Am I wasting my time?

[angelnailz]

And breathe......

I (like most of us here) have spent a fortune on training, products, start up costs and have spent a long time trying to build my business, I feel like I have put my blood and guts into this since quitting (to make a real go of this) my job over a year ago and struggling to keep clients through my cancer treatment. I am constantly striving to offer my clients quality, and have spent countless hours perfecting smile lines, apexes etc etc (nothing new to any of you geeks) so OK, I`m not perfect, a long way off but feel confident I can offer my clients a good service and have had no complaints although in terms of a career in nails, I realise I`m still at the beginning.

The thing is one client in particular I sat with, custom blended to get a great looking balanced set of nails as she had tiny nail beds etc, well she left delighted and with really elegant looking enhancements that suited her and then I see her 3 weeks later with cheap looking L&Ps, white tips and do you know what I asked her why she went down that road and she said she honestly preferred the fake look. It`s not just her, this look seems to be preferred round here, rather than women wanting to not look enhanced.

I seem to be flogging a dead horse as far as trying to promote the more natural look as although I do offer glitter etc this accounts for a small percentage of my business.

So should I just be sticking a white tip on covering half the clients nail bed with clear L&P on top to achieve the fake look?? the customer is always right - right??

Don't get me wrong I keep busy and do have some great clients who keep coming back but I feel like I`m fighting a losing battle, maybe it`s me, maybe it`s the clients I attract....I`m unsure how to move forward.

Sorry for the novel - just wondered what anyones thoughts were on this?

xx:hug:

 

[Tanya.]

It's good to be different in this field. Doing natural looking nails is great, it sets you apart from everyone else.

Maybe could you offer both?

 

[Elegance Nail Tech]

Its just one client, so try not to get too down.
If everyone was the same, the world would be a boring place. So what suits one person, may not suit the next.
Do you offer a white tip? If so, let the client be the judge of what her preference is...
H x x x

 

[melons]

Poor you , the same thing happened to me. I found it embarrasing.
I feel that we are teaching people what a good nail tech is and the difference between what we offer compared to nss salons.
People just don't know.
Anyway onwards and upwards it was only that one lady. You know you provide a good service so its her loss in the long run.
Mel :Grope:

 

[shedunlop]

Ask your clients what they want, then offer them the alternatives and then do what they decide on. Wear your own nails the way you want them promoted and if they ask about your nails then you are half way there. Clients, along with most of the population, don't like change. They have worn their nails like this for years and think this is the way they should be. It takes time to entice them into something different. The operative word being 'entice'. Tempt and tantalise them into having something different!

I had the surprise of my life this week. Client of 9 years, square pink and white sculpts, never could be talked into anything different and always really happy with the way they looked, even though, with the length they are they look a bit 'porn starish'!

Anyway, I was doing the usual infill this week and mentioned I had booked a one to one with Sam Biddle at the end of this month. Explained that we were doing lots of sparkle and colour and she asked if she could come and be my model. I explained that this would mean stilettos, glitter, colours and each finger would be different! She said that was fine and she went to work the next day and booked a day's holiday! Gobsmacked I am!

They come in their own sweet time, just keep plugging on! Whether it is a more natural look or something a bit more lively, they come around if you let them do it in their own time! In the meantime give them the best pink and whites they have ever had! :green:

 

[elliebabes33]

Hi I know how you feel hunni! I had an awkward client a couple of weeks ago. She wanted natural nails so I did them, then she wanted French so I painted them. When she lost one of the nails she came in and had ruined my efforts by putting a dingey coloured polish on after all that! Then she decided to have them all soaked off! There is always one really awkward one out there - its that kind of business unfortunately!:irked:

And breathe......

I (like most of us here) have spent a fortune on training, products, start up costs and have spent a long time trying to build my business, I feel like I have put my blood and guts into this since quitting (to make a real go of this) my job over a year ago and struggling to keep clients through my cancer treatment. I am constantly striving to offer my clients quality, and have spent countless hours perfecting smile lines, apexes etc etc (nothing new to any of you geeks) so OK, I`m not perfect, a long way off but feel confident I can offer my clients a good service and have had no complaints although in terms of a career in nails, I realise I`m still at the beginning.

The thing is one client in particular I sat with, custom blended to get a great looking balanced set of nails as she had tiny nail beds etc, well she left delighted and with really elegant looking enhancements that suited her and then I see her 3 weeks later with cheap looking L&Ps, white tips and do you know what I asked her why she went down that road and she said she honestly preferred the fake look. It`s not just her, this look seems to be preferred round here, rather than women wanting to not look enhanced.

I seem to be flogging a dead horse as far as trying to promote the more natural look as although I do offer glitter etc this accounts for a small percentage of my business.

So should I just be sticking a white tip on covering half the clients nail bed with clear L&P on top to achieve the fake look?? the customer is always right - right??

Don't get me wrong I keep busy and do have some great clients who keep coming back but I feel like I`m fighting a losing battle, maybe it`s me, maybe it`s the clients I attract....I`m unsure how to move forward.

Sorry for the novel - just wondered what anyones thoughts were on this?

xx:hug:

 

[angelnailz]

Thanks :hug:

For your words of encouragement and insight, defiantly food for thought.

Problem is it`s not just one client, folk round my way just seem to prefer the (and please no offense meant) over the top footballers wife look. I do alot pink and whites either sculpted or a natural tip with white powder, but try and tailor it to the client as apposed to the standard stuck on white tip look and BTW how do you re balance a nail like that without introducing a powder?

xx

 

[tigi]

I know what you mean, but what you need to accept is that everyone is different and you can cater to them all if you just accept that.

I have a few clients who INSIST on the white tip and clear L&P, they wont be swayed into even trying anything else. Its what they want and although I am not fond of them, I do them. As for rebalance etc, I find that all my ladies who want this look will not want a rebalance, just a new set once the tips have grown out. (dont ask me why, I have no idea why they even want them in the first place , but they do).

I have a lovely little photo album of nails that i am building up, different shapes, blends of pink, coloured tips of every shade and glitter, and i do show all my clients , however, no matter how pretty they say the nails are, they want them like that........ go figure!

tigi

 

[gemsie1983]

As long as you can offer what your clients want then I think you won't go far wrong, and if this is white tips then I think you need to offer them...

Like most have said on here everyone is different and although we know what looks good the client is the one that is paying for the service so we can advise them but the choice is ultimately theirs...

 

[angelnailz]

As long as you can offer what your clients want then I think you won't go far wrong, and if this is white tips then I think you need to offer them...

Like most have said on here everyone is different and although we know what looks good the client is the one that is paying for the service so we can advise them but the choice is ultimately theirs...

you are totaly right :hug:

 

[MissOwen]

I think a lot of people like to look like they can afford to have nail enhancements. So if they look obviously fake everyone will know they have them..... if they look beautiful and natural... well, then people might think they just have beautiful natural nails, what a disaster that would be !! I know how i'd want mine, but the show of having 'fake nails' is just another part of the keeping up with the Jones' routine!!! Keep at it, at least you can supply both if they ever change. Fashion trends change and the false look might lose its appeal sometime :hug:

 

[RedAdmiral]

I have often wondered through the years why I bother to perfect my craft when alot of client want fake looking nails. I kept going and clients do come around though you will always get a few so keep a box of white tips just in case