Call from another person with "breathing nails" again...

[Seraphine]

Some days, I should just not answer my phone.

A lady called me today - she wants gel enhancements as she's going to Egypt for 4 weeks. She's never worn gel before, but she was told "gel is much healthier for the nails, and doesn't ruin them like acrylic", yadda yadda yadda. She said she had "acrylic once and it ruined her nails", and she says that gel will be better for her because 1) her nails will still grown underneath the gel (!!!) and 2) her nails will still breathe!

When have we heard this before?

I use acrylic and gel, but tend to use gel only for overlays (if they want extra length, I tend to favour L&P). She first said overlays would be fine, but then said she wanted some extra length. Whenever I tried (very politely and conservatively!) to educate her about why her nails might have been damaged during her last set of acrylics, she shot me down rather quickly about how she's definately NOT wearing acrylics again! She told me she'd gone to "Local Salon A", which I know has some rather heavy-handed techs when it comes to overfiling. Then, later in the conversation, she tells me she's on a medication that makes her nails weak - gee, I wonder if THAT'S perhaps why her nails were bothered when her enhancements were taken off??

I told her that I would be happy to do a set of enhancements for her, but I would bring all my supplies to our appointment and decide together what was best for her based on her lifestyle, existing nails and any medical issues. I'm hoping that when she sees that I'm not a 16 year old doing this for fun that she takes me a bit more seriously - I'm a former nurse and have been in this profession for 2 years, and while I acknowledge there's always more I can learn, I wasn't born yesterday. I'm still very nervous about her, and I don't usually get nervous.

The four-weeks away thing bugs me a bit - I have a few clients that can easily go 3-4 weeks between fills, but they are few and far between. This lady sounds like she's not going to listen to a word I say, and when the nails don't last more than 10 days, she's going to blame me. Gee, forgive me for not being a miracle worker!!

Sorry - I'm having a moan, and I am not blogging this as I KNOW this is an issue we all deal with, but other than being ultra prepared and professional in my dealings with this lady, can anyone arm me with anything else I can use to 1) give her an excellent service, and 2) keep my cool when she spouts off about how her nails need to BREATHE!?

Thanks,
Dawn

 

[Susie H]

You could try and I do stress the word try, to explain that the prep is the same for gels and for l&p and that both systems are acrylic. But honestly?
I would give the lady what she wants and stress to her that 1. nails are dead so don't breath and 2. that 4 weeks is pushing it to keep a set of nails looking good and that you wont be held responsible for what happens to a set of nails that are not maintained every 2 and a half to 3 weeks.
Beyond that, its her money hun and at least you know if you do them she's starting out with a good pair of hands:hug:

 

[ValencianNails]

Ask her to point out to you exactly where the nail's lungs are? :lol:

How long before she goes to Egypt?
Just wondering if you can persuade her to 'try' L+P before she goes and if she doesn't get on with it then you can do something else for her time away.

Keep your chin up hunny :hug:

 

[sknight]

Ask her to point out to you exactly where the nail's lungs are? :lol:

How long before she goes to Egypt?
Just wondering if you can persuade her to 'try' L+P before she goes and if she doesn't get on with it then you can do something else for her time away.

Keep your chin up hunny :hug:

:lol::lol:
I know what you mean I used to get the "nails breathing" thing loads but I am now getting a lot saying "will my nails still grow underneath?"

If I were you I would explain the facts to her in a friendly way as the others have said and I would make sure I told her that her enhancements need maintenance every 2-3 weeks and if she leaves it 4+ weeks you cannot guarantee their strength. Make sure you write it on the consultation form and get it signed and dated. xx

p.s dont let her fluster you, you know your stuff

 

[Retired]

As Cathie (another geek) said to me once, if nails could breathe how come they don't drown in the bath? :lol::lol:

 

[Seraphine]

Thanks guys - I knew you'd make me feel better!

I've run into this before, but people aren't usually this snarky and abrupt with me. She was so matter of fact that she was right and that she wasn't going to be told differently. On the phone, I gently tried to explain how some of the nail damage she'd had may have been when the acrylic was applied or removed rather than the acrylic itself (application, not product), and she said, "well, I absolutely won't be getting acrylic so it doesn't matter!!"

Lovely.

I've got her on Monday, and she leaves for Egypt on Wednesday so no time for a product trial (which I would have preferred). I'll definately get her to sign the consultation card - still, I worry that as my work has slowed down a bit with the credit crunch that all I need is some disgruntled, uneducated PITA wrecking my reputation because her nails "fell off after less than a month!"

Yes, I know - life is a challenge! I will be strong! (although even on the phone I just wanted to shake her!)

Lungs... I like it! I wonder what she'll say to that??

 

[mely-bely]

Damn I love this one ~giggle giggle~ Ask her if she can hear her hair screaming to breathe as she drowns it in the shower!

Do you have Dr Schoon's book? I have gotten in the habit of having a flyer around with information from his book on it so that disbelieving people don't have to take it from me -they can read it for themselves!

Good luck

 

[Seraphine]

Damn I love this one ~giggle giggle~ Ask her if she can hear her hair screaming to breathe as she drowns it in the shower!

Do you have Dr Schoon's book? I have gotten in the habit of having a flyer around with information from his book on it so that disbelieving people don't have to take it from me -they can read it for themselves!

Good luck

I do have this book - I haven't had time to read it yet as I've only had it a few weeks, but this could be fantastic. Thank you! I'll highlight some passages and show her when we meet, just so she doesn't think I'm talking out of my backside because I tell her things she's not heard before.

I would so love to be sarcastic to her, but I think she might get really uppity with me about it, so I'll have to play it more seriously. That book will certainly help!

I'll report back on Monday and let you know if her nails have stopped screaming yet. All that suffocation and all...

D

 

[geeg]

Perhaps you should tell her that gels are also ACRYLIC and the main difference is in the way they are cured!

I would tell her that I would not guarantee her enhancements a day longer than 3 weeks and that any damage to her nails will be down to her general health and to how she removes them.

BTW they do have nail salons in Egypt. :green:

 

[Chameleon]

This kind of thing makes me chuckle:lol:

Only yesterday when i was doing a pedicure did my clieny suggest she did not want any polish as she wanted her nails to "rest",and "breath"....i immediately replied..."oh really,why is that your nails are dead keratin,just like your hair,if i just clip your nails here,did you feel that....no,that is because they are dead:lol:....maybe i was curt,but i was just very irked...in the end the client chose a lovely dark colour,was satisfied,and remarked..."oh yes i see your point,how silly of me".....:lol:

I have even heard trained manicurists with many years of experience remarking on "the nails to breath and be rested",while they have been on the next pedicure station to me,while i sit there and bite my lip,as to remain ever the professional....and then taken them to one side and told them they need re educating:green:

 

[Seraphine]

Perhaps you should tell her that gels are also ACRYLIC and the main difference is in the way they are cured!

I would tell her that I would not guarantee her enhancements a day longer than 3 weeks and that any damage to her nails will be down to her general health and to how she removes them.

BTW they do have nail salons in Egypt. :green:

Geeg - I did try this... I told her that gels and acrylic are essentially the same material but are cured in different ways. That was one of the times she got lippy with me about "well, I'm never having acrylic again so we aren't even going to talk about it!".

Nice.

This usually works on the "stubborn" ones, but not with her. I will remind her that she should watch out for a salon in Egypt near her hotel as she will need a fill or a proper removal (I can make almost a month, but I doubt she ever could!).

While I like to think everyone deserves a chance, and I hate to turn down clients during hard times like this... why do I think she's not going to be worth the effort? I keep hoping she'll turn a new leaf and think I'm a genius, but somehow I doubt that will happen!


You guys are all great - I feel "well armed" now to deal with her!

 

[Seraphine]

Well, it wasn't too bad...

I came well armed - all my supplies, Doug Schoon's book, my charming personality, and my arsenal of skills

She was nicer in person, but was still quite adamant that she didn't want acrylics. I did my best to educate her in a very calm, non-accusatory way, and as it turns out, it was the nurse at her DOCTOR'S OFFICE who told her that gels were safer than acrylics. Okay - real professional opinion there! (I say this as an ex-nurse... what do nurses know about nail enhancements?)

I did a set of french gel overlays in Nobility Gel, and she seemed very pleased. I explained each step as I did it and didn't make a move without telling her the rationale (she wasn't asking for it, but I wanted to convey that I knew what I was doing). As she was going to Egypt for a month, I urged her to try to find a nail tech near her daughter's condo, but she said she'd never really seen any in that area. I explained some things to look for in a good salon, and asked her to call me when she returned so I could help get them back to "new". She bought cuticle oil and I gave her an instruction sheet for care, and she asked for some of my cards so I think she was pleased.

This one had me so nervous... she really was uptight on the phone, but in person she was a bit more reasonable. She was also really impressed that I took time to show her things, and was thrilled with my "box of tricks" - aka my art box with all my fimos and glitter and stickers. I've about got her talked into a set of Minx for her toes when she gets back! She said she'd never seen anything like all the stuff I had - all the local nail techs just do basic stuff and never had anything quite so new.

Thanks to all you Geeks for helping me prepare and stay calm - I have a tendency to get a bit flustered when stressed, and the last thing I wanted to do is start an argument with her!

 

[NoLimitNails]

I bet she was impressed that you knew so much! This lady could be a great advertise as she recieved the best treatment, she knows that you are not just a silly nailtech, and you took the time to educate her politely....
Good for you:hug:

 

[Thompson]

I myself am not very long in the business but I do know that when the nail is covered in a material (i.e. gel, acrylic, silke, glassfiber) the nail plate does not "evaporate "- hense the softness of the plate itself when it comes time to remove the material. If there is a heavy handed therapist removing acrylic or silke and g.f.maybe he or she should file less, use a little less acetone and try heater mittens to help loosen up the material. The gentle filing goes for gels, you don´t need to work so hard - maybe the client had a tech with poor filing technique (?). It would also help if the client did not help things along by picking off the material as this tears at the already "soft"nail plate. So, the "rest" thing could be interpreted as giving the nail plate a chance to "evaporate", grow out a good hard layer. I think maybe the client just wants the option of having her (or his) "own" nails. Offering good manicure services after the "nails" are off could also quiet this client down a bit.
By the by, does anyone out there have anything to say about the NSI salon brand acrylic or the low oder version? What about there gels (sculpt and overlay as well as colors) Thanks!
Thompson

 

[DnD]

Lets not go far guys i bumped into a pro nail tech at a seminaar that i had attended too she was blubering that she was going to switch from LP to gel cause her nails where not breathing like HELLO this is a nail tech we are talking about, 3 weeks ago i bumped into a pro nail tech AGAIN she was telling me how LP was so dangerous to use it has so many stuff inside that is canserous AGAIN a professinal nail tech i TRIED to explain to her my thoughts and beliefs she didnt want to hear my opinoin she had made her mind up im not the one that is going to change her mind thats impossible i would just like to state many many nail techs need to becareful of what they say to people that are not experinced we are the once that need to guide people like the current women our fellow geek is stating