Mortified! First Shellac client and nails have chipped the next day :(

[Red]

As the title says. It was a nightmare in the first place and I had a feeling I'd get problems.

First off it was very last minute....I got a call when I was at work and said I'd be able to do her that day, but then she said she had only a 1 hour slot she wanted them done in and no other time or day would do. So I was up against the time, but she insisted on doing them at that time and no other, then she put in me the conservatory which had one very dim light on and it was clearing dark so I couldn't see. Then she kept getting up to get water, then to put some music on....then she said she wanted to go in the kitchen as there was more light thankfully but I ended up doing them with the lamp on the work surface and then her hands just in mid air!

And to top it off I forgot my solaroil (had to rush home from work, grab my stuff and go again and left out the pinkie bottle for her) but I said I'd drop that when I was passing through today.

Then she's texted today to say 3 of them have chipped already. I am so upset. I've been wearing shellac for months and have never had chipping. What do I do? I really can't fit her in today or all my other plans will go out the window. I've got a friend coming up shortly, I'm doing her nails then getting ready for tonight. But i feel like I should be scrapping those and fitting her in . I'm thinking of offering her tomorrow but can't say what time yet. Do you think this will be ok? Any idea why they might have chipped already? I done everything to the book. She had a lot of cuticle on them but I spent ages removing it all.....or so I thought......

My confidence is already low when it comes to nails. And this will dent it even more.

Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated! Thanks!

 

[missty25]

I would firstly ask her what she was doing when they chipped, Shellac doesn't just chip on it's own, so hopefully she will admit that she done something to cause the chipping.

This way your not putting words into her mouth if you know what I mean, by asking this instead of giving her options of what could have happened. Hope this makes sense and don't stress! x

 

[geeg]

If your confidence level is low when it comes to doing nails, can I ak why you are doing them at all?

If you read through your whole sorry scenario as if you were a complete outsider, does any of it Sound like a professional service to you? Rushing around ... Moved and shoved from pillar to post? Relying on your clients instead of yourself to provide the things you need to do your job correctly?

If you cannot give a client a professional service, because you can't fit her in or she only will accept one time slot and you know you are going to be rushing, then DON'T TAKE THE APPOINTMENT. Look where you have landed yourself now for doing it! You have an angry client, you confidence level has sunk further, it is going to cost you time, money and inconvenience etc, all because you said yes when you should have said no.

I suggest you take the responsibility to do the right thing and move heaven and earth to give this paying client the time you need to put things right and if it interfers with your 'plans' then it sounds like the penalty you will have to pay.

 

[Sher16]

Hi hun

Try not to stress.....there will most probably be a good reason they chipped.

Firstly, can you explain your prep and application to us? Do you apply shellac often without any problems?

I shellac my mums nails every second sunday and have for 4months.....I did them on xmas day last weekfor her and on Tues she had 1 missing and two naila chipped. I was quite annoyed as she had the audacity to tell me they just chipped and one just peeled off itself, we had quite a few words over it.....and turned out the edge lifted as she caught her finger in a drawer at work on the Tue morn so she peeled it off. Well that is a completely different thing to saying it peeled itself, isnt it?

The other two chips she said she had been quite heavy handed in tills etc. She never normally chips and if does its near the 14th day....

I redid her nails on Tue night and they havent chipped since. These things just happen sometimes and sometimes it is our fault but not always. Dont let it knock your confidence.

Chin up and all the best for hogmanay this eve! Happy new year

X

 

[Red]

She was insisting on that slot. I offered her 3 other alternatives that day and even today but she wouldn't take them. I said to her it wasn't ideal and the reasons why. I also asked her about if she had somewhere suitable to do it...I.e a table and suitable lighting and she said yes. The conservatory would have been ok would it have been not when it was getting dark! Perhaps she didn't realise...who knows.

I was confident in doing Shellac Geeg as I've never had any problems with it before doing it on myself, friends and family and was excited at having my first paid client. It's l&p I have little confidence in due to my timings, and now this has added to it all. Although I've never had any problems with enhancements other than I take too damn long to do them!! But I'm only charging a small fee for those anyway and always explain the situ with my timings.

But we all have to start somewhere I guess.

I know it sounds like a far from professional service and, believe me i was already unhappy with that. She knew we were up against it but insisted on putting the tv on half way through!!! I told her it was fine!

I will ask her what she was doing when they chipped...at least perhaps to try and get a little more info around it.

 

[Red]

My application as follows:

Cool blue
Shape & Dry PEP removing all cuticle
Scrub fresh thoroughly each nail and under free edge
Thin base layer, cure 10 secs
2 thin coats of colour curing each 2 mins
Thin top coat cure 2 mins (swiping all 4 coats at the free edge)
D-sperse

Then I'd give her a pinkie solaroil but left it out of my kit stupidly (again more mortification!) as so was dropping it in today to her.

Thanks for the advice all...

 

[mizzy_dizzy]

If your dropping in anyway with the pinkie take 3? Remover wraps , it's off in 10 mins you won't need to pep the 3 fingers any more you did them last night , and they will be nicely dehydrated from removal ,
Give quick scrub with scrub fresh , re apply to the 3 ,

Why they would have chipped so fast is odd ,
Maybe it was the start stop ?
Maybe her nail condition
What she has done since
Be sure your bulbs are all pushed in and lighting ,
Be sure she has her hand in properly
Be sure she knows it's not bullet proof and the after care ,

Ceri x

 

[annie:)]

I would just say learn from it! It would be perfect if every appointment was straight forward but thats not life and clients forget we have a life too!

As for chipping she may have wanted them on for a night out last night hence only wanting that appointment and now shes had her night out fancies her chance of a refund?

The only bit i do disagree with is not fitting her in because you want to get ready for tonight, as there is a chance you could be at fault with all the rushing, i would as geeg said move heaven n earth to make it right for my client xx

Sent from my X10i

 

[Red]

I've got a friend coming round and I'm doing her nails. Then ive got to pick up another friend after that and then we're practically out. The client is out herself until 4/5 which is when I'll probably be in mid flow doing my friends nails....she wants gels and minx and she tells me they're a mess so im not anticipating a quick one. I pass the clients house to get to the station to get my friend so was putting the pinkie through the letter box. I can't go out any later as I'm out in London which is an hours drive and if we're there late we wont get in and i dont really want chance letting my friends down. To be honest I don't want to go but I've already committed myself to taking my friends like the idiot I am. I'd love to get out of it and have tried but it didn't wash. I dont know what else to do other than to do them tonight after I've finished my friends nails and dropped them into London and coming back...I'd put them on a train instead but can't afford to. I know the client is going out but I've no idea what time. Again we could end up against time which I really don't want a second time around.

Other than that I've offered her a slot tomorrow. She didn't ask if I could do them today and she still hasn't come back to me yet. I feel awful and completely mortified that they've chipped and that I can't ideally fit her in today.

Perhaps Geeg is right and that I shouldn't be doing nails...not yet..I really thought there would be no issues as I've worn shellac constantly for the last 6 months and have done it on some friends/family and it's been wonderful every time. Hence why I thought I'd be ok taking on my first client.

Again, thanks for the help all.
.

 

[Helbels]

Look don't beat yourself up too much about it. But from a pure outsiders viewpoint, you sound a bit disorganised... No lamp, no solar oil, rushing around trying to squeeze things in. Perhaps if you took the time to get a proper kit together, with everything in one place, you would feel less stressed and do a better job? I know it must be tough when a client is trying to run round their house while you are trying to do their nails, but you need to be assertive, ask them politely but firmly to sit down, or point out that the location isn't suitable due to lighting BEFORE you start doing their nails and ask to move etc. YOU are in charge, not the client, and to be honest, it sounds a bit as if your clients are running rings round you at the moment!

 

[Essential Bliss]

Hiya hun..don't let it knock your confidence..just learn from it.

Do you swipe and seal the free edge with each coat (base colour and top) and not just the top coat? I was trained to do it that way,if you don't maybe that's where the problem lies?
Also,if cuticles are bad,I do use cuticle away but remove it thoroughly and I've never had any service breakdown because of it

Hope you get it sorted lovely xx

Essential Bliss Beauty Therapy

 

[Essential Bliss]

Oops I misread..you do swipe all 4 coats,sorry hun lol.
Are you brushing back over so there isnt a build up of polish at the edge?xx

Essential Bliss Beauty Therapy

 

[sophiegees]

Hey try not to beat yourself up with this. I expect it is a one off and and due to your inexperience and being so keen to be acommodating to this lady. The conditions were bad so I would think this was why they have not lasted. I would imagine its is nothing to do with your ability in applying shellac.

Try to resolve this for the lady, then take a deep breath, forget it and move forward. Hey its a new year already! Always allow enough time for appointments. I always allow 2 hours and have no stress whatsoever (and not much money either......) - but I will shorten this as I gain experience and speed.

You will be fine

Happy New Year

xx

 

[rainbowtanning]

It sounds to me like your issues are down to lack of experience, which you can't improve unless you continue doing nails! I know exactly how you feel, I go through the same self doubting process but this is all part of the learning curve that we have to get our heads round. You aren't going to please everyone all of the time & when things do go wrong you need to take the positivity from it and there will be positivity! xxx