New Tech - 1st complaint, do I refund??

[snoopy1]

Hi all, I'm new to this site & unfortunately my 1st post could be a bit long...
I qualified in acrylic at the beginning of Nov this year & am trying to set up to work from home. Being that I am only just qualified and quite inexperienced I decided that I really must get practising on people, so I put some leaflets out around my estate asking for models who didn't want rushed results and were happy to give feedback. As we all know, this kind of work costs so I decided to charge £15 for full set & £10 for infills. Had about 14 bookings from these leaftlets - great! or so I thought.. I did a set of white tips for a girl last wednesday, she was very pleased when she left & was saying she would be recommending me to her sisters & friends who all use nss salons. On christmas eve, I received a text message from her to say "just letting you know 1 of my nails have fallen off". I replied to her saying that next time she was in my area could she give me a ring & she could pop round so I could take a look at it & I will replace it if thats what she wanted. I then heard nothing until boxing day, when I received another text "just a brief text to let you know all of my nails have fallen off". Being boxing day, I didn't want to disturb her by ringing, so before I got round to calling her today, she has sent me another message saying "all my nails have come off & I haven't got time now for you to redo them as she goes to work tomorrow, so can she have at least half her money back & to post it to her family's house down the road & they are expecting it."
My question is, can acrylic nails just fall off like that?? I've put some on myself & had no problems. What can I do if she won't let me look at them, or let me do her another set as I would have been happy to do this, and just wants her money back. How do I know she hasn't pulled them off?? I've explained to each person I did last week that if there was any problems to let me know as it's the only way I will learn. I still have a very long way to go, and I know I will get complaints along the way, but whats the best way to deal with them especially when you're still learning? Is it too soon to be charging people at all perhaps??
Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks x

 

[Mrs Geek]

Hi all, I'm new to this site & unfortunately my 1st post could be a bit long...
I qualified in acrylic at the beginning of Nov this year & am trying to set up to work from home. Being that I am only just qualified and quite inexperienced I decided that I really must get practising on people, so I put some leaflets out around my estate asking for models who didn't want rushed results and were happy to give feedback. As we all know, this kind of work costs so I decided to charge £15 for full set & £10 for infills. Had about 14 bookings from these leaftlets - great! or so I thought.. I did a set of white tips for a girl last wednesday, she was very pleased when she left & was saying she would be recommending me to her sisters & friends who all use nss salons. On christmas eve, I received a text message from her to say "just letting you know 1 of my nails have fallen off". I replied to her saying that next time she was in my area could she give me a ring & she could pop round so I could take a look at it & I will replace it if thats what she wanted. I then heard nothing until boxing day, when I received another text "just a brief text to let you know all of my nails have fallen off". Being boxing day, I didn't want to disturb her by ringing, so before I got round to calling her today, she has sent me another message saying "all my nails have come off & I haven't got time now for you to redo them as she goes to work tomorrow, so can she have at least half her money back & to post it to her family's house down the road & they are expecting it."
My question is, can acrylic nails just fall off like that?? I've put some on myself & had no problems. What can I do if she won't let me look at them, or let me do her another set as I would have been happy to do this, and just wants her money back. How do I know she hasn't pulled them off?? I've explained to each person I did last week that if there was any problems to let me know as it's the only way I will learn. I still have a very long way to go, and I know I will get complaints along the way, but whats the best way to deal with them especially when you're still learning? Is it too soon to be charging people at all perhaps??
Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks x

Hi Snoopy, I have heard this 1000 times. You tell me... do you think nails just 'fall off'?? If you did everything you were taught to do, proper PREP, correct length, proper application etc then there should be no reason for any problems. On the other hand if you did talons on a nail bighter then you did your job incorrectly. Now if she insisted on talons when you advised her otherwise, then again, it's not your fault but she should have signed something to say as much!!

Did you ask her to bring back the said 'nail' in its full 'fallen off state'? Once they had 'all fallen off'... did you ask her to put them all in an envelope to show you? How can you possible be expected to give money back when you have not been given the chance to look at her nails. Hmmm I bet if you r saw her fingernails now, you'd how she had 'probably broken one and picked the rest off'... it happens all the time!!

Firstly, do a search on 'it just fell off' as this will give you very enlighteded reading. Secondly, ask to see the customer so that you can check her nails. You will know instantly if she has mechanically removed them... whether with her teeth or plain picking them. She needs to UNDERSTAND that you DO know what you are doing!! Anyone who starts by charging really low prices etc is prone to this type of behaviour - especially when you say 'oh I've just started'. You practice on your family and friends for cheap - you charge full price for anyone who isn't. If you don't, they will use this as an excuse everytime to come back at you with 'they just fell off'!

Start charging properly for people that are not friends or family and talk about what you know, not what you don't! Hope this helps!:idea:

 

[chantell simone]

welcome to salon geek

the nails did not just fell off because it is not possible! and being as you didn't get a chance to see them before hand why should you refund her for something that may not be your own fault

get yourself a nail trainer and practice like mad or where possible use friends or family but as for paying clients charge them accordingly

in my consultation i have a clause that clients sign to say there were given aftercare advice in written form

 

[Bagpuss]

Hiya ... don't let this put you off....as with learning how to do nails you will also learn how to handle customers like this.

There is no way i would offer any kind of refund without first looking at her nails....i cant think of a place on earth that would refund with NOTHING to look at, check or question.

 

[1999judy]

Alter your leaflets to say that the prices INDICATE that you are just out of training and that any nails done will not be offered a refund.
We all need to practice so don't give up x

 

[sknight]

I agree, you really must see her nails before you even consider any refund. I think she has a bloody cheek asking. Let us know how you get on.

S

 

[hippy-chick]

pop a note into her families postbox saying thanks for the feedback which you had asked for which you find invaluable.

unfortunately, as you didn't get chance to see the nails you cannot give a refund. if you would like to make another appointment, we can discuss the proper care of nails to prevent them coming off.

 

[sj1973]

hi snoopy...well as people have said nails dont just fall off.....like mrs geek said...i might have broke off and she picked the rest....

you have been given good advice .....you put in leaflets only training so she cant have money back.....

dont give up and let her put you off...think of the other 13 people that you done and have had no complaints by xxx

 

[sammy1972]

That is so funny!! One of my clients, who I have seen a couple of times now, had been booked in to have a soak off. On the day of the soak off she called to say could I come the following day instead, no problem, I told her.
The following day I got a text message to say I didn't need to call round to do the soak because all her nails had amazingly "popped off" !!!!
Don't let this lady put you off honey, you are always going to get clients like this, I have another lady, and only her I might add who after a week of having a fresh set applied is experiencing lifting and expects me to go round and sort her nails for free. I told her I have to charge her because of the cost of my petrol, products, etc, plus it is only happening to her. I have consulted with her and she is not on any meds, etc that can affect the nails, so it is obviously something she is doing that she won't admit to. I know it is something like this because I said to her I would soak them all off and maybe she could try having her nails done by someone else to see if she had the same problem but she would't have that she said she only wanted me to do them!! Maybe she's lonely, bit scary mind when she said that, lol!!
Like all the other geeks have said to you, you are always going to get people that will try it on and like they said also, ask to see the nails before you commit to doing anything. You are the expert, don't let her put you off, think about what you are going to do and yeah maybe give her a refund if that's what she wants. If she calls again say you are busy, the nice genuine clients far outweigh the pain in the backside ones, there's plenty of business out there. :hug:

 

[heidi14]

I would emphasise the fact that you would be very interested to see the nails that 'just fell off' before issuing any kind of refund!