. We pretend we saved the day, but the real skill is not making the mess in the first place.

gonzalez.grant5d ago

Yeah I read something the other day about how most accidents in offices come from people rushing through the basics. It's like we all want to be heroes who fix problems but nobody wants to slow down and avoid them in the first place. That 10% stain is a reminder that prevention is way simpler than cleanup.