EmmieRose
Active Member
Ok, so I just graduated and set up at a salon. This is my second week. I haven’t been terribly busy but it's a rural and not very affluent area so I'm just being patient and trying to look on the bright side. I've had a couple natural mani and pedi clients and just one young woman in for gel extensions.
Now it must be said I was never too excited about extensions. I wanted to do natural manis, pedis, gel polish and nail art. Where I live, however, cosmetology is very regulated and my only option was to take a full esthetics course (1-2 years, $10 000.00) or a Nail Tech Course (manis & pedis +lots of extension work, 4 months, $4 000.00). I opted for Nail Tech. Despite not being really keen on extensions personally I am quite careful and particular and did very well in all aspects of the course including extensions. The ones I gave my Mom just keep going and I had good results with others as well. Ok, that's just background...
So, this young woman (19) came in. Her nails were tiny and very short and she wanted them extended with gel. I did my best. I did not make them too long. I followed every step. I honestly don't think I messed up at all. They were a little thick perhaps but that's the worst of it. She mentioned she had had gel nails before and they had come right off. I thought maybe the tech hadn't prepped properly. She did say that tech was unlisenced. Also she mentioned she is doing lots of yard work and spending time in the water. Red flags everywhere, but I wanted to give her what she wanted and hope for the best. That was five days ago. Today she called me at the salon to tell me all but two had come off during the weekend. She was sweet as sugar and said it must be her nails don't do well with gel. I agreed that is probably the case and asked her what I could do. She said perhaps acrylic. I agreed and we set up an appointment for tomorrow afternoon. On my way home she texted me. It went like this:
her: Hey e its b once again is there anyway i could get my money back because n now doesn't wanna bring me [to town]
me: I guess so although if the problem is that you can't wear gel (and it does sound like that) that is not technically my fault and I did use my time and product. It doesn't really seem fair for me to reimburse you fully although I will because I don't want you to be dissatisfied. I would rather redo them in acrylic when it's convenient for you but am willing to reimburse you if you prefer.
Also I have that creme you wanted.
her: How much will i have to pay for the other nails
me: Oh, nothing! I thought you understood that, sorry. I'll redo them for free because the others didn't last.
her: Ok. And how much for the lotion
me: But if you really rather I can give you your $... no hard feelings.
$11 for the lotion
her: Ok I'll pick the lotion up tmrw and i rather have my money back
me: Ok
I think I was plenty fair in offering to redo them. What I have right now is time but not tons of cash. I provided a service. I told her at the time I put them on that I would redo them if they came off in the first week but said nothing about money back. I didn't want to refuse to reimburse her though because it's such a small town and I'm just getting started. I'd hate for her to get mad and trash talk me. I think I made my feelings about the fairness of the situation quite clear in a polite way and that my preference to redo them was reasonable. What do you say Geeks? Am I too soft? Too hard? Too soft but smart not to risk trash talking?
I really think I did a decent job and that she just doesn't do well with gels.
Like I said above extensions were never my reason for doing nails. I am really tempted to drop them from my menu and focus on natural manis, pedis, gelish and nail art... the stuff I like and which have less potential to go wrong. I might make less money but this was always more about having fun and having a low stress job (I switched from social work) than money for me anyway.
Sorry so long. Thanks to anyone who read this far. Advice please geeks.
Now it must be said I was never too excited about extensions. I wanted to do natural manis, pedis, gel polish and nail art. Where I live, however, cosmetology is very regulated and my only option was to take a full esthetics course (1-2 years, $10 000.00) or a Nail Tech Course (manis & pedis +lots of extension work, 4 months, $4 000.00). I opted for Nail Tech. Despite not being really keen on extensions personally I am quite careful and particular and did very well in all aspects of the course including extensions. The ones I gave my Mom just keep going and I had good results with others as well. Ok, that's just background...
So, this young woman (19) came in. Her nails were tiny and very short and she wanted them extended with gel. I did my best. I did not make them too long. I followed every step. I honestly don't think I messed up at all. They were a little thick perhaps but that's the worst of it. She mentioned she had had gel nails before and they had come right off. I thought maybe the tech hadn't prepped properly. She did say that tech was unlisenced. Also she mentioned she is doing lots of yard work and spending time in the water. Red flags everywhere, but I wanted to give her what she wanted and hope for the best. That was five days ago. Today she called me at the salon to tell me all but two had come off during the weekend. She was sweet as sugar and said it must be her nails don't do well with gel. I agreed that is probably the case and asked her what I could do. She said perhaps acrylic. I agreed and we set up an appointment for tomorrow afternoon. On my way home she texted me. It went like this:
her: Hey e its b once again is there anyway i could get my money back because n now doesn't wanna bring me [to town]
me: I guess so although if the problem is that you can't wear gel (and it does sound like that) that is not technically my fault and I did use my time and product. It doesn't really seem fair for me to reimburse you fully although I will because I don't want you to be dissatisfied. I would rather redo them in acrylic when it's convenient for you but am willing to reimburse you if you prefer.
Also I have that creme you wanted.
her: How much will i have to pay for the other nails
me: Oh, nothing! I thought you understood that, sorry. I'll redo them for free because the others didn't last.
her: Ok. And how much for the lotion
me: But if you really rather I can give you your $... no hard feelings.
$11 for the lotion
her: Ok I'll pick the lotion up tmrw and i rather have my money back
me: Ok
I think I was plenty fair in offering to redo them. What I have right now is time but not tons of cash. I provided a service. I told her at the time I put them on that I would redo them if they came off in the first week but said nothing about money back. I didn't want to refuse to reimburse her though because it's such a small town and I'm just getting started. I'd hate for her to get mad and trash talk me. I think I made my feelings about the fairness of the situation quite clear in a polite way and that my preference to redo them was reasonable. What do you say Geeks? Am I too soft? Too hard? Too soft but smart not to risk trash talking?
I really think I did a decent job and that she just doesn't do well with gels.
Like I said above extensions were never my reason for doing nails. I am really tempted to drop them from my menu and focus on natural manis, pedis, gelish and nail art... the stuff I like and which have less potential to go wrong. I might make less money but this was always more about having fun and having a low stress job (I switched from social work) than money for me anyway.
Sorry so long. Thanks to anyone who read this far. Advice please geeks.