Client looking to get a refund

[weegirl10]

Hello

i done a set of acrylic's on a 13 year old on saturday and she rang me at 11 last night! she then texted me this morning saying that 5 have came off.

i mistook her for another client and said she would need to get them replaced at £4 each.

this girl had bitten nails and she then texted saying she wanted a full refund and said her mum said it was a disgrace and that she owned a certain hairdressers (what thats got to do with me i dont know)

i rang her but she never answered and i left a message explaining that bitten nails don't keep extensions on as long as someone that have long nails and that i would need her to come into the salon tomorrow to let me see them. any later than tomorrow and i couldn't do anything for her. i explained i would replace them.

what should i do here? at the minute she still hasn't got back to me and there's no house number to ring her mum.

 

[naturalnails]

I think you need to see them - if her natural nails are smooth and healthy looking then it is possible that there was a problem and they have come off. However, if her nails are showing signs of trauma then it has taken some force to get her nails to come off - not your fault.

Did you give homecare advice, were they a suitable length. Some people want them longer than we would advise and if you got her to sign a form saying she is going against your recommendations then she hasnt got any case for a refund.

Some people just try it on.

 

[geeg]

Firstly all of the problems associated with bitten nails should have been explained to the client first not later after she has complained.

I never give a nail biter ANY guarantees as I know that 9 times out of ten they will trash the nails within one or two weeks.

I will not give nail biters free re-do's and I will not refund any money and I explain this at their initial appointment. They sometimes ask me WHY not?? and I tell them, "..because you have a habit that is hard to break and I know you will continue to pick and poke at the enhancements and I can't trust that you wont." I used to reward the client at their next appointment if they had left the nails alone, by giving them a small gift .. a file, or a buffer, or a mini Solaroil. I also charged more for doing bitten nails than the normal full set price.

 

[gemsie1983]

Did you mark on her client record card that she was a biter and get her to sign it. If so you will be ok.

As you have already done the nails as gesture of goodwill I would be tempted to replace them or remove them all and give her a manicure, you have gone out of you way to help then.

I'm always wary of under 16's for this reason and I always refuse to do them as 99% of the time they won't look after them.

Good Luck xx

 

[beccie1011]

I know this may be late but i was just looking through the posts, i had the exact same problem with a 16 year old. I gave her her money back only becuase i was training and was worried she would go round and tell everybody that i was crap but looking back now i wish i hadnt.

I did her nails and she rang the salon i work part time at and advised one of the nails had come off whilst she was out, the manager of the salon advised her to come into the salon so i could look at it and replace it for her, it turns out she went to a chinese place and had it redone completely different to how i did it, they put a white tip on and acrylic over lay whereas i put a clear tip on and built up the pink and white, she eventually came into the salon with her mum and said she didnt like the nails and she didnt want them how i did them she wanted them with white tips, i did show her the white tips during her consultation and got her to sign the client card, but of course mummy was there to back her daughter up so i felt i didnt have a chance. xx

 

[geeg]

I know this may be late but i was just looking through the posts, i had the exact same problem with a 16 year old. I gave her her money back only becuase i was training and was worried she would go round and tell everybody that i was crap but looking back now i wish i hadnt.

I did her nails and she rang the salon i work part time at and advised one of the nails had come off whilst she was out, the manager of the salon advised her to come into the salon so i could look at it and replace it for her, it turns out she went to a chinese place and had it redone completely different to how i did it, they put a white tip on and acrylic over lay whereas i put a clear tip on and built up the pink and white, she eventually came into the salon with her mum and said she didnt like the nails and she didnt want them how i did them she wanted them with white tips, i did show her the white tips during her consultation and got her to sign the client card, but of course mummy was there to back her daughter up so i felt i didnt have a chance. xx

You have to learn how to stand firm and not to be intimidated by clients (or their mums). It helps if technicians are completely 'up front' and honest from the beginning with nail biters. No guarantees for these ones at all ... they are not to be trusted, 16 years old or 60. :lol:

 

[Nail Perfection]

I know this may be late but i was just looking through the posts, i had the exact same problem with a 16 year old. I gave her her money back only becuase i was training and was worried she would go round and tell everybody that i was crap but looking back now i wish i hadnt.

A good piece of advice i got from here (prob from geeg!) is that even if you do refund them, they will still go on and tell people you were "crap". And the fact that you refund them is almost like admitting you are "crap". So you are not only being bad mouthed but have also worked for nothing.

I know it's hard to be tough when you have just started out but we should all try and appear strong to the client, this way you gain their respect. Hope this helps!

 

[LOU LOU]

Hi Girls,

I am currently at college doing an evening course in Nail Tech and so I am very new to this, but I just wanted to say, THANK YOU for all your inputs into this forum because I am learning so much each day from you all.

I am quite a feisty girl, but I honestly think that I would have felt intimidated and given a refund. If ever i'm in this same position, I will now (hopefully) stay strong and NOT give them a refund. I would never have looked at it that way Nail Perfection about them still bad mouthing and having worked for nothing.

So thank you all. x

 

[Nail Perfection]

You're very welcome Lou lou!

I actually learned loads more on this forum than I did over a year a night school. It's a life saver! :lol:

 

[kezza*]

My sister bite;s her nails,,,, she no nails what so ever and she has extension's and they last for 3 weeks before they start to fall off and she is a hairdresses,,,,, when I do the infills there is often nibble marks under the other nails.

I'd deffo ask the girl to come in and see them,,,,, did you say she was 11?????? is it her mum or her asking for the money back????

I never giver refund because like it's been said,,, your admitting your in the wrong.

Having a look at the nails yourself you can see for yourself

 

[sachi]

This is how it works with my daughter.
"Mommy will you do my nails??"
"sure but you have to keep them on this time!!!!"
" OH I will mommy!!!" (calls me mommy when she wants something)
I fall for it every time!!! (Big brown puppy eyes!!!)
I do the set......
1-2 days they are in her mouth and in the trash..... :irked:
" I am NEVER doing your nails again!!!!" (till next time.....)
So yeah...
1.st 13 is to young for a biter. (mine is 15.....)
2. trying to keep them out of the mouth is soo hard your 1st set!
3. Mom knows nothing of nails I bet and I bet thinks her daughter did not pick/bite them at all.

 

[beccie1011]

It's actually given me an insight writing my little story as to what all you guys do, like i said looking back now i wouldn't have given a refund. I think because im so used to working in an office i think i was a little intimidated by the mother, you dont get taught these things in college (If clients come back asking for refund).

Thanks guys xx

 

[LOU LOU]

You're very welcome Lou lou!

I actually learned loads more on this forum than I did over a year a night school. It's a life saver! :lol:

It was my college tutor who told me about this site. I think my tutor is fab. I love her to bits. She's so passionate about nails and I really do have a lot of respect for her. She's very abrupt and forthright, and she don't miss a trick or stand any nonsense, lol, but i'd rather have someone like that than someone who was lapsy daisy. At least you know she's got standards and wants you to succeed. My problem is, i'm trying to run before I can even walk, lol.

It's nice to see that even qualified Technicians have problems too. Everyone thinks that being a Nail Tech is so easy but I totally disagree. I think there is sooooo much to it and you've either got a flare for it or you haven't.

 

[Missy G]

When you come across obsticales like this in this industry , you will always deal with it better next time, the best thing you can do with any out of the ordinary or with any new clients , is cover yourself before you start, and get them to sign something to say you will not be responsible and they will be charged for breakages or anything along those lines..theyve signed then..no comeback , Ive learnt this.

One thing I used to do was too and fro to clients repairing nails for peanuts, after reading on here,I learnt to charge a minimum call out fee, now clients wait untill their next appointment funnily enough ,theres always a way round these obsticales, as long as your upfront and prepared for it,then refunds will be a defenate no.

 

[Susie H]

A couple of years ago I had a 15 year old in for a full set white tips L&P.
She said she'd had nails before and against my advise had them at a far longer length then I thought suitable. Again she said she'd had them before and had no problems. I advised on after care, recomended solar oil, she said she already had a cuticle oil and I reminded her that nails and basket ball etc don't mix. Tuesday morning, manager calls me, lady has phoned her daughter has two broken nails, will I come in and replace them.
When I got in it was 4 nails so I looked at them and said no problem, as you can see these nails are too long so while I replace them I'll also shorten the rest for you, it will save you money in the long run, now before we start this lot will cost you £8. Then I shut up, sat back and let her make the next move. She burbled that she didn't have any money and thought they would be free, she'd have to talk to mum who was outside.
Mum came storming in and through gritted teeth told me that the nails had only made it though one day of school and it was discusting that I was charging. I kept my cool, let mum rant and when she finaly stopped said, and I advised your daughter that the nails were far to long to be suitable for term time. Mum and daughter then had it out in front of me:lol:
I fixed the daughters nails, never saw her again and her mum came in for her solar manicure every 2 weeks right up until she moved to France. I still get birthday and Christmas cards from her.
The thing to remember is, as Gigi tells us, YOU are the profesional, it's your service, and it's down to you to make sure you have a happy, well informed customer leaving your table. So long as you have done that, then if they come back with an attitude, you have every answer to them, be polite, but be firm.:hug:

 

[katiebbaby]

I used to do my 14 yo step daughters nails until i got fed up of doing 4-5 nails every weekend for her, she constantly has them in her mouth, weakens the side walls, and says to me "they fell off",,,, yeah right not 4-5 nails every week, and none of my clients ever loose a nail (apart from breakages lol ) she also used to loose 1 nail and then bite the rest off as she felt ashamed going to school with one missing, and expected me to sit there for an hour doing new set,, mmmm.

I have told her I am now refusing to do her nails or she pays for replacment nails out of her pocket money. xx

 

[catsaremad]

to be honest I would not have done her without having seen her and her mum together, to explain what I was going to do and the aftercare etc. and to make sure that they both understood that once they left the salon they also had a duty of care of their new enhancements xx

 

[katiebbaby]

I find that girls under 16 generally are really a pain when working with enhancments. I had a lady whom had me do her daughter who is 13yo, and booked me in for 2 weeks time for maintanence. When doing her daughters nails she was severe biter 2mm of nail, I explained that acrylic needs nail to adhere to otherwise will lift etc etc.

Telephone call 5 days later 2 nails had 'popped off' I asked how the mother said she bit them I explained she would have to pay etc but feel free to pop round earliest i cud fit her in was 2 days later,, 5 mins later phone call,, daughter saying " I cant wait 2 days for them to be replaced i will have to take them all of and can u do me new set,, i said yes but will charge u for new set,,, WHY she said, I cant go out with 2 nails missing, feel ashamed. I told her politely if she chosses to bie them off I am not there to replace free of chrage, she pays formy time more than products.

I really do think young girls have no respect for nails etc, that comes from having 5 daughters age 3 to 23,,,,,, they can shock u,,,, xx

 

[catsaremad]

well for a starter you certainly dont look old enough to have five daughters let alone one of 23 !!!

But yes I agree ! My 14 yr old niece keeps on and on, so I gave her a manicure some oil and said I will see you with your mom in two weeks if I see an improvement I wil do them..................guess what.....................no improvement

 

[Gill :)]

i've just read ALL of the above posts. Great advice, this website is so informative!!x