Just lost my first clients to DIY

[dudeymel]

Hey everyone, I know there's a few threads along these lines and ive read them all with interest but I'm sad to say it's a lot worse when it happens to yourself. A big bulk of my regular clients are a group of friends/family, 3 of them cancelled appointments and I assumed it was because of the time of year but I've just heard one of my clients has got a DIY gel kit for Christmas and shes doing all her family and friends nails and now im 5 clients down. It wouldn't hit home so much if I didn't have so few regulars at the min after not being open too long. I had a client a while back who came once, mentioned she had her own gel kit and I never saw her again so I think she just wanted to learn from me. Another mentioned her sisters had their own kit but she still comes to me for the time being. Im supppsed to be going full time in my business in March but it seems everyone and their dog has their own gel kit now and I know everyone says 'they'll be back' but it sure does make a dent in your pocket, I wish these kits would hurry up and go out of fashion

 

[brervixen]

I've sort of had the same thing happen. I've been doing my cousin's nails for ages, bang on every 2 weeks she raves about me, but my other cousin (her sister) bought her a "full shellac kit" (apparently CND but I really doubt it) for christmas. So she cancelled her last appt with me. I'm gutted.... really gutted. I feel so undermined by the whole thing, especially as it's family. :cry:

 

[BarbaraC]

I've been in the business for many years and every now and again I 'do the rounds' - drop in and have a mani/pedi like a regular customer not really to check out the opposition but to see if I can pick up any tips!! I love to watch a good tech work

I also bought the Red Carpet Manicure home kit to assess and although it'll never replace a professional treatment I can see the attraction. Its cheap, reasonably easy to do with a little practice and it lasts. With money being so tight for so many its easy to see why they sell.

I don't know if there's an answer to this - I guess we just hope its a fad and try to weather the storm so to speak ....

 

[Missashhh]

I have the RedCarpet kit too and I love it because actually I've never been one to spend the time or money going to a salon. I'm a very frugal person and for me a set of nails has never been justified, so for me this kit is perfect. Oddly enough I'm looking at beauty schools so I can become my very own nail tech, lol. I think the RC kit led me into the exploration of various methods and the art behind it all.

Anyway, that being said, I don't think these kits can really compare to a professional job. They can be rather sloppy and time consuming to complete. And you have to think, as a tech youre not just selling a set of nails..you're selling a type of service that a person just can't give to themself, it's a little luxury...a social thing...a pampering treatment.

Sorry to hear you're being hit, but hopefully you'll be able to expand and make up for it elsewhere. Honestly, from what I've seen and read, family make the worst customer base anyway lol

 

[chellebelle004]

For Christmas in the past I was bought a cheap lamp from amazon and a few bluesky colours, it's what I'd asked for because I love doing nails. It was within a month of doing mine and my mums nails that I realised I wanted to go into it professionally so did a full nail tech course and a further gel polish course through Sally's.
At the time I wasn't going anywhere to have my nails done and neither was my mum so I guess I wasn't stealing anyone's custom, I was just having a play at home.
On saying that it totally didn't cross my mind that these home kits are damaging to people's businesses until now I am trying to make a business in it.
All these people are seeing is that they can pick the 'same' kit up for cheap and do their own for free aswell as make a few pennies on friends/family and end up with the same result.
Like someone else said they're missing out on the 'pampering' side of it unfortunately and those with spare money and the right mind set will hopefully continue to come to us.
Really disappoints me when I comment on people's nails now and they say they've got the kit and do their own and their friends for a fiver! But I don't think they have even given a thought to how damaging it is to our livelihoods

 

[sonia@ashdene]

I had something similar today - one of my regulars told me her husband had bought her a rio acrylic nail kit so she has soaked mine off and put some one. As she'd found it so easy she has decided to do her own in future! Am sure she'll be back when they 'fall' off!!!!


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[chellebelle004]

I had something similar today - one of my regulars told me her husband had bought her a rio acrylic nail kit so she has soaked mine off and put some one. As she'd found it so easy she has decided to do her own in future! Am sure she'll be back when they 'fall' off!!!!


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Oh blimey I forgot about those kits aswell.. I saw acrylic kits for sale in asda once!!! It's hard enough mastering acrylics when you're a trained technician. Yes just sit and wait, she's realise what she was paying you for

 

[sonia@ashdene]

She was lovely said she hoped I wasn't offended, like I say we'll see. She is having a pedicure Friday so I said I'd see her nails then - if she has them on still !!!


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[heatherp]

I had a client come in last week who announced a friend had brought her the bluesky kit for christmas, she was wearing a colour changing polish with it.
She had already said it was nice to play with but preferred coming to me, but when she saw how difficult it was to get the stuff off, it totally put her off.
Educate your clients about the cons of having one of the kits.
Polishes have been in stores for decades but salons still had clients, it may be a little tougher out there but choose the right clients who are not just out to save a buck and there is still a living to be made
H xxx

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[sonia@ashdene]

It must be that we make it look to easy


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[BeautyBee]

I think we need to remember that in recent times the internet has helped educate people how to DIY and also that people are doing whatever they can to save pennies in this time of austerity.

There are fundamental changes going on on how perceive this industry and i think its going to get worse yet!!



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[sal365]

I really think this will go out of fashion soon enough. I was even thinking I might go get my nails done by someone else at some point just cos I like the pampering of it all and because I hate doing my wrong hand!!

 

[ChicUnique]

I've had a spate of emails over the run up to Christmas with people asking where to buy kits for relatives Etc. I just reply and say my advice is the same to every one, want to 'do nails' start with good training. I use a professional brand that would only be able to be purchased if they hold the relevant qualifications - i remind them that if they are providing a service to another person without training & insurance and something goes wrong they can be personally sued. That usually works

It'll pass - I bought myself one of these kits before I trained (long time before I trained) and it was rubbish. If that's what they want to do leave them to it and put your focus into marketing and advertising to get more clients. It takes a long time to build up but you'll get there xx

 

[Nikki May]

What happens when they pay a friend £5 for a set and that friend destroys their nails? The friend has no insurance but they will need a pro to fix it I'm sure.

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[Missbeauty]

One of my clients txt me over Christmas looking to know the full price of the CND shellac kit!! I thought it was a bit cheeky!! Plus another of my clients popped in one day and asked if she could borrow my wildfire because hers hadn't arrived in the post yet was very cross at this!!!

 

[Missbeauty]

Oh forgot to add she has no training in nails whatsoever, it was blue sky she was waiting on!

 

[MissyMuffin]

One of my first ever clients wanted gel overlays and was thrilled. She was a retired hairdresser and did no more than dig out her old Sally's card and go buy all the stuff to do her own. She'd used me as a demo.
I didn't even realise clients would be like that. A quick lesson learned!

 

[adventuregirl]

It really sucks but it's a way of life today.

Maybe you could look at what sets you apart. Offer more to your service. Little things like a hand massage after the treatment. Also look to your loyal clients and offer them a refer a friend reward. The chances are they will know someone else who is like minded and likes to treat themselves.

These are the things I would do. You can't change the DIY phenomenon but you can take measures to future proof your business x




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[umvemve]

Some people wanted painted nails, some want a professional manicured look (a decent finish!). Ive seen nails people have done themselves - they look rubbish in most cases, no nice crisp margin and streaky. People have bought nail polish for years and happily had rubbish paint jobs (flooded cuticles etc). I think manicures became big business again because of the gel polishes, people were saving time and money. Now people are doing them themselves things will go back to how they were in terms of type of person going for a manicure.

 

[Yuzuki]

I really worry about people making themselves (friends and family) allergic to gel products, using these "kits" and cheap lamps off ebay. I don't think they realise the dangers of un-cured/improperly cured gel. As professionals we learn how to apply them, keeping the gel away from the skin, I'm sure these diy-ers won't be so careful. And once they are allergic we won't be able to fix that for them