Do you ask your distributor/educator technical and product related questions?

[the-male-geek]

Or is Salon Geek always your first port of call?

Personally I'm always slightly surprised to see very product specific questions appear on Salon Geek threads, and sometimes get the feeling that it's the first time the person has asked them. You know the type...."How does this work?"...."I'm using this, yet still get lifting - what am I doing wrong?"...."Can I use X product with Y product to achieve the finish I desire?"

The Salon Geek is a wonderful resource, but surely - especially during office hours - the easiest way of getting the correct answer is to contact your supplier direct?

What if you ask a question and no-one with experience of that product line is on-line? You may get an answer from someone who isn't sure, but will have a guess......or you may get a few conflicting answers. You may have to wait several hours for a response............:zzz:

Perhaps I'm old fashioned but I also think your distributor/educator would also be thankful if any problems - be it technical or product related were relayed to them to give them an opportunity to rectify, advise or share.....:idea:

In my mind it's probably to do with the "shift" in society and how we communicate i.e. social media rather than phone etc. However most companies do have significant online presence through social media outlets and of course email. Sweet Squared have also integrated Live Chat onto their site giving the technician another avenue of access to technical advice.

I'd be interested to hear how others feel about communicating with suppliers, and whether they feel it's just "easier" to get answers elsewhere......

Thoughts?

[steve@nouvatan]

Or is Salon Geek always your first port of call?

Personally I'm always slightly surprised to see very product specific questions appear on Salon Geek threads, and sometimes get the feeling that it's the first time the person has asked them. You know the type...."How does this work?"...."I'm using this, yet still get lifting - what am i doing wrong"...."Can I use X product with Y product to achieve the finish I desire?"

The Salon Geek is a wonderful resource, but surely - especially during office hours - the easiest way of getting the correct answer is to contact your suppier direct?

What if you ask a question and no-one with experience of that product line is on-line? You may get an answer from someone who isn't sure, but will have a guess......or you may get a few conflicting answers. You may have to wait several hours for a response............:zzz:

Perhaps I'm old fashioned but I also think your distributor/educator would also be thankful if any problems - be it technical or product related were relayed to them to give them an opportunity to rectify, advise or share.....:idea:

In my mind it's probably to do with the "shift" in society and how we communicate i.e. social media rather than phone etc. However most companies do have significant online presence through social media outlets and of course email. Sweet Squared have also integrated Live Chat onto their site giving the technician another avenue of access to technical advice.

I'd be interested to hear how others feel about communicating with suppliers, and whether they feel it's just "easier" to get answers elsewhere......

Thoughts? :hug::hug::hug: rep point recieved :lol::lol:

[ellewopter]

sometimes i find it easier to just post something on here if its not urgent, but i usually make my supplier my first port of call, perhaps people using wholesalers etc unhelpful if they just carry the product line and are not trained? very interesting point tho hun :)

[Karen Minx]

I never even thought of going to my distributor with a question, i thought distributors was all about selling product and training classes. And i don't like to pester my educator either has she seems so busy so i post my questions on here.

[the-male-geek]

I never even thought of going to my distributor with a question, i thought distributors was all about selling product and training classes. And i don't like to pester my educator either has she seems so busy so i post my questions on here.

Thanks for your honesty Karen - TBH I don't think you're the only one that thinks this way!

Distribution of technical products isn't - or shouldn't - be just about selling. Every one of the "big" brands have technical people working with them and they have the most up to date information available on their product line.

I think that's another important point actually - it's about getting the most recent information available.

Personally I'd like to think the process would go something like this:

Tech: Hmmmm, I wonder why I'm getting lifting after only 2 days? I'll call/email my supplier and ask them to advise....."

Company A: "Thanks for calling, talk us through the way you perform your service....."

Tech: "Well I do A,B & C - using X, Y & Z products......"

Company A: "Ahhh, you should only use X amount of product Y - I think you're using too much....."

Tech: "Thanks! - I think I'll going share my learnings with my peers on the Salon Geek, it may be of help to some of them"

Perhaps not every situation is as simple as this, but I still think that communicating with your supplier can only add value to your service....

[xAnnaBannAx]

I must admit Salongeek is my usually my first port of call for the same reason as Karen has said...I dont like being a nuisance really!

[GillyGirl]

I think sometimes people dont want to ask what they think might sound like a silly question to their suppliers...... its nice to appear confident!

If you write a message on here you dont have to risk feeling an idiot when you realise you're doing something wrong!! The cyber world always makes people less prohibited!!!

Although i think most of the threads on here ask questions that none of us (especially me as i'm still learning!!) can answer. The 'i'm getting lifting' question seems to come up lots and its usually followed by 'i always prep properly but o'm still getting lifting, why??'

I'm not sure anyone could answer this question for them without a good description of exactly what the do and when..... or watching them in person.

I'd like to think i would go to my distributor first for product related questions.......... maybe not all distributors provide a friendly patient response for those needing advice?

[angelina221]

There are distributors on this site so i guess that's why a lot of people ask.
It's also nice to see if anyone else had the same problem as you and you can discuss it with people who actually use the product on a daily basis, rather than someone who just sells it. Ok they might know loads about the product but a lot of them don't use it day in and day out like some people on here.
Also i don't like being put on hold and listening to some poncy music!

[Kim Lawless]

I know what you mean. As a trainer, I tell ALL of my students that they can contact me at any time for advice and a lot of them do. Then I'm always surprised when I see someone I've taught ask a question on here that they could have asked me. Although I can't always answer straight away because of workload, I sit into the night answering queries and emails. So I guess what Im saying is that I wish they'd contact me as they're more than welcome to. xxx

[GillyGirl]

There are distributors on this site so i guess that's why a lot of people ask.
It's also nice to see if anyone else had the same problem as you and you can discuss it with people who actually use the product on a daily basis, rather than someone who just sells it. Ok they might know loads about the product but a lot of them don't use it day in and day out like some people on here.
Also i don't like being put on hold and listening to some poncy music!

Who picks the hold music for companies!? Its always terrible!!!!! Although, its better than the 'we are sorry to keep you waiting, your call is important to us' rubbish!

[VHunter]

Ooooooooooooh you really don't want to get me going on this subject about distributors in Quebec :rolleyes:

Let's see... they don't know what acid-free primer is, and it doesn't say 'acid' on the bottle of the regular primer, so that must be acid free.:rolleyes:

How to get the perfect ratio, dab your brush on a towel (ummm can you say vapours and wasted product?)

Training..... 1 pg on salon hygiene. 1 page on nail diseases. 1 1/2 pages on chemistry & nail biology............. In total, my theory was 6pages...
THANK GOD FOR MY BOOKS!!!!!!!!!!!

I asked about Poppits. they had no idea. I asked about minx. They had no idea. I asked about crushed shells and icey mylar & fimo (now 3 yrs later, they have it......)

I asked about gazillion and one things.... and some of the answers or non-answers would blow your mind.

One distributor is teaching L&P calling it "Resine Tisser" which translated means "Woven Resin" and no... it's NOT wraps. It's L&P.
Another is teaching "Ongles a Poudre Soie" which is "Powdered Silk Nails". Again, it's just L&P.
They don't want to teach "Acrylic" because that's what the NSS use and that causes damage but the two above products don't (as per them) and so their techs leave their schools believing they are using powdered silk OR woven resin and NOT L&P and so, they lie to their clients unknowingly contributing to the bad rep of L&P that is unjustly earned.

So no, I don't ask my distributor anything anymore. Because if I don't know the answer, they sure as hell don't either.

Would you like to ask me about my frustrations getting educated? Or how I want a Masters BUT unless I win the lottery to pay for travel abroad, I'll never have one?

For all intents and purposes, I have trained myself, or rather... earned a "SalonGeek" diploma because the diplomas here are LITERALLY not worth the paper that they are printed upon!

Am I bitter? YES
Am I jealous of my peers abroad? YES.

If I had a distributor that was 1/2 as decent as those available to the rest of you....... I would be THANKFUL.

Ok, it's past my bedtime.. and this post hit a sore spot because this week I had yet another useless convo with my distributor... don't ask.. you'd just be horrified.

So I'll head off to sleep and quit my ranting.

But those of you with fab distributors and education available... make use of them. Take advantage of how lucky you are.
Were you in my shoes, you'd think you were in H**L

[Doorie]

Well I work for a distributeur YAY!

here we have daily calls of ppl asking stuffs about lifting, new products, and so on. I am in charge of the technique so I can (and have to) answer any call about it, and we have a guy for all machine related queries.

it is my job so I obviously don't mind doing it, explaining a lot of times a day the same things, but I do believe that it is our duty to also provide this service. our Educators alsoo answer when they have the time, so our clients know they can rely on both... never a bad thing!

I just don't like it when ppl ask me questions about ie using our base, then another brands gel, then again ours, and ask me why it lifts, as I am like, stick to our product line and sound like one who tries to sell at all costs (!) or stick with the other brand and lose a client...

[naturalnails]

Although we do have some educators and distributors on here, despite Sam asking them all, we dont have enough to cover every product problem.

Techniques are ever changing in this buisness and the distributors/educators are the ones in the know with what is current.

Although we would love to think that every product works the same and is interchangeable with each other, they are not.

Mix ratios are different, prep products are different.

We have had people on here for example reading about good old Scrubfresh and thinking oh it is the answer to my prayers so they go and buy it but dont use any other CND products - this will not help them and also it is going against their manufacturers recommendation.

This is only an example and maybe not even an accurate one LOL. But hopefully you get the gist.

The old saying goes use it or lose it - your first point of contact should be your distributor or educator as they are the ones in the know.

Great thread Derek!

[pure]

Depends on the product and the problem really! :)

If I have a question, say for example, about waxing, I would rather post on here because I know Kim and she always gives the best advice. Certainly better than I would probably get by phoning Beauty Express whom I purchase the products from.

If I have a problem with acrylics I first do a search on here, then I will call my supplier which normally means I don't need to post on here.

Tanning, and certainly skincare, I would call the supplier.

I guess it all depneds where people buy their products. If they buy from somewhere like Sallys then I guess the best advice they will get would be from a fellow Geek. :green:

[nails2nails]

The reason most people would rather post on here is becasue it's just so much easier. You phone these companies and it costs a fortune to start with and then we have to go through the whole, hmm not sure about that, let me go ask a colleage...2 mintues later they come back and still don't know the answer, then we have to go through the we will ring you back..but never do, so then we ring again! endless

Or sometimes I have called and no-one is even there to answer the call it goes to the machine...so I think it's just easier sometimes to place your question on here and get a varied responce, plus sometimes these company reps seem to answer on here quicker than when you ring thier comapny

This is just my view

x

[naturalnails]

Yes, I suppose it does depend on where you get your supplies.

Thankfully, we dont all have the same response from our suppliers as this one.

The reason most people would rather post on here is becasue it's just so much easier. You phone these companies and it costs a fortune to start with and then we have to go through the whole, hmm not sure about that, let me go ask a colleage...2 mintues later they come back and still don't know the answer, then we have to go through the we will ring you back..but never do, so then we ring again! endless

Or sometimes I have called and no-one is even there to answer the call it goes to the machine...so I think it's just easier sometimes to place your question on here and get a varied responce, plus sometimes these company reps seem to answer on here quicker than when you ring thier comapny

This is just my view

x

[Karen Minx]

I wouldn't even like to call my educator if i had questions. I feel i have paid and had my time with her, now its the new tech's turn who is currently paying for her time at this moment. Its a bit like.... i wouldn't do a set of enhancements on a client, take payment then offer her free infill's for has long has she needs them. I need to earn living so does my educator. So unless i put some cash aside and pay for a refresher day with her, i won't be bothering her. This is just the way i feel. :)
Now i know that its the distrubors duty to answer any of my qeustions, i will be calling them from now on has they are still getting buisness from me. :green:

[Nail Envi]

I don't like to pester my educator either has she seems so busy so i post my questions on here.

SNAP! I don't like to bother them either as they are so busy, and when you're new at this, you feel as though you're asking silly questions that you should probably know the answer to already :)

[izzidoll]

I wouldn't even like to call my educator if i had questions. :green:

SNAP! I don't like to bother them either as they are so busy, and when you're new at this, you feel as though you're asking silly questions that you should probably know the answer to already :)

I see where you are coming from here with your Educator, if she is teaching then she can't always get to the phone. But how many people actually refer to their Manuals after their courses for answers to some of their problems? I think a lot of people tend to forget about their manuals the minute their courses are done lol!
Obviously for product related questions, and help with what products will suit your business, then your Distributor is the one with all the answers ;)

[FingerNailFixer]

As an educator, I try to be accessable in as many ways as possible: phone, email, text, facebook, etc. I consider it my responsibility to be available for questions and concerns! Most educators love what they do and would never want anyone to think we are too busy for questions!!

Sometimes I wonder if some nail pros post on forums because they know they are not using the tools, methods, and or product as they were trained and they are looking to find fellow "cherry pickers" that can help them figure things out doing it their way or justify a certain mentality.

Sometimes I wonder if people post here because you can get a reply from industry super stars like Gigi ;) I mean seriously, these guys are our celebrities and how fab to say one of them answered your question!!

Great thread:D
Posted via Mobile Device

[nailartist]

The only thing I ever ask my distributor about is if they'll be getting a certain product in any time soon. Seriously, *I* know more about my product than they do--they really are just sales reps there. I'm glad I have them to get my stuff, but as far as education goes, they suck. They don't even schedule classes! So if I have a question about my specific product, I come here because The Geek is where the best educators are. :D

[the-male-geek]

Sometimes I wonder if people post here because you can get a reply from industry super stars like Gigi ;) I mean seriously, these guys are our celebrities and how fab to say one of them answered your question!!

Great thread:D
Posted via Mobile Device

I think there probably is an element of truth in this - and if someone gets a lift from advice handed down by one of the forums stars, I can see how it could have a positive effect in several ways.

Good point - I hadn't really considered that as a factor......

[the-male-geek]

Ooooooooooooh you really don't want to get me going on this subject about distributors in Quebec :rolleyes:

Let's see... they don't know what acid-free primer is, and it doesn't say 'acid' on the bottle of the regular primer, so that must be acid free.:rolleyes:

How to get the perfect ratio, dab your brush on a towel (ummm can you say vapours and wasted product?)

Training..... 1 pg on salon hygiene. 1 page on nail diseases. 1 1/2 pages on chemistry & nail biology............. In total, my theory was 6pages...
THANK GOD FOR MY BOOKS!!!!!!!!!!!

I asked about Poppits. they had no idea. I asked about minx. They had no idea. I asked about crushed shells and icey mylar & fimo (now 3 yrs later, they have it......)

I asked about gazillion and one things.... and some of the answers or non-answers would blow your mind.

One distributor is teaching L&P calling it "Resine Tisser" which translated means "Woven Resin" and no... it's NOT wraps. It's L&P.
Another is teaching "Ongles a Poudre Soie" which is "Powdered Silk Nails". Again, it's just L&P.
They don't want to teach "Acrylic" because that's what the NSS use and that causes damage but the two above products don't (as per them) and so their techs leave their schools believing they are using powdered silk OR woven resin and NOT L&P and so, they lie to their clients unknowingly contributing to the bad rep of L&P that is unjustly earned.

So no, I don't ask my distributor anything anymore. Because if I don't know the answer, they sure as hell don't either.

Would you like to ask me about my frustrations getting educated? Or how I want a Masters BUT unless I win the lottery to pay for travel abroad, I'll never have one?

For all intents and purposes, I have trained myself, or rather... earned a "SalonGeek" diploma because the diplomas here are LITERALLY not worth the paper that they are printed upon!

Am I bitter? YES
Am I jealous of my peers abroad? YES.

If I had a distributor that was 1/2 as decent as those available to the rest of you....... I would be THANKFUL.

Ok, it's past my bedtime.. and this post hit a sore spot because this week I had yet another useless convo with my distributor... don't ask.. you'd just be horrified.

So I'll head off to sleep and quit my ranting.

But those of you with fab distributors and education available... make use of them. Take advantage of how lucky you are.
Were you in my shoes, you'd think you were in H**L

Sorry for touching a raw nerve there Victoria! Hope you managed to calm down again before bed last night..........:)

I get where you're coming from though....

[stoney]

Yes, I always ask my educator and she is always very happy to answer my questions, and in my opinion that's how it should be. I also call in front of the client, so she knows that if I do not know the answer to a problem, I have tried my best to find it out.

In fact, this is just one of the reasons I switched to CND from the company/product I was previously using. Despite spending hundreds of pounds on training, I was always made to feel like a pain in the backside:irked: (and I very rarely called them anyway).

My educator is also my distributor which I also think is very important.

[geeg]

I must say, I love being available to teach on line and it is for everyone and not just a specific product related question. Of course I will answer Questions related to CND but many questions are technique related and as we all know, the same application techniques can be universally used with any product line in the same category.

I think that students should not feel a nuisance if they ring their educators, and speaking for CND we encourage that relationship as well as a good relationship with those who should be your partners in business, .. your suppliers.

I think most everyone should feel happy to use the Geek site for questions or the MAIN suppliers of the product they use .. even if they buy from a wholesale outlet shouldn't stop anyone from ringing the main supplier if they have a query.

I think many may not understand that their brand supplier wants to be of help (well if they are good distributors they do). If they do not, then I would not be inclined to stick with that brand. No one wants a 'fair weather' supplier who only interested in you when everything is tickety boo! They have to be prepared to deal with the problems too.

Oh and PS to the person who thinks they get answering machines because 'no one is there ... lol ... if that happens at S2 during working hours it is because all the lines are engaged because they are BUSY BUSY BUSY and you are in a queue. It happens. Sorry. A little patience will be rewarded and phone calls are cheap and always charged at a local rate no matter where you ring from. :hug:

Good thread Derek.

[angelina221]

Also, another point is that the majority of distributors are only available 9-5 weekdays.
A lot of technicians work late nights and weekends, so sometimes you can't get hold of them.
Salon geek is available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day (well unless Sam is tinkering with the system :))

[Doorie]

Also, another point is that the majority of distributors are only available 9-5 weekdays.
A lot of technicians work late nights and weekends, so sometimes you can't get hold of them.
Salon geek is available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day (well unless Sam is tinkering with the system :))
Good point!

I admit this is close to our opening hours (we start at 8 tho) and I can easily imagine it can be a PITA to have an emergency solved.

I have some students who e-mail me their questions and they know I won't maybe answer in the next minute, but as long as I do then they're fine with it...

[VHunter]

Sorry for touching a raw nerve there Victoria! Hope you managed to calm down again before bed last night..........:)

I get where you're coming from though....

Don't apologize LOL YOu just got me at a bad moment :lol: You didn't do anything wrong.:hug:

But, you can see why I question here, aye?

:lol:

[Gigit]

I had a distributor/educator once try to pry off my extensions with a nail file, so no thank you. If I did have a question, I'd bring it here.

[catsaremad]

Brilliant thread !

1. Yes I will admit that if I get a reply from a great like Geeg, then it has literally made my day which is one of the reasons that I post here as well as getting invaluable advice.

2. Also I do not currently have a working relationship with my distributor, and my trainer left the company. So whilst waiting to be able to afford my conversion to CND I use this forum to look up queries and ask questions.

3. But I must admit that I do hate 'bothering' people ! I would rather ask on here !!!

[ADiva1]

If this hasnt been said already....

Yes, the distribtuter who you bought your product from or trained with might be available to speak to you about the product or training.

However, on here and for me I am speaking to people who have actually used the product and could give me their personal opinion about it. Obviously not all of them would be the same.

By right and I would too, the distributer/training wouldnt tell you anything negative about the product or training, where as 'bods' might just give you some info that you never knew about, iykwim?:)