All in the name of research.. would you mystery shop your competition?

[MINKUS]

morning geek! I've been thinking to keep the old standards up etc (and it ties in with my new year resolution of pampering ME more) I'm going to check out what's hot and happening with my competitors! Is this something you do? Have done? Would do? Would you tell them you are a nail tech?​

 

[stoney]

Unfortunately I live in a small town, so most of my competitors know who I am, wouldn't be much mystery about it!

But yeh I would definately. I think its good to know what your competitiors are up to and like you said, gives you a chance to have a wee pamper.

I watch them though, get people to go in for price lists etc, then I do all the things there are NOT doing. lol xx

And yes I would tell them I'm a nail tech, if they are any good it wount phase them and its always good to have somewhere to refer your clients to if you are ever taken ill etc.

 

[Shellkelly]

It's not something I've thought about, but now you've mentioned it, it's not a bad idea. When I pass my acrylic course I want to work for myself so i was thinking about going to my local salons to see what they charged. It would be good to see what the 'in thing' is at the moment so you could maybe train in something else.
I wouldn't tell them I was a nail tech though.

 

[Shellkelly]

Unfortunately I live in a small town, so most of my competitors know who I am, wouldn't be much mystery about it!

But yeh I would definately. I think its good to know what your competitiors are up to and like you said, gives you a chance to have a wee pamper.

I watch them though, get people to go in for price lists etc, then I do all the things there are NOT doing. lol xx

And yes I would tell them I'm a nail tech, if they are any good it wount phase them and its always good to have somewhere to refer your clients to if you are ever taken ill etc.

I didn't think about it that way. Would they refer their clients to you if they were busy or short staffed?

 

[stoney]

I didn't think about it that way. Would they refer their clients to you if they were busy or short staffed?

They might yeh. I think its good to strike up a friendship with a local nail tech. Its always good to have a back-up.

I no my clients would never want to be without their nails and would appreciate I had found them somewhere else to go if I couldn't do them.

 

[TIPTOP]

Hiyah
Great thread!!
Yes I do mystery shop my competition and how I sit there without giving me away is for me a miracle,but then again I can see myself as an undercover agent lol, I have definitely had my eyes openend to how they deal with their salon hygiene and service and the fact that I have paid and sometimes wasted my hard earned cash on their enhancements, I must need my head testing lol

I wont name the salon but the last salon visit I made I walked out half way through as the technician blew the dust off my fingers with her mouth, OMFG!! I was bubbling inside with anger so I left the salon with just tips on!!

Sue

 

[MINKUS]

I wonder if there would much call for hiring 'yourself' out as a mystery shopper too that would be great! I'm just interested in seeing if they use better products, have a particularly fab salon for future reference . How their customer service compares to mine. Do they to anything better/different so that I could learn from it/incorporate it into my business. Etc

 

[xAnnaBannAx]

Well I rarely go to a salon for anything but I had a manicure a while back and I couldn't wait to tell her what I do so that I could have a decent conversation with someone about 'nails' lol.....(well it feels a bit lonely at times when you keep harping on about this product that product, the latest things out...amazing designs youve seen etc etc to your friends)...and they just dont get it and arent really interested either!
It wasnt my intention to investigate her but for the chat and maybe learn something myself BUT well she was really not good and didnt really 'get' what I had to say lol I remember trying to tell her about 'the event' that was coming up and she just did not get it at all...hadn't even heard of CND...needless to say it was a disappointing conversation....thank god for this place but sometimes I wish I had a little red nail indian sitting on my shoulder to 'nail natter' with!
But back to topic...yes defo always check out your competition...you can only learn from it....just try not to spend too much in the process! lol x

 

[Zo Zo]

If I go for a treatment, I do make a mental note about what was good and/or bad about the salon and the service, but I only go if I genuinely want/need the treatment, I never go just to spy. I simply wouldn't have the time tbh!

I normally go incognito (under a false name) as I don't want to be treated differently (good or bad!) and I don't want them to flap and feel spied on.

It's often disappointing but c'est la vie. I had a great facial on holiday in Austria last year LOL. I enjoyed it, but I didn't come home feeling inspired to change anything

 

[Bagpuss]

I think its a shame that sometimes when you tell another nail tech that you are a nail tech it goes all quiet....and right off they see you as a threat...it shouldn't be like that...as long as everyone respects the others business then i think (all be it in a perfect world) that we should all support each other.

When i saw that Minkus was in Leicester as i am, I didn't see her as a threat and think "Mmmm wonder how busy she is, what she uses, if she is better"....I just thought "great she is near by and we can meet up for a chat"....we have covered each other for holidays and had great fun doing each others nails....we are only 5 mins drive away from each other.

I have walked past salons that do nails and stood and looked through through the window but i am happy doing what i am doing and way to tight to pay for my nails to be done...:lol: so i don't think i would bother mystery shopping.

 

[VHunter]

Friends and clients have occasionally 'mystery shopped' in terms of checking out prices for me.
I once walked into an NSS in my shopping center, asked what brand of gel they were using and got the "we use bio gel, better for your nails blah bla" And I pushed and asked for the brand and wanted to see... and they were putting acrylic on the client and calling it gel
Right smack in front of the client, I told them they were scam artists and crooks and told them that gel NEVER contains powder, that it was ACRYLIC. Then I turned to the client and asked if they were charging her more for her 'gel' (while they were trying to usher me out LOL :lol and she said yes and I told her "get your money back! and google NSS & MMA on the web". As I walked through the door, I yelled at my hubby at the top of my lungs at the other side of the hall "It's another NSS scamming people, claiming to use gel when there isn't a single pot of gel in sight. I'll bet it's the toxic variety of acrylic on top of that, and that's why it turns yellow" He was roaring in laughter at the look on the owner's face.
:twisted:

No, it wasn't nice.
Yes, it was catty.
And everytime I pause at their display, looking in, the owner looks up all nervous like :lol:

I just couldn't help myself. I was posessed.:twisted:

Have I gone in anywhere else for a service?
No, the ones that are local are all NSS and NO ONE in my area uses UV Gel, though I would DEARLY LOVE to find someone that did cause I HATE doing my own rebalances UGH UGH UGH.
I would LOVE to find a tech that does uv gel, with whom I could network and/or share tips and tricks, cover for each other on holiday, etc etc.... But preferably one that works in the neighboring town lol Let's not poach in each other's back yards....
Not likely unless I expand and hire a junior to train to work with me (which hopefully, this WILL happen).

On another note: I've been approached in the last 3yrs by 4 different techs/salons in my town, seeking training. Particularly for nail art. Ummmm NOPE. Not while I'm still 'building a clientel'. That would be like taking bread off my table. Makes no sense. Particularly since I had no respect for those that asked because they weren't interested in real education and hadn't been trained properly to begin with and didn't know the first thing about salon hygiene (sanitizing / disinfecting files etc...)

So yes, those answers seem contrary to each other.... it would depend on the situation. Does that make sense?

 

[EmJZ]

I have done this many times before and will continue to do so. I'm not so much spying on the competition as I am making sure that I'm keeping up with the flow. I never want to end up stuck in a rut. And seeing what other salons are doing is a great way to stay up to speed in your area. Of course continued education is needed as well! One of the nail techs 15min from me is great, and we ended up doing each others nails. Now we help each other out when needed. Never hurts to get in good with the competition....you never know when you'll need some professionl help.

 

[An*Gel]

I haven't mystery shopped myself (just never got around to it.. but watch this space).. I have, however had lots of techs come into me for a bit of a spy. They usually give themselves away straight away by asking too many questions that a normal client wouldn't ask. Then they tell me, after a bit of probing from me, that they are either a tech or thinking of doing a course.

The best is when they say "God this looks really easy... think I'll do a course" and better still is "I've just bought the kit in Argos .. sure there's nothing to it"..AAARRRHHHH it's soooo annoying.

So if and when I get around to spying myself... think I'll keep my big gob shut LOL:lol:

 

[Kim Lawless]

I've never done this as I don't see the point. What's to be gained by it? It won't change the way you work will it?

If I go for treatments, I try not to mention that I work in the beauty biz and that's about as welcome as a dog fight at Cruft's. I don't like to pressure on anyone or judge them. We all have off days.

I can see the point if you wanted to learn something, but not just to spy. xxx

 

[geeg]

I have never worried about my competition and I know they have never used better products than I do so the answer is, no I don't do it and never would do it.

I know no one offers a better service than I do and as for pampering yourself?? You will most likely come away dissatisfied with what they have done if you are going for your nails doing. I'd rather do my own nails and know the job is done right and that they are how I like them to be.

 

[Jaffacake]

I've done it, a few years ago now, and I posted the results on here with pics. I only went out of curiosity as every week there was an ad in the local paper for their gel nails claiming 'you've tried the rest now try the best!' so I thought i'd check them out to see if they were all they were cracked up to be - they weren't! Both from hygiene and application/look I was dissapointed :irked:

Shame as now I no longer do nails I struggle to find somewhere that can do me a set that I like and that will last me to the next rebalance without lifting etc. Cant do my own anymore as I dont have the stuff and its been years since I did nails. When I'm out spray tanning and I see people with nice looking nails on I always comment and ask them where they got them done, but they are always done in what I assume (maybe wrongly) are NSS! Thing is, they look really nice and thin and last 3 weeks between rebalances....Its the other stuff that I know about that stops me going.

Anyone know a good nail tech near Basildon?

 

[Sassy Hassy]

I haven't mystery shopped as in getting my own nails done. BUT when I first went in the Yellow Pags I did phone around to get prices etc of the other salons to make sure I was competitive! Boy I shouldn't have worried. It went from no reply at all to one person saying they don't do infills, they let their clients file their nails down and they come back for a new set every 6 weeks, why should they pay for something they don't need ... erm go figure that one!!!!

I even got a new client who had phoned a salon asking for French tips and was told, eugh don't do those horrible fake looking nails!!! Still their loss and my gain! In fact had similar happen this week. New client had gone into another local salon who obviously only do manicures and was told don't have fake nails they are so bad for you!!!

 

[MINKUS]

Thanks for the mixed feedback guys:green:

Im not really trying to 'spy' ( did i say i was spying anywhere?:cryim just really after 'researching/absorbing' how different peeps do different things ..with the BONUS of me getting a 'treat' too.....if its good i'll go away and learn from it...if its bad c'est la vie i'll appreciate myself and what i do more!

Quick example:

Paid to go to champneys...paid an extra (cant remember £30 odd) for a facial...now someone tell me HOW you can do a client consultation, a facial....finish early and give me the hard sell for at least 10 mins and the whole treatment time was 25 mins?

I took away from that ...the surroundings were fab, music fab,....my therapist wasnt bad...but the treatment time was too quick and i HATE the hard sell after (as i do with the hairdressers!)

anyway's

Thanks again:hug:

 

[Bagpuss]

To be honest i wouldn't like that either Amber....You have your facial and feel all relaxed and de-stressed....then they go and undo all that by doing a hard sell on you. What would be better is being given a consultation sheet showing a list of what they have used and what they recommend for your skin type...including your therapists name and the prices.

Then you can leave stress free and decide in your own time if you felt the products where worth purchasing.

 

[Zo Zo]

Thanks for the mixed feedback guys:green:

Im not really trying to 'spy' ( did i say i was spying anywhere?:cry

Sorry.. I didn't mean to offend... it may have been a poor choice of word but I didn't mean anything by it :hug: