There are so many threads and posts here on the nailgeek about confidence ... or lack of it. Many say they love doing nails but then when a customer leaves, they are dreading the 'phone call' or the next rebalance because the client might complain.

Most everyone hates confrontation, it is not nice. Most take clients' remarks/complaints quite personally. Most who receive a complaint react very badly to it and relations break down, OR they just want to quit doing nails because they can't take it.

Those of you who feel this way MUST learn to cope or get out of the industry. You must learn to deal with it and to deal with it well and so that the end result is a happy one for both parties.

• Dealing with it does not include a refund.
• Dealing with it does not include an argument.
• Dealing with it does not include nervous anxiety or tears.
• Dealing with it does not include giving up.

To deal with it, you need to prepare yourself. You need to sit down (maybe even with a pen and paper) and anticipate what might be said by a client. Think up a few different scenarios. Maybe some that you have been through and that ended badly ... think how you could have changed things around to your advantage if you had only said the right things.

We had a post just yesterday where the technician wants to give up because not one, but 2 clients who booked in together, both complained about breakages. They asked for an appointment for the technician to repair the broken nails. The technician could not accommodate them at the time they specified so they harassed the technician for money back and threatened to tell everyone about the bad sevice and the bad nails.

Both girls had said they loved the nails when they left the salon. But what happened? Under pressure the technician gave in and refunded.

• What does the technician think will happen now??? Will the girls be happy? NO they will still be irritated that their nails broke. They also were left with bad feelings toward the technician.
• Will their nails be in good condition? No, because they will pick the product off rather than go back to have it removed safely.
• Wiill the girls not carry out their threat and keep quiet about the incident? Of course not, No, they will still tell their chums they were unhappy and show them their now damaged nails.
• Will the technician be happy? No, she is wanting to quit, feels useless and inadequate and is minus the money she refunded. She is worried now about her reputation and furthermore, she knows in her heart that the breakages were not her fault but that of the clients.

So who won here in this situation?? No one at all. No one won anything not the girls and not the technician. How could this technician have turned things around to her own advantage?

When a client complains about a broken nail (they will say it 'flew off' it 'pinged off' she 'lost a few' but in the end) it always turns out that she broke them. Clients don't like to use the word BROKE because that leads anyone to think that THEY did it .. they become responsible. Easier to use the other phrases because if it 'flew off', 'pinged off', or wandered off and 'got lost', then somehow it was NOT their fault, they had no involvement and so therefore it must somehow be down to little old YOU.

I always tell technicians that when a client complains, you must throw the ball back in their court and not catch it yourself. If a client says she broke a nail or nails don't rush to say I'm sorry ... ask them right out How did you do it? or What did you do? They immediately have to explain what they did or they may say .. "Oh nothing. I just looked down and it was gone"!! In which case you might say, " ( smile in your voice) Well it was on perfectly when you left me the other day, so something must have happened to it in the meantime".

• Keep a smile in your voice. DON'T get serious .. this is a broken nail, not a broken arm.
• Do not get anxious or irritated or bolshy ... even clients know that nails don't just fall of with no force aplied to them. They may not want to know, but they do know.
• Don't let the client make you feel that your work is inadequate and weaken in front of them. A client will sense this and home in for the kill.

The kiss then kick technique: With these 2 girls mentioned above, I would have said something to the effect that,

1. "It is annoying isn't it to have broken some of your new nails, but they can easily be fixed. (You are sympathising with the client and offering a solution - the kiss - at the same time letting them know that it is their responsibility) continue ....
2. "Often new clients who are not used to the extra length on their nails just aren't careful enough with them and breakages happen". (again you are being sympathetic but you are now throwing the ball back in their court and letting them know nicely that that you are not owning responsibility for something they did)
3. "I do include a free repair when you come for your maintenance appointment, but there will be a charge for me to repair any damage done so soon after your full set." (Here you are showing your firm intent that you are not going to be taken for a ride because of their error and that you are in business -- the kick) They may not react well to this or they may.
4. "Everyone breaks nails occasionally, their own and enhancements, it is a fact of life .. but I will be glad to repair them for you and include one free repair. I'm not responsible for what you do to your nails once you have left the salon ... surely you understand that"? (a little kiss this time) Usually clients will respond well by this time unless they really are not wanting to own up to their responsibility. If not ... continue
5. "I do not offer refunds on my work. I am sorry you are unhappy that you broke some nails, AND I WILL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO REPAIR THEM FOR YOU AND TO HELP YOU GET USED TO THEM and to learn to care for them so that they always look beautiful like the rest of my clients". (you are still reiterating and reinforcing with every comment that it is their fault and not yours).

So .... write down some situations and what your responses should be and then you will be prepared to deal well with a complaint when it happens, show you are confident with your work, show you are a business person and not a shrinking violet ... and trust me the clients will immediately sense this and not try it on again.