Gave Up Offering Nail Enhancements

[gr8nailz]

I've noticed most in this forum are from the UK. I'm in the U.S.

I, along with many of my fellow nail professionals, have been undercut by the mass of Asian salons that do full acrylic sets for $12 and pink & whites for $15. My clients were honest that even though my work was beautiful, they just couldn't see paying me $35 for pink and whites with a gel overlay when they could pay $15 at an Asian salon, especially in this economy. I didn't have the volume of enhancement clientele to make a price that low price work for me.

The Asian salons have 10 - 12 nail technicians (I won't call them nail professionals) going at a time. They're like little assembly line workers.

For a while my clients would sporadically return to me to repair the horrific damage done to their nails plates from improper efiling done at the Asian salons. They would tell me horror stories of being "burned" by the efile and chemicals and I would see the damage firsthand. But it never failed, as soon as they saw me a couple of times and their nail beds were no longer sore, they went right back to the Asian salon because they were so much less expensive. After a while, I just told my clients that I no longer offered enhancements.

Do you guys have anything like that going on in the UK? Just curious.

 

[shedunlop]

Yes we do have this problem, worse in some areas than others but I don't think the price difference is so great here, certainly not where I live. We see the same damage and hear the same horror stories but I am afraid they are here to stay and there is little we can do about it.

I haven't lost any of my clients to them and have picked up a couple from them but that is not to say that if the economy gets any worse here that we won't have the same problems as you.

What other treatments are you offering? Have you tried Shellac or one of the other Gel Polishes, nearly all the large manufacturers do them now. They have been very successful here, cheaper and quicker than enhancements and lots of new natural nail clients want them. :green:

 

[Mrs RSM]

Sorry to hear that. We too have those dreadful places and I am pleased to say that my nail tech gets lots of business from them!

There is one place in particular that we get lots from. We do find that younger girls use them and if an older lady does, she never goes back!

We sometimes hear the "but they are so cheap" argument but clients that put up with such poor service and such poor quality just to save money cannot complain because they really do get what they pay for.

Shellac is very popular in my salon. Do you offer that or similar?

 

[Mooey]

I've noticed most in this forum are from the UK. I'm in the U.S.

I, along with many of my fellow nail professionals, have been undercut by the mass of Asian salons that do full acrylic sets for $12 and pink & whites for $15. My clients were honest that even though my work was beautiful, they just couldn't see paying me $35 for pink and whites with a gel overlay when they could pay $15 at an Asian salon, especially in this economy. I didn't have the volume of enhancement clientele to make a price that low price work for me.

The Asian salons have 10 - 12 nail technicians (I won't call them nail professionals) going at a time. They're like little assembly line workers.

For a while my clients would sporadically return to me to repair the horrific damage done to their nails plates from improper efiling done at the Asian salons. They would tell me horror stories of being "burned" by the efile and chemicals and I would see the damage firsthand. But it never failed, as soon as they saw me a couple of times and their nail beds were no longer sore, they went right back to the Asian salon because they were so much less expensive. After a while, I just told my clients that I no longer offered enhancements.

Do you guys have anything like that going on in the UK? Just curious.

I would consider rewording your post as it is very offensive to refer to the NSS salons as 'Asian'.

 

[wendy malley]

I would consider rewording your post as it is very offensive to refer to the NSS salons as 'Asian'.

I would agree that had the post been about nss salons being Asian it would indeed be offensive. Nss was not mentioned simply that the tecs are Asian and the post is about being undercut x

 

[Alpenrose]

Perhaps, you are targeting the wrong market. Even when the economy is hard there are clients who still have high disposable income and are happy to pay properly for a proper service.

Try to revise your advertising strategy.

I am mobile and I do get odd calls asking: "How much is a full set?" I will never name the price straight away (it's on my website anyway). Instead, I will ask as many questions as I can to find out what exactly the client's needs are and explain the process. Then at the very end of the conversation, after asking the preferred time I will name the price. 90% will book and the other 10% will say that the salon down the road do 'the same' thing for 1/3 of my rate. Fine. Let them go. They only judge by the price and will go away as soon as they find someone cheaper anyway.

 

[mdnaples]

I've noticed most in this forum are from the UK. I'm in the U.S.

I, along with many of my fellow nail professionals, have been undercut by the mass of Asian salons that do full acrylic sets for $12 and pink & whites for $15. My clients were honest that even though my work was beautiful, they just couldn't see paying me $35 for pink and whites with a gel overlay when they could pay $15 at an Asian salon, especially in this economy. I didn't have the volume of enhancement clientele to make a price that low price work for me.

The Asian salons have 10 - 12 nail technicians (I won't call them nail professionals) going at a time. They're like little assembly line workers.

For a while my clients would sporadically return to me to repair the horrific damage done to their nails plates from improper efiling done at the Asian salons. They would tell me horror stories of being "burned" by the efile and chemicals and I would see the damage firsthand. But it never failed, as soon as they saw me a couple of times and their nail beds were no longer sore, they went right back to the Asian salon because they were so much less expensive. After a while, I just told my clients that I no longer offered enhancements.

Do you guys have anything like that going on in the UK? Just curious.

I am so sorry that the Asian Salons here in US are putting you off ...plz don't let it get you down...first off your a Professional and deserve to charge the rates your charging because you obviously are far better than the assembly line salons!
I am in US and training nail tech but even i can see where your coming from....Where i am in Florida we have a lot of Asian Salons too but to be honest i went and got pink and white gel nail enhancements and paid $62 for them....Stupid me ....they efiled my natural nails which thinned them out and so when they cured my nails under the uv lamp...man it burned so bad !!! I had to pull my hand out, i even told the tech it hurt bad, he didnt care he carried on but knowing what i know now i ill NEVER go back to one those salons and i mean it....I have learned a lot about them and ofcourse now i am training..... i fear for the ppl that go because while thier nail enhancements may look good on the surface im sure they will experience the bad effects and come to see that they need to find a real nail pro! Don't give up...i have had my models i practice on, say to me, they would rather go to a salon or individual nail tech that cares about thier nails than get cheap products and poor nail care.
I would definitely say "Don't give up" just think of the clients that will come back and yes they will go back and forth but to be honest you can only educate your clients in the seriousness of cheap nail care ...They will get what they pay for. Don't lower your prices to meet the Asian prices ....your worth more! I know if i were completely qualified and ab;e to offer enhancements I will not be offering nail enhancements and services the price the Asian salons offer! There are decent clients out there that do want the quality and care you can provide Stick to your guns ! Gelish is so good, I focus on working with natural nails and educate ppl on the importance of maintaining them with products that really work ! Solar Oil, ...it's all good promoting healthy nails is becomming something that clients want. Maybe offer them a lux Mani or Pedi treatments, check out ME! bath products ...they are so cool and were recently on the show The Doctors....amazing stuff. Email them and they will contact you and give you wholesale prices even if you just work for yourself. I have an order in because i do want to promote healthy skin and nails and i am offering luxury pedi's yummy !
Good Luck

Michelle
PS...where in USA are u based ?

 

[mdnaples]

I would consider rewording your post as it is very offensive to refer to the NSS salons as 'Asian'.

Ooops! sorry i said the same thing in my reply, Asian...i forgot' i'll try remember NSS. I guess that most these salons are owned and run by Asian nationality so it is an honest mistake.

 

[Mrs RSM]

I would consider rewording your post as it is very offensive to refer to the NSS salons as 'Asian'.

Why on earth is that offensive ? Would you find it offensive if it were Scottish/Welsh/Irish etc salons?

Great input there.

 

[Mooey]

Of course it is offensive. It is offensive and discriminating to stereotype any race into a category especially when it is derogative, as it is in this case. I'm sure the comment was innocently mis-worded without meaning to cause offence. But as an Asian myself I am faced with stereotyping of this sort more frequently than you would imagine. It is sickening to think that stereotyping of this nature is not offensive and deemed acceptable in this day and age. As stated before, I'm sure the comments made were innocent, (or at least I'd like to hope so) but I would suggest rewording so as to avoid causing offence.

 

[Mrs RSM]

Mountain and molehill springs to mind. Nothing offensive or insulting was said, it was factual not derogatory. We will have to agree to disagree.

 

[Mooey]

With all due respect, I can assure you I am not making mountains out of molehills. To me this is important, and I genuinely think awareness needs to be raised. I fall into a small minority being a mixed race nail technician - I am half Chinese - but the majority don't realize I am. Before I started my own business I worked in spas doing beauty treatments. I was faced with people complaining to me about 'those bloody chinese places' on a daily basis, boiling up inside. Other comments included 'I'd never let a Chinese person do my nails' whilst I would be sat in front of them doing their manicure. It is incorrect to refer to the cheap, unsanitary, possibly unqualified salons as 'Chinese'. I have worked very hard to attain my qualifications but because I have Chinese in my blood does that invalidate it? Because I am Chinese I may as well not bother with qualifications as I am only going to be looped into this 'bloody Chinese' category anyway? I am just as frustrated about NSS salons as the next person, making business hard for us by offering treatments so cheaply. But people please, refer to them as what they are, NSS, without looping the whole Asian society into it. Further to this I was bullied throughout secondary school with racist remarks because I'm different. Unless you have been the victim in this situation, I don't think you can realize how much it effects a person, so please don't tell me I am making a mountain out of a mole hill.

 

[shedunlop]

I think this thread is drifting away from the main point. I am sure there was no offence meant.:green:

 

[helkat]

We have the same problem in Canada, but I pride my own work and nails on quality work... sure my clients pay more, but I am true believer in you get what you pay for... quality service, quality product and one on one service... if clients want "cheap", then let them get cheap... personally, I would rather have quality clients than cheap ones

I used to worry about this too, but 2 years into my business (which is rocking - I am booked up a week in advance)... I would say the NSS salons are no competition for me.

 

[Rapunzelxx]

Why on earth is that offensive ? Would you find it offensive if it were Scottish/Welsh/Irish etc salons?

Great input there.

I agree..

 

[mdnaples]

We have the same problem in Canada, but I pride my own work and nails on quality work... sure my clients pay more, but I am true believer in you get what you pay for... quality service, quality product and one on one service... if clients want "cheap", then let them get cheap... personally, I would rather have quality clients than cheap ones

I used to worry about this too, but 2 years into my business (which is rocking - I am booked up a week in advance)... I would say the NSS salons are no competition for me.

You are so right..NSS salons are NOT personal they are just cheap! And i have to add ...hardly any of the people that work in them struggle to speak english so there is little or no conversation...well that's what i have experienced...To me it's important to understand your client and thier needs not just do the nails and get them out the door!

 

[gr8nailz]

Yes we do have this problem, worse in some areas than others but I don't think the price difference is so great here, certainly not where I live. We see the same damage and hear the same horror stories but I am afraid they are here to stay and there is little we can do about it.

I haven't lost any of my clients to them and have picked up a couple from them but that is not to say that if the economy gets any worse here that we won't have the same problems as you.

What other treatments are you offering? Have you tried Shellac or one of the other Gel Polishes, nearly all the large manufacturers do them now. They have been very successful here, cheaper and quicker than enhancements and lots of new natural nail clients want them. :green:

I still offer enhancements for special events...weddings, socials, proms etc. They are NEVER repeat clients. They come in for spa days to get ready for their "Big Day." I have a large Shellac client base but losing my acrylic clientele was a major loss. I offer mani/pedi services as well and have a large client base there.

 

[gr8nailz]

I would agree that had the post been about nss salons being Asian it would indeed be offensive. Nss was not mentioned simply that the tecs are Asian and the post is about being undercut x

I certainly don't mean to be offensive. I guess it's an issue of us being from different continents. In the U.S. this terminology is perfectly acceptable and is used to delineate the difference among various types of salons. Please excuse the terminology. I do not know what an nss is. Again, excuse me.

 

[gr8nailz]

Perhaps, you are targeting the wrong market. Even when the economy is hard there are clients who still have high disposable income and are happy to pay properly for a proper service.

Try to revise your advertising strategy.

I am mobile and I do get odd calls asking: "How much is a full set?" I will never name the price straight away (it's on my website anyway). Instead, I will ask as many questions as I can to find out what exactly the client's needs are and explain the process. Then at the very end of the conversation, after asking the preferred time I will name the price. 90% will book and the other 10% will say that the salon down the road do 'the same' thing for 1/3 of my rate. Fine. Let them go. They only judge by the price and will go away as soon as they find someone cheaper anyway.

I work in a 5-star salon and you'd think my clients would expect higher prices for top of the line 5-star service. Young or old, they still go to the factory-line "nss" places.

 

[gr8nailz]

I would consider rewording your post as it is very offensive to refer to the NSS salons as 'Asian'.

Not being from across the pond....what does NSS mean?