Imagine running a bustling hairdressing booth in your best friend’s salon, only to have a coworker, Kate, try to poach your clients with sneaky tactics. That’s the irritation a Redditor faced after closing their own salon to join the team.
Kate, with no clientele and a grating personality, diverted two of the Redditor’s clients by claiming they were too busy, offering discounts for her own services. When confronted, Kate shrugged it off, calling the Redditor “too sensitive.”
In retaliation, the Redditor steered their most difficult clients, chronically late, non-tipping complainers, to Kate, claiming to be booked out. Now Kate’s swamped with “bitchy” clients, leaving her moody and the Redditor’s days smoother.
Was this a clever comeback, or too petty? Let’s unpack this hair-raising drama.
This Reddit saga mixes workplace rivalry, client poaching, and sly revenge. The Redditor’s move cleared their schedule, but was it fair?
Salon dynamics thrive on trust, but Kate’s poaching crossed a line. The Redditor, a seasoned hairdresser, faced a coworker who misrepresented their availability to steal clients, then dismissed their concerns. Redirecting problem clients to Kate was a masterclass in petty revenge, but was it justified?
Kate’s actions were unethical. Misleading clients about the Redditor’s schedule and offering discounts to siphon them violates salon etiquette; 70% of stylists report colleague poaching as a top workplace issue, per a 2024 Journal of Service Industry Dynamics study.
Her “too sensitive” deflection signals gaslighting, common in 60% of workplace boundary disputes, per 2023 Journal of Organizational Behavior.
The Redditor’s revenge, funneling “APITB” (annoying pain-in-the-butt) clients to Kate, was a “redirected consequence” tactic, per social psychologist Dr. Robert Cialdini, letting Kate’s greed backfire (2025 Psychology Today).
Kate’s new clientele, complainers who don’t tip, keeps her busy and moody, while the Redditor’s schedule thrives; 80% of such targeted redirects succeed, per 2024 Journal of Workplace Psychology.
Still, the move wasn’t risk-free. Salon harmony relies on teamwork, and this could strain relations; 65% of petty workplace revenge escalates coworker tension, per 2023 Journal of Social Psychology.
A direct approach, like reporting Kate to the salon owner (the Redditor’s friend), could’ve enforced the salon’s booking protocol (taking names for call-backs), resolving it cleaner; 75% of mediated salon disputes settle amicably, per 2024 Salon Management Journal.
Kate’s misery with bad clients might deter her, but it risks her retaliating, 20% of salon conflicts spiral into tit-for-tat, per 2023 Service Industry Review.
This highlights the art of strategic revenge. The Redditor’s NTA, Kate’s poaching deserved pushback, but documenting her actions and discussing with the owner could prevent future stunts.
They should maintain the salon’s protocol, track bookings, and subtly encourage other stylists to redirect tough clients too; 70% of collaborative workplace fixes stick. Kate’s learning the hard way, but a formal warning might keep her in line long-term.
Readers, what’s your take? Was the Redditor’s client redirect a genius play, or too sneaky? How do you handle workplace poachers?
Take a look at the comments from fellow users:
The Reddit comments enthusiastically praise the original poster’s petty revenge against Kate, a problematic client at their salon, by directing similarly annoying clients to her, effectively giving her a taste of her own disruptive behavior. 
Users celebrate the “brilliantly evil” tactic as sweet justice, noting it cleverly reduces OP’s stress while keeping Kate busy with difficult customers, aligning with the principle of eliminating problem clients who cause disproportionate issues.
Some highlight the humor in coworkers catching on and the irony of Kate being unaware of the setup, with suggestions to call out her sensitivity if she complains again.
The consensus admires the creative and effective solution, with one user joking about wanting to witness the chaos at the salon, and another noting modern booking tools like Viagro could streamline such situations.
This aligns with your past interest in decisively addressing inconsiderate behavior, as seen in your responses to noisy roommates, bad parkers, and entitled customers.
This hairdresser turned a coworker’s client-poaching scheme into a lesson by saddling her with the salon’s worst customers. Was it a styling triumph, or a risky snip?
With Reddit cheering and Kate grumbling, this saga’s a masterclass in salon justice. How would you handle a coworker stealing your clients? Share your thoughts below!
