help - refund advice needed

[Buggy]

I've just had a text off a client who came to see me on Monday. I did her a set of gel nails (brisa with tips) and she texted me on Tues night to say two had broken. I booked her in for a repair for tonight and she just texted me to say she wants her money back as they were all off by Wednesday. This is the first time this has happened to me and i think its a bit strange and reckoned she picked them off. One or 2 coming off yes, but the whole set?

Also, her nails were bitten short and i told her that i found Brisa better if sculpted, but as i couldn't get the sculpting form on properly i would use tips with the sculpting gel. (did i shoot myself in the foot when i told her this?)

Has anyone else had this happen? I'm quite willing to give her money back as i don't want her slating my business but i just want to know what to text back or shall i phone her and what do i say?

 

[Tilly Ann]

I would phone her and aske her to come and see you!
If there is damage on her nail plate then chances are she has picked them off! This is what it sounds like to me!! If there is damage then I wouldn't have a go at her but I would maybe offer to replace the set for 1/2 price, this should keep her sweet and maybe keep her coming back!!
Sorry this has happened hun! Keep your chin up though! xx

HTH

 

[kittenclaws]

hun id say if she has lost the lot she is a picker or biter and has done it herself, i agree offer her a set 1/2 price, but untilll you see them dont agree to a refund, personaly i think if it was her own fault then she should not have a refund, have a look and see what damage there is to the natural nail
i dont think you shot yourself oin the foot at all by being honest

 

[Bagpuss]

Mmmmmm...whole lot off...sounds to me like she may have broke/lost 2 but then picked or bit the rest off cos she didn't like the fact that they didn't look complete with some missing.

To be totally honest i would give her money back and get rid...i know its probably not the right thing to do as in she has picked/bitten them....but for a quiet life i would just smile and hand the money over...telling her that i am sorry she had problems getting on with her nails...I would have been happy to repair them for her and that I am disappointed as my other clients have no problems like this.

I know really i would want to say No...you've picked them off but whats the point ..she will deny it anyway and you'll just end up in a row that gets you no where...you don't want clients like her anyway. pay her off...i would. Just make it sound like a gesture of goodwill and not a admission of fault...state clearly that SHE didn't get on with them..Not that there was anything wrong with what YOU did. Best of luck. xx

 

[Buggy]

Yea, to be honest i do find that Brisa is stronger sculpted, and a bit weaker when you put a tip on. I'm not sure if this is because i've only been doing it a few months and maybe i'm doing it too thin, but i never have problems with the sculpted ones and my clients come back.

I did tell her that i thought the L&P would suit her better but if she insisted on having the gel, then i would use the white sculpting gel over the tip to keep the strength, and she said she wanted that. so i'm a bit peeved now.

 

[leni]

Hi.
What I don't understand is why she texted you only today when she sais that they were all off by Wednesday?! And by 'texting' you, she must feel some guilt. I agree with Tilly Ann. If there is damage on her own nails, it is an obvious that she picked them off. Ask her to come back so you can have a look but I wouldn't give her a full refund. I now live and work in Netherlands and here is a practise to put on your price list 'no guaranty for nailbiters'.
Good luck
Leni

 

[Buggy]

Thanks for your advice girls. Leni - i too wondered why it took her two days to text me ? Nailstyle... you are right, i don't want her as my client because i think she did pick them off, so i'm going to give her a refund and get rid, but i will state that i don't have problems with any of my other clients. And she will have to come to me for a refund and i do want to look at her nails because of course i will have to remove any gel that is left. That way i can look at her nails and see what damage there is. I think you are right about her picking at them when two broke. i've just seen my mate at work and she still has hers on and its over 3 weeks so i feel much better!

 

[nemotail]

When she comes in squeek over her nails with Scrubfresh this will immediatley show up damage to the nail plate and you will be able to see if she has 'helped' them off. If they had come off in one piece there wouldnt be any damage.
HTH
KxXx

 

[nailzoo]

And by 'texting' you, she must feel some guilt. Leni

Texting is a wimps communication method, really if she had a problem she should have shown you, you are gonna have to pacify her in some way though, i'd offer her a discount or a credit on another service perhaps, tell her it's salon policy to not give refunds unless you have seen the problem first hand (pardon the pun) Obviously you know you own work standard, what do you REALLY think happened? more than likely she picked them or bit them off, even stuck on tips with no product have better staying power than what she says ........if you think you did right, stand by your guns....

 

[ADiva1]

I definitely wont give her a refund. She will still talk negative things about you after if she wanted to anyway.
I'd offer her a voucher for her to have another treatment to the value of her nails. Maybe she'd enjoy that one... Do you do pedicures or anything else? She cant pick the varnish off her toes.... well, you never know...

 

[Buggy]

Yes i will do that with the scrubfresh. This is my text reply ... what do you think?

"I am sorry you did not get on with your nails. I would have been happy to repair them and am disappointed as my other clients do not have problems like this. However, as you are not very happy, as a gesture of goodwill, a refund can be arranged but I will need to see you to make sure any remaining gel is buffed off correctly. If you keep your 8.30 appt tonight, I'll arrange this for you."

 

[Maximum Nails]

Sounds to me like she is pulling a fast one! If they had all come off then would she really only have sent a text? I dont think so!!

I agree with the others, clients like that are not worth having!!

Hope it all works out.

Max

 

[nailzoo]

call her .... don't text her

 

[Sassy Hassy]

Depends how you want to play it hun, if you want to refund then say 50% as a gesture of goodwill. As she has left it 2 days to contact you then it sounds like she has been egged on by someone to go for a refund. (sadly texting is the way youngsters communicate now, it's difficult for us old wrinklies to get our head round this though!!)

When I start with a new nail biter client I make it clear that they should expect problems in the early days. Like building a house, if it starts on poor foundations then the structure will be weaker and prone to problems. Therefore, if they manage to keep them going it also gives them a confidence boost as you have told them they will have probs and they havent.

From an ex biters point of view it is a shameful habit that is really hard to break, so make them feel at ease from the start that they can "confess their sins" to you if they have a lapse and bite them all off. If this girl has bitten them off she will be too ashamed to admit it as she will feel she has failed. It's so much easier to blame the technician!!!!

Also, just to reiterate that they must be as short as you can get them so they can't knock and break them (and don't let them convince you that they want long nails THEY CAN'T HAVE THEM YET!!), and as smooth as a baby's proverbial so they have nothing to pick or bite at.

 

[Buggy]

keep, the advice coming, i've got to go to a meeting but i'll look when i get back at 4pm and then i'll decide what to do.

Thanks honeys

 

[tinkywinky]

I had this happen a few weeks ago. it makes you feel very down and fed up!

I did give her a full refund as a gesture of goodwill. But - I phoned trading standards and they told me that the client should give you chance to repair them, and as such aren't entitled to a refund if they don't. (But check this please don't quote me on this)

I now write on my forms that I cannot afford to give refunds if the client is having their nails done, but they should contact me if they have a problem. Hope this helps!!

 

[EllaX]

i've had this problem with 2 of my clients - who are nail biters and their nails have mysteriously fallen off after less then a week.
i do my own and i do my sisters regular and neither of ours have 'fallen off'
i'd be tempted as nailstyle said to give her her money back and get rid!!
if you offer her another set at half/discounted price whats to stop her doing it again?? great text back by the way, you worded it really well xx

 

[Buggy]

Well, after taking all of your advice, i decided to text back and say that i would appreciate it if she kept her appointment as planned as I would need to see her nails before i discussed a refund. She has arranged to come round a little earlier than planned.

I will decide what to do when i see her and see what state her nails are in. If they are not too bad i think i might just get rid but make sure her nails are okay and get her to sign to say she's had a refund (as a goodwill gesture) and she's happy her nails are ok. But if her nails have obviously been picked at then no refund. Then there is no come back on me.

Thanks for all your advice. you made me feel much better.

 

[fiona wallace]

Aaaah! it's so good to see everyone supporting one another on the site BUT...for every client who is happy with your service (or even not UNHAPPY)...they will tell one person about you...for every client who IS UNHAPPY WITH YOUR SERVICE THEY WILL TELL 10 PEOPLE ABOUT YOU!!!!!!!:irked:

Unfortunately, that's the way the cookie crumbles...............................:irked:

She picked them off, she knows it, you know it, I know it, everyone knows it....I would offer to give her another set free of charge, that way you ARE guaranteeing your first new set, they didn't work out, but you have replaced them...this time she might be shamed into looking after them?

Or just go for it and give her the refund with a 'sorry' and a smile...in the pub saturday with a crowd of girls, the subject of nails comes up...she says' oh you should try x, it didn't work for me because i'm such a dreadful nailbiter but they have a GREAT reputation and they're SOOO nice..................

 

[smiler13334]

The trouble with nail biters is they like to pick. Some not all use the bit of free edge to get at the side of their enhancements and low and behold its up and off - ouch.

Be very carefull in the future honey, if she is pulling a fast one she will have fun telling others. The client should have come to you straight away not left it.

In my eyes a clients nails are their responsibility when she walks out of the salon, no refunds are given. There are always 'players' isn't there.

Take care hope it went ok