My new client is not happy!

[snazzy jazzy]

Hi geeks, i had a new client today for extensions, when doing the consultation we discussed the nail tip options (as in natural,white,clear, or coloured) she decided on white, so i did them, she said she liked them and booked in for infills, then paid. A couple of hours later she rings and says she doesn't like them because they don't look natural in colour, they are too white and she wants to know if i can either give her a refund, or do them again with natural nail tips (this she wants me to do free of charge).
I am going to see her on monday for a chat, but i don't know what to do as she decided to have white tips, do i just refund and loose a client or redo them? What would you do?

 

[suzie49]

Of course you don't refund hun, you gave the client the choice, and she chose the white tips. She will probably be used to them by Monday anyway.
She wouldnt expect to buy a dress wear it for night out then take it back would she.?
Explain to her that you cant refund her money, you will re-apply the nails but they will have to be paid for, you cant afford to give away free services like that.x

 

[ValencianNails]

She asked for the white tips but expects you to give her a new set with natural tips free of charge???

She's taking the proverbial sweetheart... if you let her have her own way then she'll continue using you forever, she needs to realise that she made the decision for white tips... so why the heck should you have to give her a new set free of charge??? Beggars belief IMO.

Be strong and tell her she WILL PAY for her new set, incl the price of a soak off :hug:

 

[yeahyeah]

I agree! definitely don't do them for free. i admit sometimes with first time clients I have caved and gave unnecessary discounts just to keep them as a client, but if you cheapen your services from the beginning, they will come to expect it and try to take advantage of you all the time! I would just tell her you laid out her options beforehand, natural tips were one of them and she chose white. offer to book her for a new set now (for full price, of course) or tell her you will gladly change her tip color at her first regular fill. if you are sympathetic to her she will be more likely to look at it from your perspective too! one of the best customer service strategies I've learned is that your customers (in any business) will usually be happy with just hearing you agree! sometimes all you have to say is "i understand how you feel and im sorry", you don't need to give in to make them happy
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[1999judy]

Ermm no she chose them. She deals with it.
NEVER EVER offer refunds...she wants a new set then charge her for a soak off and for a new set.
I'm sick and tired of people thinking this a free joke and if you don't like the treatment or maybe you do but are short of cash...COMPLAIN!!!! and get the treatment FREE and your money back.
If anyone tried it with me with me they would KNOW that my skills and judgement make them look silly.
If not I'd just tell them to bog off tbh. xxx

 

[Peter Pan]

NO REFUND - she asked for white tips - but on the other hand, if you were more experienced flower, maybe YOU should have advised HER what would have suited her best. i have clients that are nail biters and WANT p/w square,and long, i TELL them that they would look rediculous, and suggest another style (short, oval, natural etc) they usually tend to go with me. YOU are the trained tech flower, NOT the client. dont get into the habit of letting the client dictate to you, tell them that there particular choice would be a BAD choice, (permitting) and would just draw the wrong attention, they want there nails to look natural, not "LOOK AT THESE FALSE NAILS" - at the end of the day, its YOUR reputation that they are wearing.............the client ISNT always right flower.

i hope i havent offended you in anyway what so ever with this reply, as it wasnt meant to be. just think to yourself "would that style, tip, shape" REALLY suit your client.......if not, then SAY SO.

it REALLY does work flower, if you tell them YOUR opinion, they usually go with the person that KNOWS what they talking about

:hug:

 

[Annebet]

Hiya I had a client I advised her against having the really white tips she wanted because I thought they wouldn't suit her, so she agreed I did them my way I thought they looked fab really natural not false looking and she told me there and then she didn't like them she likes them to look false that's why she picked the really white tips,then she went on to tell me I took to long 1 1/2 even thought she was saying her other nail tech in Blackpool where she lives didn't do all the prep I did, just filled with white buffer block added the tips then overlayed and was done in 20 mins and they where a lot thicker than mine, but the best of it was she came to me as she had had her nails done before she came to visit in Rochdale and within 3 days they had all come off . I would like to have known how long mine stayed on, some times you just can't please them all but no I wouldn't give her a new set of nails did you fill out a client card if so did you put which nails she picked like I have tons of different whites so if a client picks a certain white then I write which she chooses just in case of breakages say like pro impressions or Nsi iykwim Good Luck when you see her.

 

[Susie H]

Sound advise from the ladies, as always:hug: you are running a business not a charity. Cheeky mare.
Be prepared for the 'they fell of ' trick as well, its quiet likely that by Monday she'll try that one because she's had them for the weekend and now she fancy's a change! If you do get that one politly tell her how sorry you are that she doesn't suit acrylics and tell her how much a new set will cost and would she like to book in with a deposit to hold her appointment because now you're in the run up to Christmas you are getting booked up solid.
If the nails are still intact and she's still complaining about the whiteness I would offer her nail art and tell her how much that will cost her. All said with a smile and a friendly voice.
Good luck hun, its always hard to face this sort of thing but if you stay firm from the beginning you'll find you'll have an appointment book full of clients who truly value you:hug:

 

[nailzoo]

You did ask her, she did make a choice .....

I'm still happy to hear she wants natural looking nails, rather than the typical porn star nails she originally decided on.

 

[champagne]

I would always advise the client on the best suited, if they dont take my advice it goes on their record card and they sign it....

Then if they come back they know it was their decision, from this if they came back i would change whatever they wernt happy with and charge accordingly.

Advise her that you can change them but you will have to charge as it wasnt a mistake on your part.

Refund - Never

Keeping clients happy for the sake of my reputation - Always

Ps: I try not to use white tips, I would use natural/clear tips or sculpt then L&P the white, some of my clients change tip colour at re-balance - Annoying but word of mouth to a new business like mine is everything.

I feel for you, when you go to see her, make sure that you turn the questions on her, dont give in and dont refund her, she paid for your time & effort!

Good luck x

 

[yeahyeah]

You did ask her, she did make a choice .....

I'm still happy to hear she wants natural looking nails, rather than the typical porn star nails she originally decided on.

lol hey! I wasn't aware pink & whites are porn star nails, or that that's a bad thing! lol
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[tigi]

Nor me! I have porn star nails! (if only i had the porn star body to go with them) lol.

 

[Missy G]

I always ask new clients if they are happy with their new nails before they pay, then if they phoned back later Id explain theyd have to pay again as they did say they were happy before I left .

 

[snazzy jazzy]

Thankyou for all the advise everyone. I was thinking of offering her a soak off free of charge as a comprimise but explain that she will have to pay for a new natural set as it was her decission to have the white tips in the first place.
Thankyou again:hug:

 

[Gilly T]

If she doesn't want to pay you could suggest that if they are too white for her she could polish them to tone them down a bit until her next appointment. She may have got used to them by then.

 

[deanosnana]

If she doesn't want to pay you could suggest that if they are too white for her she could polish them to tone them down a bit until her next appointment. She may have got used to them by then.

Great idea! The client is probably just not used to nice nails and now having them, they look/feel unnatural to her. A coat of a soft beige or pink (as in French polish) should do the trick!

 

[pringle12]

Nor me! I have porn star nails! (if only i had the porn star body to go with them) lol.

nor me lol wish i had the body to lol.x

 

[~Emmsybabes~]

I wouldn't even offer her a free soak off hun,

This is HER problem not yours..

If I took back a dress (I had worn) as I decided the colour didn't match my skin tone, Im sure the shop wouldn't offer me some self tanning lotion free of charge to make me happy !

Please Please don't take no crap from this lady..
If you buckle, she will know she can do it again, and again, and again....and each time you will find it harder to stand up for yourself...

The majority of clients are totally fab, but you do get the odd p!ss taker...

Stay strong hun... :hug:

 

[shell28]

Talk about taking the **** she made her choice so its her problem hun not yours.

 

[Karen Minx]

Is it a possibilty that that we could state underneath our price lists that a rufund is not available after any treatments (sorry dont know the best way to word it) so the clients know where they stand before hand? Or is this a bad idea? :|