Show you are Confident with Yourself and Your Work ... Some Tricks.

[geeg]

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 the fault lies with them and not you).

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.

 

[Lellipop]

Fantastic Geeg I will be using some of these if needed in the future :hug:

 

[*JOANNE*]

brilliant gigi,
some really great advice

 

[dee]

geeg that was bloomin fantastic !! you really should start doing seminars :green:

 

[Sassy Hassy]

Great advice Gigi, I also wrote in the other thread that my immediate response is "oh dear what on earth did YOU do?" It's such a simple statement / question and it puts the onus straight onto the client.

Nails don't break without force being applied to them. Often it can be repeated force, so you may bash them a few times and no problems and then it can take a silly thing to make them finally break. It's like if you constantly tap an egg on a hard surface, you won't see the micro cracks that are appearing, but sooner or later that shell wil give way and you get egg on your hands lol!

Also, I think often what happens when we are a novice is that we let clients have nails way too long for their lifestyle, and they just can't cope. You need to be firm right from the start and let them know you know your business!

 

[TraceyJoJo]

Invaluable advice! Thank you so much Gigi.

 

[talontastic]

Great advice! Nails can and do break, dealing with this efficiently can mean a client is even happier with their nails - knowing we can be relied upon. Be confident in your abilities!

Thanks Geeg great post.

Julie x

 

[nailzoo]

When a client comes in with a breakage, I can "see" how they broke it, upon examination of what's left and where the break is, it's pretty obvious. Quite often during their service you can wean the truth out of them.

I luv it when they eventually confess.

They know they get charged for breakages, they also know sometimes I am lenient (it's almost like a reverse of them giving me a tip), it's very give and take, often if I don't charge them for breaks, they give it to me as a tip anyways.

It's a favorite of mine when they sit there with 9 nails and say "one broke ", ....... with a smile on my face I say "which one" and we both crack up. Or I say "it didn't break, you broke it".

It is imperative you have faith in your own skills/work, or clients will attempt to walk all over you.

I'm not being sexist here, but mothers/many women are the the masters of guilt, and they are oh so subtle about it, they are also the majority of our clientelle.:lol:

 

[butterfly100]

Printing this off now for future reference and when i am having a bad day!!
Thankyou xx

 

[butterfly100]

but mothers/many women are the the masters of guilt, and they are oh so subtle about it, they are also the majority of our clientelle.

I am definately under this catagory and am in training not to be so sensitive all the time!!

 

[~Emmsybabes~]

Gigi thankyou so much ,
this is exactly the invaluable info us geeks need :hug:
i too am going to print this off , for next time im having a weak moment,

clients say to me "emma look a nail pinged off" and i just say "awww did it ? with the help of your teeth i bet :lol: "
or "did it really ! its that damn nail pinging fairy again , she often pings off clients nails ..so what really happened then ? :lol: )

i say it in a joke way , and they imediately say "well i trapped it actually, but it came off really easily :irked: "
so i reply "yes it will do with force , thats what modern day products are designed to do , to prevent taking your whole nail plate off with it hun"

 

[Hope]

You are on a roll Gigi, another fantastic post that will help so many of us know how to behave in what could have been an awkward situation xx

 

[blossom]

Wonderful stuff Gigi, thanks so much!

 

[Bev Rose]

Fantastic thread Gigi.

I used to be so unsure of myself when I first started out, now (only 3 1/2 yrs later) I feel very confident in the work that I produce.
If a client comes in with a nail or nails missing, they know that I will ask them exactly what happened, so they confess before I open my mouth!!!
One client recently did say that she looked down and her nail was not there!?! When i checked the nail plate there was trauma which showed it had come off with some force..so I told her she must of banged it & weakened it for it to cause trauma etc. Eventually, it came to light it happened on the car door.
Quite a few of my clients have said they were scared of what I might say to them as THEY had broken a nail - I obviously must come accross as quite austere or something - or maybe it's because they know I won't take no cr@p!:lol:

Nail enhancements that are applied correctly don't float off in the bath! Pop off, drop off, slip off etc etc. I have worn my nails for years and rarely lose one, only if I've done something.

 

[geeg]

I think the most important point here really is to deal with these things with a sense of humour and not get paranoid about your work.

So think up some humorous things to say like Emma or Carl and keep the atmosphere light. Don't get bogged down in arguments because no one wins then. And in the end it is you who wants to be winning and the client too.

It's important that both parties feel good about any solution.

See below my signature. Laughter is the shortest distance between two people!!

 

[Scratchers]

Fnatastic advice i hope that everyone reads this especially newbies this will really help you when you face a problem xXx

 

[Dessi]

The Best thread ever!!! Thank you Geeg

 

[Janny B]

Thanks Geeg, that is great advise, although I've never had anyone complain as yet I'll know exactly what to say should it happen. (lets hope it never happens)

If you've given aftercare advice etc then I think it really is up to the customer to look after their nails. Nail Technicians cannot be responsible for breakages.

Jan
x

 

[Vetty]

So timely as ever Gigi! I have a recent example of this - I received a text message which I quote (including spelling!) 'Hi it's xxx, 2 ov my nails hav fallen off'. I arranged to go and repair them, including telling her my price and when I got there I asked what happened and she confessed to mending a table and getting them caught. Fell off, my eye!!!

Good point about keeping the humour though, we don't want to make clients feel small or belittled. After all we still want them as clients!!

Thanks Gigi,

 

[phoebe_cat]

Fantastic advice as always Gigi!

Having worked in a retail environment for nearly 20 years I am used to dealing with complaints. "The necklace just fell off my neck" - you can see where the links have been pulled apart. "My mobile phone just stopped working" - you take the back off and half a gallon of water pours out! Customers and clients WILL try it on unfortunately.

I have worked with many different people and how they deal with these complaints has such a difference in the customer satisfaction. The customer KNOWS they dropped the phone in the bath, but if you say "you broke it, it's your fault, what do you want me to do about it" you're talking about one unhappy customer, letters of complaint and no return custom. However, as you say, you empathise with them, "you'd be surprised how often people do this, it's really frustrating isn't it, let's see how we can sort this out for you" they are immediately on your side and when you bring up the fact that there will be a charge, more often than not they are happy.

No one likes dealing with these situations, but if working with the public, they're inevitable really. As you said, working through various scenarios in your head will mean you are prepared when these "hiccups" arise :green: