Well I care but I'm not slow! One can be quick and care.

As much as I respect you Geeg, I'm affraid,from a personal view, I have to disagree with this.
I can do a set in 35mins if that's what the client wants ( last week I had a lady booked in for a full set, she sat down I got started and her phone rang...(daughter asking could she babysit in an hour) I had the lady done and out of the door in time for her daughter no corners cut but no coffee and chit chat either.
The majority of my clients are out of the door in less than an hour anyway.

In my experience the majority, these days, will go for cost not speed...that is if they are not botherd about friendly chit chat, a coffee.

I get asked very often why am I £10 dearer than another salon...never do I get asked why do I take more time. I say it may cost a bit more but my heart and soul are in those nails

Yes it's very true it seems that the nss are fast catching up with us with regards to quality of products and education....but what am I to do then....do a set in 20 mins?
My file would be on fire
Do I compromise on quality in my service or products just to make as much money?
If I were to charge as little as them I would not make any profit at all so it makes me doubt are they really catching on with product quality.

I'm not moaning about the situation, but I would like an idea of how to bring more clients away from the NSS and into my salon without compromising my service and prices.
Oh I only charge £28 for a full set anyway

Have I rambled ? ...yes

Reading this post is very interesting ..... I agree,

BUT, I must digress, the term NSS is bandied around like a disease, when in actual fact it often means (the competition that do things differently to me and have more clients).

MMA is being used less and less ...... and drills (e-files) are being used more and more by well educated techs ....... the boundaries are being blurred all the time.

Many techs use an e-file with very little damage (I still don't like them for finishing), while other techs have application methods you may not agree with (probably because you haven't been taught, or are not willing to work outside the box).

I have seen some crap nails come from what you may call NSS, but I have also seen some pretty good work come from them.

Funny thing is ..... I have noticed the same thing from apparently non-NSS.

It's more about talent (regardless of race), when you take out MMA, then take out application methods, then subtract the e-file factor you are left with an even playing field where speed is the remaining factor.....

I'm often at a loss too, but they pay high rent, for high exposure, have heaps of staff and often deliver the goods.

Maybe they have something to teach us ..... when all the time we have been too busy turning our backs and shunning them,(ignoring their skills) merely because they are busier than we are .. (is that reason enough to hate them)?

I spent a good 30 mins peering through one of their windows today (rather than ignoring or despising them).... and I walked away with some interesting ideas.

One of their secrets is ... they say "YES", when we say "NO", they don't faff, they don't gossip, it's heads down, bums up and they churn them out with a "satisfactory" result that adheres well, rather than concentrating on "perfection".

Perfection is great for the competition floor ... but is it realistic for the salon? Taking into account pricing, time, profit and overheads?

They don't bitch about product (blame the product), then switch from on to the other, they do the best with what they are given (they are trained in "nails"), not product, all they care about is producing a nail with whatever they are given.

Sure, they often ignore contra-indications, they are too busy doing nails, that's something "we" have on them.

It is their work and their job....... but it's our passion.

They are "employed", when many of us aren't.

There are the positives and there are the negatives for both, I wouldn't want to be ignorant, we see the worst case scenarrios, but what about those that are completely happy? ...... we never see them, because they are happy.

Sorry Gigi, I have to disagree with this. No they will not learn our language, not very well anyhow, they are there to work, and make money. Plain and Simple. Yes, they are fast, but not consistant. They do not care if someone came in with a nail problem, they will still do it. They do not take time, they do not cleanse thoroughly, they do not have / or stand by certain regulations.

I like to have time with my clients, and will and can have them in and out in 1 1/4 hour (infill) and 45 mins full set...

But we differ from them on many levels. We have passion!

Yes Carl, good points.

Well I'm afraid that I have seen it all before (one of the advantages of being older). Not only do they learn the language they learn it very well. They leave their 'Uncles' salon and branch out on their own. They open salons and they open good ones. I've seen it all happen in the States and it won't be any different where you are in a few years. History has proven it already and it is happening now in the UK. In a few more years it will be happening where you are. Keep your head in the sand if you like but time will prove me right.

Listen to Carl ... thank goodness he is here on salongeek to listen to ... he has made some great points; the main one to me which is ... if you're smart you'll learn from these places the things you can incorporate into your business and not just jealously avoid them or carp and moan about them.

For 25+ years I have been listening to nail techs moan about 'other' bad technicians instead of getting about their own business. It hasn't changed in all that time; just different moaners and complainers with each new generation of technicians. the good techs (read Cro-Mari's Blog) just get on with it.

Passion is not a virtue ... it's great if you have it, but it is not necessary to make money ... it does however make the job allot more fun.

Yep, good point, I didn't think of it that way at all. Yeah, Carl has great advice, he is missed on our forum, that is for sure.

I don't dislike the NSS, or jealousy, I just don't like there methods, but you and carl are right, it is great to stop whineing, and learn more, and get on with it.
Thank you for that.

This is an interesting thread....

Regarding the health and safety. You all scream about the NSS being unhealthy, using MMA etc... etc... Well... When I went to "The big naildebate" at Excell, Marian Newman said something very true: "A NSS-salong is not life-threatening, so why should the government bother?" And I am thinking, how stupid are we when we even THINK our clients bother? They don't! Many of them do things that are much more dangerous than going to a NSS salon, they smoke, they drive too fast, they eat unhealthy food etc... etc... Who cares about what they have on their nails as long as it is what they want (money, time, how they look etc...)? I don't mean that they shouldn't care, but who am I to speak about their life, nails, money, time etc...?

In my opinion, my clients comes to me and pay me primary (?) because I am good at what I am doing. I have a good reputation. They don't care about the price, they don't care about the pampering thing, they just want MY WORK. Of course, it's a bonus that we can have a nice conversation, but it's NOT their needs when they come to me. I have had several clients trying other techs. Do you know what they said when they left? That I was the best, that I was the nicest person in the world, that they liked my salon etc... etc... but I am also the most expensive... Most of them have come back to me. Do you know what they said when they came back? "YOU ARE THE BEST, I rather pay what it cost to get your work, than going to the discount salon (which charge 1/3 of what I do)!"

On the other hand, the discount-salons (I would rather call the discount-salons than NSS, as we don't know for sure what they use, how they use it etc....) are fully booked. Because there is a marked for everybody! BUT in my opinion you have to be very clear of what marked you want to "join" and you have to live up to it. You can compare it with clothes, people LOVE H&M and Zara, although people know they are not the best quality, but they are cheap. Then you have those who LOVE Burberry and Chanel for their quality, the feeling of being pampered when shopping there, getting something unique etc... I don't say that the attributes I have written about the shops always are right, but it's general how I am thinking about those shops. Like the shops, you, as a nailtech, have to choose marked and cultivate and be true to it. Don't compromise whether you want to be a discount salon or at the other end.

I hope some of this made any sense, I am afraid some of my points disappeared in my bad English... :-/

C.

I knew there was something else that I wanted to mention. I was told by the MP Phylis Starkey, that if a client has had nail enhancements from a NSS and they have contracted anything nasty or had damaged nails, then the place that this should be reported to is the Local Governement Health and safety department, who will then check out the salon for bad practise. Do the general public know this? - I certainly wouldn't have done. Apparently the local offices had no complaints at the time I met with Phylis Starkey.

Maybe Doctors have should advise the Health and Safety department if they treat a client with an infection etc, so the salon can then be checked.

Mollylolly

I believe,

With the right education and direction, 'Correct methods' are something that can be easily improved and learnt.

'Natural skill' in a certain area however, is something that we either have or have not got.

I would like to say the problem i have with NSS salons isnt jelousy because they are busier than me. Im not happy with them -

1. I do not think they deserve the business they get due to them not really caring about the client, not really putting a good customer service in, and not really going to too much efforts with themselves or products!

2. I think why should most of us pay to high heaven for good training and a good name that we are trained with when others i.e nss salons can get away with training with whoever and using MMA and not so good products yet get so much business!!

I have to agree with the things said about our speed and learning fom those speedy discount salons.
PopIts is one opportunity to kick ass, and I actually learned a great lesson a while ago from Gigi, white tips is also ok, if thats what the client want's. And face it those who go to discount salons wants the speed and a decent look, and with the performance tips who have a deep smiles, it actually looks good.

I don't think the government will ever bother or be able to control this industry, I mean it's illegal to drunkdrive, speed, steal etc. and people do it every day!

How can we control our industry?
Only thing we can do is learn to be faster, increase our skills. And make the public know we work safe! Only a few of us can be a high end salon, or a nailart only salon, wish we could all be, but I think theres a need for speed

This one goes to younger, or less experienced techs, or anyone who is intimidated by those (be them or not) NSS salons. Now someone will jump, I'm sure, and say, I'm not scared, or jealous, but then - feel free to kick me for this one, but I'll say it - I saw some of the works and some of those should be paying more attention to their work rather than ranting about somebody else's 'flaws' and stretching out threads like this.

Now you can kick me for this one too and send me to hell, or you might:

1. Take those pearls of wisdom, not from me, but from Gigi, Nailzoo and other experience techs, if for nothing (if you don't know them) but for the fact that they have been longer on this (nail industry) world than you are, and have seen more and learned more, and talking here not because they want to patronize you but to get you to some senses so you don't have to bang your heads, advices are just given to you free!

(NO, I'm not saying you're old, Gigi and Nailzoo )

2. Also, have you ever heard any big nail geek, educator or big salon owner complaining about 'that other salon? I don't think so. They say, I'm booked, or I'm busy, or I'm not taking new customers, or in most cases they don't say anything about that, especially not - I'm losing busines over someone.

3. If you haven't got at least 50 - 70 regulars every month (well, let's assume that the standards are pretty much same for you as for me, so that would make few clients a day and be amount of money you need to make a living, and not playing with nails while someone else pays the bills) I'm sorry, but can you really see and follow things, clients and changes through time? And make parallels between things and be so sure in your conclusions?

And by that I mean, with that 50 you would see and learn a lot, and maybe, just maybe you wouldn't have time to rant over someone else, especially if that one is busier than you.

4. Pointing out somebody elses 'flaws' will not make you a greater tech, it will only take your time away from focusing on yourself. Staying in the box and not letting anything in or out makes you a hipocrit. I'm sorry, but it's so. You stick only to what you know and not accepting anything else.

So what if some salon is busier than you! Go and learn! If one Nailzoo could go and peak, so can you!

And if you go with prejudices, everything you'll see will seem wrong.
Ever thought of that?

Everyone is completely and solely responsible for everything he has/is. Or doesn't have.

Was this meaning me at all? Its ok you can say

hi all, i just wanted to add something to this.
The local NSS's...well what i would call an NSS from looking from looking from the outside (will make that point in a moment...)....are NOT cheap by any stretch...they charge roughly £35 and are out in under an hour....so to me the NSS are about speed. I have asked clients who have come into the salon to get their hair done, i notice they have nails...ie. white stick on tips, short nail beds/no smile line....rebalance done with white airbrush...not particularly attractive to look at......i question them about how much they paid and yes they say 'i get them done there because it takes less than an hour.' The lady in question was horrfied at the thought of spending 2 hours sat in
a chair getting her nails done.... ' omg ...how boring is that!!!!'....were her words.
However last week i did another lady who was plesently suprised when i did her nails ....she thought it was a lovely escape from her hetic lifestyle and found it very relaxing....... NOT all clients look for the same thing in a nail tech.
And also i rarely see an 'NSS' nail with any lifting ....but we know why that is...where as sometimes i still have problems....that is my problem i know to fix!!!
I walked past my local 'NSS' in my break last week....4 nail tech sat at desks and a que waiting.....i didnt have one person booked in all day. I briefly felt bothered by it but then thought..... i have been in my salon for 1 month....come the summer i will be just as busy......and i will make it my mission to do so now!!!!!
As i mentioned earlier i wanted to to just cover what we/you or I class as an NSS.....an NSS does not have to be staffed with foreigners.....or look a bit shabby from the outside. I believe that my practices are good and healthy and safe to my clients. I have set up in the corner of a salon for a reasonable amount of money...i have probably got the cheapest desk on the market a set of shelves from Agros for less the £30, a nice display, and of course all my lovely products....I know I am not in a NSS!! BUT i know people who have paid ££££ for their nails in one of the best looking salons you can probably get (and it probably cost thousands of pounds more than me to set up....they have got all the best looking equipment as they obviously have a good financial back up) never the less they still visably failed to santitise/disinfect their clients/tools....their only prep was to rough up the natural nail with a hand file....causing pain i might add......just to add to this i also will say that rumours were flying around that a therapist in this salon also ran out of wax strips so went though the bin and reused some that had been used on another client........... would you class this salon as NSS????

I myself...even though i would be busier without the NSS.... will concentrate on what i am doing and try and set myself apart from the dodgy ones and hopefully one day there will be some regulation in place...but i am fairly new in the industry (less than 2 years) and i am under the impression that this has been talked and talked about for a number of years!!