I'll start with the one everyone wants to know about and get it out of the way. Yes I've had clients I knew from before. Not loads of them. Three, maybe four in seven years. Two handled it grand. One absolutely did not.
The one who didn't was a fella from the area growing up. Not a friend, more like someone who was always around. He knocked on, clocked me, and went a very specific shade of purple. I kept my face completely neutral because I am a professional and also because the look on him was priceless.
He left without booking. He has, as far as I know, told nobody, because nothing has come back to me and in Limerick something always comes back if it's happening. I choose to believe he's out there somewhere working very hard to pretend that afternoon never occurred. Good luck to him.
The two who handled it well were both sound about it. One of them, I'll call him Declan since he's definitely not called Declan, comes back as a regular now. Which is a bit gas but there you go. We both agreed to pretend we don't know each other in public. Working well so far.
I'm not actually bothered by the knowing-people thing. The awkward moment passes and then you're in it and it's fine. What bothers me more is the ones you don't know who decide they should get to know you in an overfamiliar way. Asking questions about your life. Commenting on things you haven't shared. No patience for that.
Had to have that conversation last year with someone who'd been coming about eight months. Good client otherwise, no hassle, paid on time. Started getting a bit intense. I sat down with him, explained it straight, and to his credit he took it well. Came back the following month, back to normal. Sometimes people just need to be told straight and they respond to it straight.
Anyway. I'll take requests for the next one.