Confidence is low

[marina]

Hello,
I just need to get this off my chest. Hope you don't mind? :hug: I'm only just getting over a horrible experience.
Three weeks ago, I had a client who requested china white tips and pink acrylic. Now, I haven't advertised as such, i only maintain a website. This lady was the first client I had for a long time, so I was over the moon to have her ring me for an appointment!
She said she had bitten nails, and I asked how bad...."not that bad" she said. Ok, that was fine, I knew how to extend bitten nails. It was part of my training.
When I got there, I did a consultation and was 100% horrified! She had virtually no nails at all!! Plus, her cuticles covered her entire nail plate!! They were growing from the sidewalls too! OMG, what should I do? I hadn't ever encountered this before. I could not apply tips, there was nothing for them to adhere to. I told her that they were in a very poor condition, and advised manicures and anti-biting treatments, but no...she wanted extensions for a date the following night.
I was stumped.....help!!:grr: I put forms onto her fingers , and foolishly tried to sculpt a white tip and pink nail plate. What a nightmare!!! The acrylic was wonky, the acrylic came off with the forms, and all I can say is that it was an absolute disaster!!
She also had her cats walking all over the table where I was working, and her dog was barking and ripping up my bag. I was in her house for a total of 5 hours! It was my daughter's 16th birthday that day too.
I eventually went home, and lo and behold, she rang twice that evening saying they'd all come off and she didn't know why. I told her it was because her nails were so badly bitten. She wanted me to go back the next day, and would ring in the morning. She didn't ring...thank god!!
When I got home I researched badly bitten nails, and found that if nails are in such an appalling state then acrylics should not really be attempted, and to advise regular manicures until the nails are in a decent condition to work on. I feel foolish now.
I was and still am in a state. This lady was my first client since i've moved to Nottinghamshire from Portsmouth, and I failed. :cry:
My confidence is rock bottom now, and to make things more difficult, I got a call today from someone who's wife is coming to me tomorrow for a full set of acrylics. I'm bricking it!!
I've done some great nails in the past, and have had good feedback. However, I'm frightened i'll mess it up again.
Has this ever happened to any of you? How did you boost your confidence to carry on?
Sorry to rant, but i feel deflated and low.
Thanks for reading this :hug:

 

[Kim Lawless]

Ok...........CALM DOWN. The only thing you've done wrong is to refuse to do her nails in the first place. We've all been there........need the money and all that stuff but we all learn the hard way that there are some jobs you just have to walk away from.

I'm going to leave the actual tecnical advice to the nail geeks but I would suggest that you put the experience right behind you and in future, either refuse nail biters or get them to send a pic of their nails on their phone (everyone has that facility now days). Then have a good look before you agree to go ahead. If you do, get them to sign that as they are a nail biter, you will not guarantee any of your work.

Don't worry. xxx:hug:

 

[Sals]

You advised her against enhancements but she insisted, so she can't say she wasn't warned. Having her animals all over the place wouldn't have helped your concentration either. Put this behind you and concentrate on your next client hun. Once you have that under your belt your confidence will be restored. We've all had similar experiences.:hug:

You said you have had positive feedback for your work in the past. Keep thinking of that and all will be well.

Oh, and someone once said to me this would be the best job in the world if it wasn't for the clients.:lol:

 

[angel fingers]

you must feel awful at the moment.

but dont despair, it is very unlikely that your next client will present like the last one and who knows she might have dream nails to do. the likely hood is that she will be somewhere in the middle of those 2 extremes.

i would suggest that you practice on anyone who will sit still for even a couple of fingers to be done. do whatever you can between now and the appointment, you could practice on your own nails if nobody else is around.

try to keep calm:hug:

 

[geeg]

Come on Marina ... how can you let this experience lower your confidence ?? ... it was her nails that were the problem not what you did or didn't do! Be reasonable.

We all like perfection but on a client like this?? what did she expect .. or you for that matter? An enhancement has to have something to cling to ... even a client must realise that much.

You advised her to have manicures to grow them .. she insisted she wanted you to try anything you could to extend them ... it didn't work ... it was never going to. Her CHOICE which went against YOUR advice.

Ever heard of client agreement??? Both of you should agree the treatment before commencing ... if there is no agreement it is noted on the CRC and the client hasn't a leg to stand on if she goes against your expert opinion.

 

[michelle g]

it's not your fault. i am sure your next clients set of nails will be fine
and you will feel a whole lot better.

 

[sj1973]

poor you marina.....your first client and what a task she was.....

your confidence should feel sky high as you tried and i for one would not have touched them!!!!

your next set will be brill as you have done nails before and you know you can do them...xx

 

[sknight]

Concentrate on all the sets you have done in the past and how happy your clients were with them. You know you have the skills and you did advise your last client, so that shows you know your stuff. Forget her and concentrate on your next client and how great her nails will be. You know now that even if her nails are as bad as the last that you will not attempt to go against your instinct. You are the pro not your clients.

Good luck and let us know how you get on

Stevie

 

[Mrs Bean!]

Hello,
I just need to get this off my chest. Hope you don't mind? :hug: I'm only just getting over a horrible experience.
Three weeks ago, I had a client who requested china white tips and pink acrylic. Now, I haven't advertised as such, i only maintain a website. This lady was the first client I had for a long time, so I was over the moon to have her ring me for an appointment!
She said she had bitten nails, and I asked how bad...."not that bad" she said. Ok, that was fine, I knew how to extend bitten nails. It was part of my training.
When I got there, I did a consultation and was 100% horrified! She had virtually no nails at all!! Plus, her cuticles covered her entire nail plate!! They were growing from the sidewalls too! OMG, what should I do? I hadn't ever encountered this before. I could not apply tips, there was nothing for them to adhere to. I told her that they were in a very poor condition, and advised manicures and anti-biting treatments, but no...she wanted extensions for a date the following night.
I was stumped.....help!!:grr: I put forms onto her fingers , and foolishly tried to sculpt a white tip and pink nail plate. What a nightmare!!! The acrylic was wonky, the acrylic came off with the forms, and all I can say is that it was an absolute disaster!!
She also had her cats walking all over the table where I was working, and her dog was barking and ripping up my bag. I was in her house for a total of 5 hours! It was my daughter's 16th birthday that day too.
I eventually went home, and lo and behold, she rang twice that evening saying they'd all come off and she didn't know why. I told her it was because her nails were so badly bitten. She wanted me to go back the next day, and would ring in the morning. She didn't ring...thank god!!
When I got home I researched badly bitten nails, and found that if nails are in such an appalling state then acrylics should not really be attempted, and to advise regular manicures until the nails are in a decent condition to work on. I feel foolish now.
I was and still am in a state. This lady was my first client since i've moved to Nottinghamshire from Portsmouth, and I failed. :cry:
My confidence is rock bottom now, and to make things more difficult, I got a call today from someone who's wife is coming to me tomorrow for a full set of acrylics. I'm bricking it!!
I've done some great nails in the past, and have had good feedback. However, I'm frightened i'll mess it up again.
Has this ever happened to any of you? How did you boost your confidence to carry on?
Sorry to rant, but i feel deflated and low.
Thanks for reading this :hug:

Hey Marina
Don't let this knock your confidence. Clients who bite there nails are a complete nightmare and I've had similar experiences trying to put acrylics and gel nails on nail biters. You struggle with a tip and you struggle with a form! They need to take responsibility for there own disgusting habit and not expect beauticians and nail techs to perform miracles! And even when you do a fab job you can NEVER trust nail biters not to pick at your lovely hard work!

Hope my little list as follows makes you feel better:

1. She LIED to you down the phone by saying her nails weren't that bad so that you would go round to her house.

2. She BULLIED you in to attempting to do them when you got there even though you advised against it.

3. If you had a salon would she have taken her flaming cats with her? No, so why did she expect you to do your job with cats walking across the table?

4. There's a saying, you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear!!!!!

5. Now that this has happened you will feel more confident to say "no" to a bullying or fibbing client like this so stop worrying!

Take care,

Lots of love
Mrs Bean xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
P.S. Hold your head up, get back on your horse and let us all know how you get on with your next set!