Nail student woes, how to handle?

[Missashhh]

This has been a bad week for clients and I feel like throwing in the towel and just do nails as a hobby! Any advice on how I could have handled better?

1st client I had a few weeks prior & everything was OK then. She was a lady in her 90s in for a basic manicure..I took my time, was patient as could be even when she went back and forth on color. She had a nail crack I consulted with teacher on how to repair and I did so. 2x she grabbed my file when I stepped away! Grr. I kindly asked what it was, ensured her the end result would meet her expectations, tried to ask what exactly she wanted, told her I want her to be happy on multiple times...all she did was grumble grumble and point, no words! No clear communication. This happened a few times until I just got frustrated and kept my mouth shut/continued working.

2nd customer wanted acrylic soak off whilr waiting for granddaughter to get a haircut. We just started acrylics 3weekends ago. We use acetone only to remove. That took a good 30minutes and a lot of work to remove. Tried to give good chit chat and keep it client focused. Tried to offer Shellac as an acrylic alternative since she has strong nails already. She was hungry and felt enough time passed with the removal so settled with a basic Mani. She had super long nails, wanted trimmed and oval filed. She was another who grabbed my file even after I asked multiple times if it was OK and if she was happy . Once I started polishing she told me I needed to make longer strokes or else we'd be here all night! Kept referencing she was hungry, that I need to go faster, etc.

Why do people come to a school salon with student techs if they want a 15minute manicure?! Go to a chop shop and pay your $12 & they can use a drill right down to your natural so you can get in and out in 10min. People are so rude!

My teacher was not next to me to coach or to help so I was doing the best of my ability. I ended up just shutting my mouth and working quietly on the 2nd one also.
Any advice on how I could have handled better or how to address these types of customers?

Thanks

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[MissLease]

Argh this brings back such bad memories of collage lol I once had a lady for an eyebrow shape. (Tweezing) there was a lot of growth so I suggested waxing. While I was getting all the bits together she had grabbed the mirror and started tweeting herself. As I was applying the wax she held the mirror in front of her face and proceeded to push the wax up further with her finger, resulting in half her eyebrow covered in wax. Well as it was my first wax on a client I didn't know what to do other than apply the strip resulting in her loosing half her eyebrow lol I've had clients tell me that their nails should look like 'this' and that they shouldn't be like 'this' I still for the life of me don't understand these people. They know full well they are receiving a treatment from a therapist that is still learning, and because of this are receiving a discounted treatment. My only advice would be to just bite your tongue, smile and get on with it. I can't say you will ever be rid of these types of clients but at least when you are qualified you will be able to tell them to (in so many words) shut up and let you get on with it, as you are the profession.

 

[ChicNails]

These clients are sent to test us!! Bare with it, and try to just brush it off! Like you say, why come to a student salon if they cant be patient!!? I felt down a few months ago. Iv been to college, but feel I come on here and dont know anything! Feel our tutor missed so much and I paid soo much. But, im still learning, albeit self taught.

I love doing nails, and im jst gonna keep going, and practice practice.
stick at it If its your passion.
most people just want something for cheap these days.
bite your tongue! !! And count to ten..this might help lol!!!

Chin up

 

[Chickafish]

Ignore, ignore, ignore! Don't bother asking if everything is ok and if they're happy more than once. They take it as a sign of weakness and lack of confidence, and it makes them find faults in your work. They know you're just training, but they're trying to get the most out of their money. You need to just make the most out of them sitting in front of you if anything. This is your chance to perfect your techniques. This is when it's ok to make a few mistakes and learn from them before you go out and work on real paying clients for full price. After hearing what shape they want, do it on one finger, show them to make sure that's how they want it, and carry on with the rest of the finger while keeping them talking so they're distracted while you work. Don't give them a chance to grab anything off your table. If a client is being rushy, pay no attention or kindly remind them you're still in training. They should know it's a student-run salon, and the whole purpose of you all sitting there doing these treatments is so that you will eventually reach an appropriate time. I'd love to tell you that you'll never run into these types again once you're a licensed and qualified professional, but you will. You just have to have tough skin. Have confidence in your work, and the way you work.

 

[Missashhh]

Thanks so much, that perspective is super super helpful! You're right..if I ask them once then that gives them the chance to say yes or no. Both instances disrupted me so much that it took me FOREVER to even get a basic manicure down. I am over being rushed ..but at the same time I need to be able to take my time but ALSO pace myself well enough to be able to improve my time on my own watch each time. I don't feel like these rushy customers allow me to do that..I gotta learn to control the situation.
Thanks so much for your advice, that really helped me out a lot & like I said unfortunately our teacher wasn't around to give me that kinda guidance.

Ignore, ignore, ignore! Don't bother asking if everything is ok and if they're happy more than once. They take it as a sign of weakness and lack of confidence, and it makes them find faults in your work. They know you're just training, but they're trying to get the most out of their money. You need to just make the most out of them sitting in front of you if anything. This is your chance to perfect your techniques. This is when it's ok to make a few mistakes and learn from them before you go out and work on real paying clients for full price. After hearing what shape they want, do it on one finger, show them to make sure that's how they want it, and carry on with the rest of the finger while keeping them talking so they're distracted while you work. Don't give them a chance to grab anything off your table. If a client is being rushy, pay no attention or kindly remind them you're still in training. They should know it's a student-run salon, and the whole purpose of you all sitting there doing these treatments is so that you will eventually reach an appropriate time. I'd love to tell you that you'll never run into these types again once you're a licensed and qualified professional, but you will. You just have to have tough skin. Have confidence in your work, and the way you work.

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[Missashhh]

Trust me ChicNails, I know exactly how you feel. I wish I could have got service hours to go toward my state license for reading SalonGeek!! Im in school NOW but I feel like I learn so much more here!! Feel totally left in the gutter when it comes to learning in class. Such garbage. Sometimes self taught become super stars..so like you say, keep your chin up and keep learning

These clients are sent to test us!! Bare with it, and try to just brush it off! Like you say, why come to a student salon if they cant be patient!!? I felt down a few months ago. Iv been to college, but feel I come on here and dont know anything! Feel our tutor missed so much and I paid soo much. But, im still learning, albeit self taught.

I love doing nails, and im jst gonna keep going, and practice practice.
stick at it If its your passion.
most people just want something for cheap these days.
bite your tongue! !! And count to ten..this might help lol!!!

Chin up

Sent from my SGH-T399 using SalonGeek mobile app

 

[Missashhh]

but at least when you are qualified you will be able to tell them to (in so many words) shut up and let you get on with it, as you are the profession.

...and boy, how I can't wait for that day lol I've tried really hard to be polite when they grab our tools, but next time I may not lol I would never think of doing such a thing! lol Thanks for your story though, makes me feel like I'm not the only one being driven nutty by clients. My classmates seem to get all the easy/non problem ones..but like I say, if I can handle these ones then I know I will once I get the crazies in the real world.:o


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[Julie-Liz]

I've been lucky during my beauty course not to have clients who fiddle and take over, but in hairdressing I always has the ones who would touch their hair, grab my comb or brush and say "I do it like this" and start grooming away! I felt like handing them the colour bowl or scissors and saying "here, be my guest!" Once you get into your craft your confidence will show more and these fussy types won't feel they need to help you. By the time I was half way through level 2 nobody touched my stuff! I learned to be more assertive and I'm sure you will too.

 

[Chickafish]

I had the worst people comin to me when I was doing my hours in the student salon- I mean the WORST! ( We were located only a bus ride away from a project.) At first I just wanted to curl up into a ball and stay that way til it was over, but my instructor didn't let me. :lol:
This type of thing comes with working with the public and providing a service. Some people will be the ideal, model client, and some will need a bottle of wine and some chocolate to get over.