Help

[xtremities]

Hi all.

Haven't posted in a while. Hope you are all doing fine.

I have a real problem with losing some of my clients to NSS salons that have set up in my area.

Have any of you had to deal with this problem and if so, what advice can you give me.

For the first time in 5 years business is really worryingly down.

Any help appreciated.

SAM
NOTHING BUT NAILS

 

[naturalnails]

Hi Sam,

nice to hear you are still about.

The NSS thing has been done on here loads of times and I think the general concensus is that people will try them because they are cheaper but eventually they will return to the better service.

Don't try to undercut them but beat them on quality rather than price.

Good luck and I hope it picks back up again soon.

 

[JackieMc]

I seem to have a habit of 'ditto-ing' what Fiona says but...... ditto what Fiona says!

Just recently I've been getting VERY pee'd off because a few of my new clients have decided they want to go somewhere who doesn't take as long to 'do' nails. I don't think I take an excessive amount of time, my average is 90 minutes for a full set of L&P, which I think is about the same in most places.

I bumped into one recently who seemed to enjoy telling me she had found someone who could do a set in 40 minutes, and that this person mixed and matched her products because she had favourites from a number of companies, and didn't just use one company for everything for 'ease of ordering'! I just didn't have the energy (or, come to think about it, inclination) to explain why certain products shouldn't be 'mixed', so glanced at her nails (which were awful - no, honestly.... they really were! :twisted: ) and said that I was glad she had found a nail tech more suitable for her times restraints. I walked away silently wishing her 'greenies' and lifting on every single nail for her lifetime!

I don't know if the 40 minute jobbies are from an NSS salon, I didn't want to ask where she had them done, didn't want to give the impression that I was bothered about her leaving.

This is the third new client of mine who has gone for time over quality. Thankfully my other clients quite like getting pampered for that 90 minutes and remain faithful.

I'm in the lucky position that I don't rely on the money I make, I work from home, and not in a salon, so don't have to worry about making a certain amount of money to cover over-heads etc.

So like Fiona said, don't cut your prices, just keep on providing quality nails and I'm sure, in the end you'll come through this slow spell.

 

[talented talons]

I have to say valuable clients know that you get what you pay for and as we know most people will pay more for quality than quickness.

Eventually they will realise, once thier nails are damaged what a bad move they made.

 

[Sarah Lou]

Whats an nss salon?


Sarah xxxx

 

[emmalouisa]

non standard salon

 

[geeg]

Whats an nss salon?


Sarah xxxx

A Non Standard Salon also known as a discount salon (which personally I think is a better term) is a salon that practices no sanitation or hygene, uses very low-end products (some of which are not allowed to be used in the USA because of health and safety issues).

Also associated with these salons are VERY low prices and the use (I should say over use and untrained use) of drills particularly on the actual nail plate to help make the products they are using stick to the plate.

Many of these salons are springing up around the place and qualified nail technicians are now seeing regularly the damage ( sometimes horrendous) caused by these unqualified technicians.

The standard of the nail work is generally of very poor quality and often there is a complete lack or very poor communication between the client and the technicians.

 

[Deb379]

If they are not following hygiene standards etc surely they can be reported to the local council? I read somewhere that if you found a beauty salon not adhering to hygiene, health and safety, care of product use or using products which are banned then they should be reported. Also anyone using needles for whatever reason are supposed to be registered with their local council.

Not sure if it was the local council or governing body.

Deb379

 

[Sarah Lou]

Since being on my nail course and being taught all the various health and safety proceedures to follow, I have realised the local salon (I used) to go to followed hardly any of these proceedures. So I guess this would be a nss.

My hands and the technicians hands wer not sanitized, she never asked my name so no client card was completed, and none of her chemicals were labeled. The l&p were in china pots filled to the rim, cuticle oil top coat base coat primer all in plain bottles Im surprised she knew which was which.
Also the drill was used on my nails, and now I have ridges all over them.:sad:

it took quite a while for me to soak off my l&p, but not 100% sure that they used mma, so hence I've not phoned my local council to put forward a complaint.

Through my bad experience of this salon, it hasnt put me off wanting to become a nail technician at all, infact i think its made me want to even more .

 

[mui]

A Non Standard Salon also known as a discount salon (which personally I think is a better term) is a salon that practices no sanitation or hygene, uses very low-end products (some of which are not allowed to be used in the USA because of health and safety issues).

Also associated with these salons are VERY low prices and the use (I should say over use and untrained use) of drills particularly on the actual nail plate to help make the products they are using stick to the plate.

Many of these salons are springing up around the place and qualified nail technicians are now seeing regularly the damage ( sometimes horrendous) caused by these unqualified technicians.

The standard of the nail work is generally of very poor quality and often there is a complete lack or very poor communication between the client and the technicians.

Now that geeg has given her post on what nss means in spain where maybe some spainish people may have problem speaking with people not of there own lanquage .

This is what we have as notes from America that nss stands for .

Nss stands for non standard salon ..which can be defined as does not stand up to the state regulations -sanitation - use of mma -non licenced poorly trained the opposite end of the stick being a fully complient salon wheter it be full service nails only ...HIGH or low price .

Less exspensive can be perfectly ok as long as they follow state regs etc ..this would be a DISCOUNT SALON the difference between k- mart and bloomingdals for instance price value quality .

The is NO reason why a discount salon lowered price services salon can not follow state regs and still offer less of the finer things and spa services massages with manis pedis no paraffin.

 

[liza smith]

hi sam
there is a very wide spectrum of clients out there.

some prefer time over pampering
some prefer value over luxury
some prefer the whole package of pampering & luxury regardless of cost.

you need to assess which clients are most likely to frequent your salon.

are you situated close to a large industrial estate where clients may want to be in & out within the lunch hour?
are you semi-rural, where clients may b professional wealthy clients who want pampering regardless of cost?

there is 2 solutions to this dilema where you can hopefully offer something for everyone.
1. work smarter not harder. get the most up to date training to enable you to speed up without loseing quality.

2. offer a range of treatments. basic rebalance without painting or hand massage. then offer luxury rebalance with painting & hand painted nail art & hand massage included.
same with manicure;
express: quick soak, file & paint.
regular:hand massage, soak & cuticle work, file & paint.
luxury:exfoliation of hand & arm, then same as regular manicure.

there will always b clients that prefer another salon for whatever reason, but the best u can do is look at your compitition & make sure that you match their services & then go 1 better & offer more.
liza xx