Help me get my time down - please

[Prosperity]

Dear all,

I am getting really down about this so your tips and advise are welcomed.

I just cant seem to get my time down - reffering to full sets (L&P and gel) and rebalances on both systems.

I am even embarrased to tell you how long its taking but its well over the two hours we are supposed to get it down to and rebalances are way more than an hour.

I use creative gel and L&P (brisa and retention+) and do a thorough prep. I use Velocity tips.

I think its my prep and finishing thats taking too long so what can i do to speed things up?

The finished results are great, look good and people are very happy and they are lasting well -just taking too long.

I work non-stop and dont stop and chat or have a cuppa!!

I have read all the tutorials, have nailclass (brilliant) and have had one to one with tracey leja (fantastic).

I really appreciate your help on this one.

xx

 

[ValencianNails]

your times don't sound too bad to me but then i'm not in a salon situation and can take my time with clients.

do you do your prep methodically ie. all 10 nails etc? doing all 10 saved me quite a bit of time.

if your finished results are looking good and clients are happy then surely your times will come down in due course.

xx

 

[Rainbow girl]

Im not really sure as how i can help cos my sets seem to take my a while too. But sounds like your getting good results with no/few problems. Also, reads like your customers are happy. If you cut down on prep you might get problems............... lifting, etc. Im sure with time you will speed up (thats what i keep telling myself)

Sounds like your doing good to me, so dont try to fix whats not broken.

GOOD LUCK

Told you i probably wouldnt be much use, lol

 

[ValencianNails]

p.s. rebalances are just as important as a full set and can take a similar amount of time.

 

[Prosperity]

Thank you.

I do prep first on all ten nails (filing, push back cuticles, remove remover, remove shine, scrubfresh, apply tips etc).

I work from home so not in a salon environment but just don't want people to be sitting here for hours - not good for them and not good for my bank balance!!

Consoling myself at the moment with a box of chocs my husband brough me!

xx

 

[Rainbow girl]

Chocs are always a good option but joking aside im sure the more you do the quicker you will become!

Claire Xxx

 

[ADiva1]

It sounds to me like you are doing a fabulous job.
You really should not worry about your time.
One day you will look up at the clock and wont believe that you did a set so quickly.

The majority of us are slow then with time you see the difference of how long it takes to do a set. Far less than when you first started!

I take ages to do a set too, but hey, nothing falls off and no-body complains. I always say to people IF they complain, you can always go to the NSS salon and be out of there in 20 mins and have lovely yellow nails in a few days!

Chin up, be proud of yourself and dont rush things. xx

 

[ZOE!]

You sound like you are doing fine. I was like you only a few weeks ago taking more than two hours. Since i have started working in a salon renting my time has dropped to two hours, depending on the nails 1.45. I noticed that i was getting quicker applying my product, if the smile is ok then i whizz through them. It just comes when you are not trying to perfect everything so well. I still need to get my times down a little too but for now you shouldnt worry too much.x

 

[Sassy Hassy]

Sorry I've cheated and copied and pasted this from a post I sent a while ago ...

You eventually pick up routine times for everything you do. On average for infills is 30 mins prep (filing etc as well), and then the other 30 mins to apply, buff and finish, and out the door. Prep can be as little as 15 mins if there is no lifting, breaks, etc, and application can take an extra 20 mins or so if it's a rebalance. (so anything from about 45 mins to 90 mins!)

It's very easy to say don't worry about the timing, but we all do it so it's perfectly normal. The more you do then the quicker you will become. More practice and more training is the key.

If you want to try and see where your timing is an issue then break down each part of your sets into sections. ie prep , tip sizing and application, blending, product application, final buff (or mega filing down those mountains in the early days lol) etc etc. See how long each section takes you and you'll see where you are gaining pace, and where you need to improve further. This breakdown compied by LCN will give you an idea of how to get to a 2 hour set, if you make a not of how long each section takes you, you can see where you are losing (or even gaining) timing

For a 2 hour set ...

Consultation 10 mins
Nail prep 10 mins
Tip selection and application 25 mins
Tip blending 20
Bonder application 5
builder gel application 30
Shaping of gel (buffing) 20
Sealant (finishing gloss) and finishing off 10

HTH
.... and don't worry!!!!!!!

This is related to a gel application, but you should be able to convert it to other systems. Give it a try as it really focuses on your slower areas.

 

[Prosperity]

Thank you so much - this is very useful. My mum is having a gel rebalance tonight so will time each section.

Thank you so much - keep em coming!

xx

 

[Jaffacake]

Consultation 10 mins
Nail prep 10 mins
Tip selection and application 25 mins
Tip blending 20
Bonder application 5
builder gel application 30
Shaping of gel (buffing) 20
Sealant (finishing gloss) and finishing off 10

Blimey, that seems like a long time for tip selection and application? I would have thought 20 mins for prep and 10 mins for tip application was more like it? especially as it doesnt include blending....! I still take 2 hours to do a full set - doesnt matter how much i get my head down and try to get done quicker - i cant shave any time off!! lol

 

[Sassy Hassy]

Sherrie, it's only a guide, you may find you are quicker in certain areas and slower in others. Tip fitting is so important as it can save you so much time at the rebalance stage to make sure you've got them wide enough - so many newbies do them too narrow and so as the natural nail grows out then the nail is wider than the tip.

 

[fiona wallace]

OR....you could learnd to sculpt, according to the times posted, you would save approx 45 mins, all our techs do sculpts very well, with no probs, in 1 hour or less and that's normally within 2 or 3 months of initial training. good luck

 

[louisenewell]

I used to take 2 hours for a full set of l&p then i joined a busy salon and i'm now down to 1 hour 15(30 if i'm gossiping).I haven't changed or cut back on anything so i guess it was just doing one set after another on busy days that got my speed up.Sometimes i can do 2 hours for a rebalance and other times 1 hour.I wouldn't recommend cutting down on your prep because you'll only pay for it later in terms of rebalance(and filing lots of lifted product/service break down).one good tip i picked up was to(...and this is really boring to do)file out the contact area of your tips and pre blend as much as you can when you don't have any clients and i found this does cut down a bit(just a bit boring doing a full 360 tip tray!!!) especially if you are using white tips,

 

[*Marie*]

Hi, you do sound like your doing fine, I had 2 clients today first took me 1 hr 10 mins and the second was a complete nightmare almost 2 hours...so there you go my times are varying so much at the moment! I was dead chuffed this morning with the first client and then on a bit of a downer for the one later!

 

[louise]

I agree with everyone else Shelly, your times aren't that important keep doing what you are doing am i am sure with time (no pun intended!) your timings will come down!

I have just started to build my clientele up as i am working from home part time in the evenings & weekend,i find it takes me 2 hours to do set of l&p.

I think if i was working 24/7 doing them i would get my times down a lot quicker.

So overall your not on your own chick & as long as you & your client are pleased with the end results, try not to let it bother you too much. HTH's x

 

[nemotail]

I have only been using Brisa for 4/5 weeks and my first set took over 4 hours. I am now down to 2 hours to do a full set of Brisa French. I have noticed a big improvement in my timings over the last week since I switched back to using the White sculpting gel instead of the POW. TBH I would rather spend that wee bit more time and be pleased with the end result than rush and worry about my work after the client has gone.
Fab tip about the tips (LOL!) next time I sit down to watch a film I am going to give it a go.

 

[Sal]

Try this then - I had a client at 2pm, for natural tips and overlay (originally was booked in for white tips on my current special offer but when I saw her nails I realised they would have made them look really short and stumpy).

I was fininshed at 5.50pm!!! :cry: :cry: :cry:

Ok, so they were good nails but I am gutted about the time.

The owner of the suntan shop where I rent my room is going to help me get my times down.

Good thing is that I know where I took too long - but I am still gutted.

 

[Jeni Giles]

Try this then - I had a client at 2pm, for natural tips and overlay (originally was booked in for white tips on my current special offer but when I saw her nails I realised they would have made them look really short and stumpy).

I was fininshed at 5.50pm!!! :cry: :cry: :cry:

Ok, so they were good nails but I am gutted about the time.

The owner of the suntan shop where I rent my room is going to help me get my times down.

Good thing is that I know where I took too long - but I am still gutted.

When my students feel this way I remind them about the 100 set rule. If you are still taking this long by your 100th set, then worry. It takes most people at least this many before they have the skills perfected.

Some other things to check, are you stopping to talk? Are you making eye contact? (if you are STOP IT!!! :hug: you cant make eye contact and do nails at the same time! I tease my students by telling them if it bothers them to glue eyes to a pair of sunglasses or a head band, then your client will have eye contact the entire time!!) Do you have all your supplies stocked and ready to go or do you have to get up more than once (to wash) while doing a service?

With practice comes time, don't take short cuts, they will take longer the next time your client comes in experiencing lifting, cracking or breaking

 

[Prosperity]

Thanks all. Just did my mum a brisa rebalance (soft white tips with pink). Took me around 2.5 hours - i know that may sound long to you complete pros but thats not bad for me!!

I think maybe I am filing down the old product too much although her white had really grown out.

I think I got my prep time down tonight a bit better.

I was thinking about sitting down with my box of tips and prepping them in advance when I have some spare time (ha ha!!).

Maybe with brisa rebalance I am doing too many layers as i did the scrubbed in layer with the rebalance and maybe could have just gone straight to the builder layer (i then 'cut' out the tip area before curing and then add the soft white).

Hmm....all food for thought!

On L&P the actual application is ok (thanks to tracey leja) its the prepping, tipping, blending, finishing i think thats taking me too long.

I know i am going on but its really disheartening - sorry!

Thank you all for your great advise on this and everything else.

x