I need inspiration

[kellymac78]

HI ladies
I NEED HELP!!!!!
I have a client who has been coming to me for a while now although she is lovely i always worry when she books in, firstly when she first came to me she told me she had never had any kind of enhancements before and has extremely oily skin.
I examined her nails which are in perfect condition and she said she wanted a white tips and pink gel which is what i did for her.
On completing the full set she then said they looked plain and she wanted them to have a wow factor!!!
I use nsi products and she then chose a pink glitter gel to go over the top
She went away really pleased with her new nails then a week later she came back to the salon saying the nails had lifted and just fell off so as it was the first time she had them done i explained its trial and error for us then she explained she was on medication which she failed to mention or put on the client card so with her combination of oily skin and the medication i expalined things to her that each persons nails last different amounts of time but as i do her daughters nails too that last 3-4 weeks she was very unhappy with her 1 week.
I fixed her nails free of charge!!!!
Now she is a regular fixture in the salon i am struggling for inspiration this customer is 60 years old and each time she comes back she wants something new and sparkly on her nails but at the same time she is telling me she doesnt want to look like mutton dressed as lamb and that i am also restricted by the colours she wears which are pastels ie lilac green peach.
Last time she came she had the nsi colour wisteria which looked lovely but she wanted glitter to which i gave her before she left i asked her are you 100% happy with your nails her reply yes i love them they are the best yet.....low and behold 3 days later she is back i could see she had chewed off the nails but she said they had fallen off i soaked off the remaining nails then she said could she have something new.
I am really struggling to come up with ideas for her and i feel like she is taking the pee and i never have this problem with any other customer. I feel very uncomfotable each time she comes thinking about what problems will there be this time. Dont get me wrong i am grateful for her custom but i really dont know what to do next i actually feel like crying when i see her name in the appointment book!! :sad:
please help me :sad:

 

[user 25446]

I don't think your problem is so much inspiration as much as this relationship.

Let me ask a simple question? Do you feel that your relationship with this customer has a balance? By this I mean do you both get 50-50 from this or is the balance leaning heavily in her direction?

You as a business, has as much right to choose the customers you want to serve as they have to choose their nail salon. Unless you want to go mad or broke, you need to choose customers where the balance is 50-50, maybe it goes up and down on either side - like all relationships (love, friendship, business) but overall it has to be level.

She made the mistake not to mention her medication and also appears to have damaged her nails. But you provided free replacements and basically opened the door for her to abuse your kindness. The problem is, once the door is open it's hard to close it.

If you don't stand up for yourself and project yourself as a valuable professional, people take advantage. Although you might need their money and want to keep them, what they are doing is filling time for other customers who may value you much more and who you enjoy.

Personally, I would tell her that in future you will not provide free replacements as you are not responsible for her taking medication or her oily skin. Or you can tell her that you've both tried but it's not working and you can't afford to continue to have her as a client.

Either way if you are upset enough to post about this, then you need to get rid of her. Her money is not worth your anguish. Life is for living and business should be fun! ;-)

Good luck!

Bob

 

[geeg]

Bob of course as usual talks allot of sense but I like to try and keep all clients.

My first suggestion is to satisfy her wants with POLISH instead of coloured gels and acrylics etc. So much easier, cheaper, quicker and many more choices. AND I bet you do not charge for the extra coats of the glitters etc that you add, either.

With polishes you can do gorgeous coloured and glitter Frenches or Effects, and then instead of the client biting them off when she is sick of the coloured or glitter gels, she can simply use remover to get the polish off.

My opinion is that many of you young techs are doing far too much unnecessary work for people who get sick of it very quickly and who dont pay for it because I KNOW you're not charging them correctly for it ... if you were they would not be treating your work so shabbily.

Get smart and stop doing it and use polish to get the same results with less time and effort.

 

[kellymac78]

thankyou both for your comments

Bob i dont feel there is a 50/50 balance here and i have never had any problems with any other customer but she really makes me doubt my work and i love my job so much and its a great pleasure when you get some positive feedback which i do get occasionally from her, i have also explained that i cant be responsible for the medication/skin situation but that is what the excuse is everytime she just walks into the salon and says houston we have a problem in front of other customers i am no pushover but i am finding it very difficult to deal with her. Any advice on what to say to her as i dont want her to ruin my reputation.

The first time she came to the salon there was an offer on with every full paying treatment free nail art was offered although now the salon charge for this. I really could do without the hassle but i dont know how to approach the situation as i am not comforatable with confrontation.;
The rates charged in the salon are the standard rates charged in most salons in the area where i work and she is always telling me that we are too expensive i think in jest but i am wearing very thin now i dont want to feel apprehensive about going to work but when i know she is coming i dont want to get out of bed!!!!

 

[booti]

OMG sounds like one of my customers maybe we can help each other out with some advice

 

[user 25446]

"she just walks into the salon and says houston we have a problem in front of other customers".

WTF!! The woman is poison and I'm really not surprised you get the jitters before her appointment. This would give anyone the heebie-jeebies.

But look really at what she's doing here - she's dominating you. That's the only reason she's saying that out loud to an audience. In your embarrassment you will be submissive and she has control.


Kelly, the way I'd look at this is you only have to tell her once and then she's out of your life forever. You don't need idiot in your life. I just bet she's done this before and gotten away with it, so it's a technique of hers.

If you don't feel able to tell her directly, send her an sms or a letter. It's not the best way, but heck you don't care what she thinks do you!

Good luck! :hug:

 

[wendy malley]

Hi Kelly i think you have an "age" problem here too,i'm assuming she is quite a bit older than you and as a result dominating you or even being a bully. I bet you've been brought up to show respect and just squirm when she makes snide comments. Look her in the eye and politely let her know you know what you're talking about i bet she deflates like a punctured tyre This way you may keep her custom with you now in controll or she will take the huff. Either way ,problem solved x good luck

 

[kellymac78]

yes she actually came in the salon and i had a new customer who had never been before and said we have a problem they have all just come off at that point i was hoping the ground would swallow me up!!!:o
She then walked over to my desk to show me and my new client she then said to my client oh its nothing kelly did we have just been having problems with the gel but dont worry she will crack it soon!!!
Reading all that i have wrote about this actually confirms to me that i would rather do without the cash but then i would just worry about things she would be saying to other people which could cost me business in the future.
I worry too much!!!

 

[kellymac78]

thanks for the reply wendy
Your absolutley right she is much older than me i have tried looking her in the eye too i also use the proper technical terms but its as if she knows more than me still!!!
She is always saying she is not one to messed with and she always speaks her mind and often offends people which i find quite intimidating

 

[*jo*]

OMG sounds like one of my customers maybe we can help each other out with some advice

i replied to your thread as well and i would say the same thing to kelly
her nails are getting damaged, they obviously dont suit her life style so tell her you will give them one more go and if we have the same problem your only option will be to remove them, if they are abusing their nails then this normally stops them and the next time they come in, guess what? they are fine or better!!!! if it is genrally not working on her nails then taking them off will be the best option for both of you, you dont want to be the person held responsible for damaging her nails (even though it is not your fault) because you can guarantee she will tell every one it was your fault, as she sound like that kinda person