Just when I was feeling confident to start on paying clients!

[Annie23]

Over the past year or so I have done my levels 2 and 3 nails Services and several CND courses including L+P and Brisa. So after tons and tons of practice mainly on tips, nail trainer, I tend to avoid my own nails for obvious reasons. Well I finally feel ready to start working on paying clients, so I've been getting my paperwork ready like price lists and flyers etc.

Then yesterday afternoon at college I had a lady (early 20's) come into college for my very first pink and white sculpt. I have not done sculpting before. Innitially she seemed nice, I started on her prep, her cuticles were very dry so spent (I know too long) on her prep to get her cuticles tidied up. So I start the application and then the client went from quite chatty to looking as though she was in a really foul mood, she didnt speak and her hands and fingers were really stiff and I couldn't manouver them. I had to ask her several times to relax her hands and at one point as I was getting a bit frustrated I politely said, you are going to have to relax your hands as I cannot create your smile lines properly. Anyway whether or not she couldn't relax them I don't know but I litterally had to force them into the position I needed them to be in (obviously without hurtingher). I am seriously wondering if she stiffened her hands on purpose, or am I being paranoid. Anyway I managed to do the treatment, shaped and filed her nails and was about to buff to high shine when she stood up and said I have to go. Her mum was next to me with another student who had just finished her mum and her mum said the car parking metres running we are half an hour late. I said do you at least want some cutlcle oil and she said no. They went I said goodbye and my client ignored me

I'm sorry about the long story but I felt really awful about this treatment for several reasons and although my tutor said the application was excellent I have failed it because I wasn't able to finish the treatment, which is fair enough. Now I don't give into tears easily and I was on the verge of crying at college about it and did have a little cry that evening. My mum said you should have refused to do the client, but surely you can't think like that cos you would never earn any money. After 2 years of college this client was my first experience of a unhappy client so I have been lucky up to now. I do feel a lot more positive about it all today and have learned a lot from mistakes made.

The questions are how would you have dealt with it especially the stiffened fingers as that confounds me, if she was angry I was taking too long then she surely would have known it would add further time to the treatment (btw her hands were not stiff at the start of treatment)

Thanks everyone for your thoughts on this

anne xx

 

[Ruth Mills]

I really wouldn't let one mardy client put you off, Anne. And are they so stingy at your college that they have parking meters there???
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[Bagpuss]

I think she was unfair....if you are going to be a model for someone in training then you have to expect that it may take longer....dont let it put you off....most clients are lovely but as in any line of work you can get the odd pain in the butt.

 

[Beautification]

I had the same sort of experience last week with my friend!

i was doing her nails and almost in tears cos i could see she didn't like them she didnt pay and ive been getting abuse off her and her family although she knew i was still training.

It can often make you never want to do a set of nails again but after loads of uplifting comments from SG members i did myself a set lst night.. admittedly with pop it's so i kinda cheated in acrylic app but it didnt take me long to blend and i realised why my tips wern't sticking properly.

The client obviously didn't realise the time of the treatment even if your qualified and have been doing it for 10 year it still takes around 2 hours for a full set of nails!! i've started doing it so i do 1 hand at a time on new clients because i can see them looking thinking oh lord is she leaving them like that? and if they sit there looking at those nails half done and there thinking there going to stay like that they get rather upset annoyed etc so its better if i do 1 hand and them see there going to be ok then do the other hand so they can (hopefully) admire one hand and get all exited about having a full set whilst me doing the other hand.
wow i havn't half whittled on, i hope this make's u feel better though just think how great you'll do when a client polite enough will either 1.let you finish the set maybe point out 1 or 2 things, book in for a second set, 3,give u a tip and compliment ur work trust me it does wonders!!!!!!!!xx

 

[Helen Keating]

Well what can i say some clients are just rude!!!!!!!!! i have been a nail tech for the past 17 almost 18 years and these clients do pop up from time to time,,,, just bare in mind that it may have been a few factors outside of the treatment..... she could have just been havin a bad day!!! my advice is for example the cuticles... explain that it may take you a little longer that normal if over grown or very dry.. explain that you want to give the best service possible to her and the PREP is the foundation of her treatment so it must be perfect... also explain at the outset when you do your consultation you approx idea of time so the client is full aware of how long they will need........ ( maybe they could have then put more pennies in the COLLEGE parking meters!!! stingy college!!), However please do not be put off by one client... the stiff hands is a sign that there is something wrong if they where not stiff at the start..... maybe if it happens again just ask the client if there is a problem and deal with it accordingly... hope this helps ... chin up and keep filing........ H x

 

[*Janette77*]

Don't be upset!
I once had a client (not a regular) who wanted a rebalance. She had french glitter and wanted to change to pink & white, so I needed to remove the excisting glitter. She also had lost a few nails plus that the remaining nails were about 5 weeks old. So it took some time. She was speaking on the phone when she wasn't writing text messages. I was shaping her nails when she said that she must go. OK! I am happy she paid. Her nails were unfinished, I hadn't polished them at all. This episode of course bothered me a while, but hey, if she was happy with unfinished nails so... :twisted:

About stiff hands, some people have stiff fingers! I found it quite hard to maneuver such fingers. I ask them to relax, but I believe the stiffness is something they can't help. I do just like you did, I force them into the position I want them to be. I have hard time to believe that someone could "stiff" her fingers on purpose over an hour.

I really don't think her stiff fingers or leaving the chair to early was because of you or something you did or didn't do!

 

[fifitrix]

Try not to let it upset you. I would say put it down to experience, we all learn from everything that we do, good experiences and bad ones too. :hug:

Being able to read your client's mood is vital in what we do, after all they are your bread and butter. There are some that will happily chat away and others that don't but will happily sit there and some that are well a bit of a challenge.

Do you have to resit this assessment? Best of luck with it all. :hug:


Just to add. When people go into colleges to get a treatment done, they should know that it is going to take a bit longer, perhaps she thought it was going to be like going into a salon.

 

[nails for u]

how very rude colleges should strike theese clients of there client list as this kind of experiance can be really disheartening .the client is fully aware that you are in the early stages of your career and she is also very aware she is paying a fraction of the cost a set of pink and white sculpts would cost her in a high street salon .when i began my career i went to residential homes and offered the oaps reduced price treatments and they were really enthusiastist and greatfull and it gave me loads of hands on practice and confidence and the begginings of a bloody good client base good luck

 

[mely-bely]

I remember training - glad thats over! Its stressful and often knocks your confidence - but you can do it! Sounds to me like you have some very, very happy clients - don't let one cranky one ruin it for you.

I remember I used to tell my clients when they looked in horror at the unfinished product, that this is not what they will look like when they are done.

I am happy to say, I don't have to say that anymore - but I do have to reassure clients that yes, their nails will be sparkly and shiny when I am finished.

Maybe tell them when they sit down that it will take approx XX hours to do this service - and pad it a little bit. At least then there won't be any surprises!

Again, it sounds like you are doing a wonderful job - keep up the good work!

 

[Annie23]

Thank you everyone for all your lovely comments and words of encouragement, I have definately learned form the experience and I am glad that it happened within my college setting as opposed to in industry.

One quick question though, whats the secret in getting a nice C curve when sculpting??

It was a funny sort of day yesterday, it started of so well I have recently spend quite a bit of money on essentials so that I am ready to start working mobile, I invested in the CND suitcase, god its so awesome, I think I'm in love (a non designer one too, never thought I'd ever say that :lol. So some great retail therapy, plus a lovely conversation with Samantha and Katie at S2. Then coming out of S2 the weather was so bad I nearly crashed into one of the columns in the S2 carpark cos mywindows were steamed up (note to self desteam windows :smack:. Then a car almost rammed into me on the way to college. Then the ordeal at college and on my way home a stupid moped overtook me and he didnt judge it correctly, how my bonnet didnt hit him gawd only knows.

But its all over and done with now and I'm gonna to have a look at my new CND pressies and have a relaxing day

Thanks agains for all your comments :hug: :hug:

anne xx

 

[Annie23]

Try not to let it upset you. I would say put it down to experience, we all learn from everything that we do, good experiences and bad ones too. :hug:

Being able to read your client's mood is vital in what we do, after all they are your bread and butter. There are some that will happily chat away and others that don't but will happily sit there and some that are well a bit of a challenge.

Do you have to resit this assessment? Best of luck with it all. :hug:


Just to add. When people go into colleges to get a treatment done, they should know that it is going to take a bit longer, perhaps she thought it was going to be like going into a salon.

Yes I have to resit it, but my sister is going to be my model for this one. Its a bit annoying because the rest of the application was fine just needed a few extra mins to buff to high shine then it would be finished and passed. I just need to speed up my prep, I find this a challenge cos I know how important prep is. Plus at college its dry prep which I hate, I like using my trusty CuticleAway makes the job far easier.

anne xx

anne xx

 

[minky]

Hi, when I was on my first nail training course we did our first set on each others nails our live hand models didnt turn up,

whilst doing her nails I wanted lots of feedback to see If I was hurting her and vice versa ,
we both agreed to this , as we were each others models on numerous occasions,
the cuticles were ok but looking back the prep wasn't as good as it should have been ,

then the files came out and they were very new and sharp
and we were both pretty over zeolous and unknowingly rough with them... my model actually hated the feeling of any filing as it went right through her....
and I noticed her fingers stiffened at this time

we hurt each other numerous times whilst cuticle pushing and filing , but I was glad that she let me know all these things
so that I could correct them all ,

I also had to let her know when she really hurt me too especially when she was filing away at the product overload too ,
but its just something that we all do at first :lol:,

we both had throbbing finger tips ,
Perhaps if you asked one of your family who has never had sculpts before
to run through the exact scenario with you and ask them to be brutally honest with you for your feedback , you may just find an asnwer ?

if not then you will know it wasn't your fault and your mind can be put at rest :hug: hope this helps minky

 

[RedAdmiral]

I wouldnt worry Annie, it does happen to all of us. I think your tutor was unfair not to pass you as your model left what could you do? Sometimes in the salon clients come in with horrendous cuticles and want to be out within an hour its not gonna happen - Part of becoming a good nail tech is knowing that its ok to say to your client 'I cant give you what you want today' It may sound shock horror but its true we can only do as much as we can. I would have explained to the client that they need cuticle work/manicure before the nails could be applied I would then tell them it would take longer and only proceed if I had time after or could reschedule them. Half of the battles I have faced with nails was tying myself in knots to give clients what they wanted it all ended in major stress for me so now I work my way. An example is my client who has a non existent nail bed due to her biting, we grew the nails and had great results until she missed a maximum maintenance app and decide to bite them off. She dented her nail plate and came back with bolbous skin and soft nails. I reapplied the shortest enhancement and told her that she would have to return each week for me to see the nails and tweak them/ fix any problems. It was the hardest set of nails I've done in a long while, I told her this and told her firmly she could either pay for breakages and new sets all the time and end up with damaged nails or she could look after them each week and have beautiful nails.................... Its a severe pain in the butt for her to come each week but its a huge waste of my time to spend 2hours on her every 4 wks n not get paid accordingly!

Years ago I wouldnt have spoken to her like this but I'm not being rude I'm being firm AND giving my professional recommendation.
You did all you could have so dont worry about her.

 

[Annie23]

Perhaps if you asked one of your family who has never had sculpts before
to run through the exact scenario with you and ask them to be brutally honest with you for your feedback , you may just find an asnwer ?

if not then you will know it wasn't your fault and your mind can be put at rest :hug: hope this helps minky

Thats a brilliant idea, I always make sure that I don't accidently hurt the client and I am especially careful when filing and I do ask interminittingly if everything is ok, but obviously once in a while I do make a mistake.

thanks for your suggestion

anne xx

 

[lucyann]

I had the same sort of experience last week with my friend!

i was doing her nails and almost in tears cos i could see she didn't like them she didnt pay and ive been getting abuse off her and her family although she knew i was still training.

Some friend she is! How childish to be abusive, and to get the family involved too!

 

[Chameleon]

It is at times like this when as a nail technician you have to toughen up....when working with the public you never know what can unfold,and it is something i actually like...LOL...just put it to experience,the client was rather unfair,however you did what you did,and i applaud that:hug:

 

[spn01]

Thank you everyone for all your lovely comments and words of encouragement,
One quick question though, whats the secret in getting a nice C curve when sculpting??


anne xx

Anne, "the secret in getting a nice "c" curve when sculpting"
How? - pre-fold along the lateral perforations (cnd forms),
- create a saddle by rolling form with thumbs on top and index fingers underneath.
- now with thumbs on top and middle finger underneath the form (this leaves your index fingers free to move the back part of the form that goes around the finger, especially if you have torn the perforation to allow for a larger finger
- note the form has a darkened grid, ensure that you line up the centre of the nail with the centre line of the form
- wiggle and fit form snug with no gaps
- match the tabs together perfectly
Voila - forms now perfectly in place.

now the fun begins, sculpting on a form requires a different technique in zone 1, as the form has a slick surface. Take your time, you must be very delicate with the product in the initial few seconds before you can really press and smooth with confidence. Make sure you come straight out from the sidewall line (use the grid lines to help you).

There, HTH and happy sculpting:hug:

 

[Annie23]

Anne, "the secret in getting a nice "c" curve when sculpting"
How? - pre-fold along the lateral perforations (cnd forms),
- create a saddle by rolling form with thumbs on top and index fingers underneath.
- now with thumbs on top and middle finger underneath the form (this leaves your index fingers free to move the back part of the form that goes around the finger, especially if you have torn the perforation to allow for a larger finger
- note the form has a darkened grid, ensure that you line up the centre of the nail with the centre line of the form
- wiggle and fit form snug with no gaps
- match the tabs together perfectly
Voila - forms now perfectly in place.

now the fun begins, sculpting on a form requires a different technique in zone 1, as the form has a slick surface. Take your time, you must be very delicate with the product in the initial few seconds before you can really press and smooth with confidence. Make sure you come straight out from the sidewall line (use the grid lines to help you).

There, HTH and happy sculpting:hug:

Thank you for the fab explanation I am going to save this to my computer and print it off and I will be practising on myself this weekend. I may even try practising it on a short tip embedded in a blu tac finger, it may just work :idea:

anne xx

 

[spn01]

My pleasure Anne, happy to help:hug: