Non-Standard Salons

[nail_star2003]

Hi everyone,

I posted this message on another forum but thought that maybe I could bring it onto this one as well.

Apart from the overwhelming majority of how people feel about NSS has anyone ever thought about whether or not they know they're doing wrong. Please read the following and make your minds up for yourself. I'm sure there will be lots of response to this but please don't kill me. I'm just trying to look at it from another perspective.

"I don't think it's so much that they all share their unsafe tips and tricks it's just that they've had little or no training. One person, probably in a huge family, goes on a little backstreet training course and then teaches the rest of the family. They then open up a salon and call themselves nail technicians. Sorry if that sounds really harsh but that's how it appears to me.

BUT, I've started to feel a little sorry for some of the non-standard 'technicians' (please don't shoot me :gun: ) I was talking to someone the other day who was actually assessing some non-standard 'technicians' for their NVQ (some of them are doing it!!!) and they tried to use an e-file. When they were told they couldn't use it and they had to use a hand file they were dumbfounded. They told the assessor that they had never been trained with a manual file and so thought that this was acceptable. They also had no knowledge of mma and it's dangerous effects. When the assessor explained everything to them their attitude towards fellow NSS completely changed. I would also like to add that their salon is completely MMA free now!

I don't agree with the use of mma in any way, shape or form so please don't think that this is the case but maybe these 'technicians' are just mis-informed. If this is the case they probably don't know that they're doing anything wrong."

Does anyone agree with me? Or do you all think that the fumes from all the NSS in Essex have fried my brain!!

 

[Trinity]

In my humble opinion (which is just that and nothing more ) I think you are absolutely right!!

The salon I had my nails done in was lovely, very clean, funky, well equipped and friendly so I assumed it was a 'proper' salon, it wasn't until I realised the trainee's were being trained by the existing staff and I realised no-one was actually 'qualified' (and I use the term loosely - as there are no official qualifications as we all know).

And now having learned so much from this board and other research etc. I know they are what this board would term a NSS - I saw no thorough hygiene practices, the same files were used on different customers, and bad practises were passed between staff as they didn't really know any different.

I supposed the emphasis should have been on the Salon owner to ensure she trained her staff properly, but when you consider there are no guidelines and standards of practice to comply with and it's fast money, I can see why the less scrupulous shop owners wouldn't bother.

As true professionals (and I'm going to be premature and class myself as one as I plan to be nothing less!) all we can do is educate our customers in proper practices and equip them with the knowledge and confidence to question someone who treats their nails with less respect than they should.

I'm rambling....in short...yes I think you're absolutely right!

Tina

 

[geeg]

I also think you are right.

Don't forget, we have seen the whole scenario before in the United States over the years. And we will follow the same path here.

We have seen in the USA, NSS go from being run like a 'sweat shop' turning out sets on the half hour and the technicians working like slaves and charging peanuts, to the situation as it is now, that 60% of all licensed technicians are from an Asian background and they are now well educated technicians who are working 'smarter' rather than harder. That is a huge percentage and all these technicians are not working like they were in the early days of NSS in the States. Many are running A category salons and charging high prices.

Many now have good education and they do excellent work too. NO one can take away how hard these technicians work and they are very talented.

They will get educated in the UK and they will move onward and upward as so many have before them.

 

[nailzone796]

I think you are spot on with everything you say, but what is so annoying is that the customer them comes back to us asking us to put their nails straight or to take hours to soak off their nail extensions which is valuable time to us (it makes me sooooo angry :evil but what can we do to stop this?

Michelle Nailzone

 

[nail_star2003]

Oh well, at least people agree with me!!!!!!!!!

It is extremely annoying when their clients do come to us usking us to put right their wrongs but think on the bright side you've got 1 extra customer and they've got 1 less!!

The only thing we can do is educate our own clients regarding these salons about the dangers of e-files (the way they use them and not in general) and the effects of mma. If you're not sure yourself - then find out!!!! Your clients will then tell other people who in turn may become a client of yours.

We will never get rid of the problem 100% but if we can make the percentage of good NSS salons higher like in America as Geeg said it may not be better for us individually as it is more competition :x but it will be better for the nail industry as a whole. If people are not frightened about having their nails done due to bad experiences you will find that you will gain more clients as well.

 

[aminah]

Don't forget, we have seen the whole scenario before in the United States over the years. And we will follow the same path here.

We have seen in the USA, NSS go from being run like a 'sweat shop' turning out sets on the half hour and the technicians working like slaves and charging peanuts, to the situation as it is now, that 60% of all licensed technicians are from an Asian background and they are now well educated technicians who are working 'smarter' rather than harder. That is a huge percentage and all these technicians are not working like they were in the early days of NSS in the States. Many are running A category salons and charging high prices.

The scenario above apparently has not reached parts of Ohio and Georgia, USA. E-filing continues, is going strong (heck, thinking of getting one myself), if you yank your hand back in response to the pain, it'll be pulled forward so the service may continue. I have yet to see them sanitize (let alone steralize) their table, equipment between clients [yes, I have stood and watched]. I have outright said, "Aren't you going to at least change the covering?" But from being there for a considerable amount of time, I have observed most folk don't care. Or, shall I say, those that frequent these establishments do not care. Those that do go to techs like me and you!

 

[mui]

Sawasdee ka

I have posted so many times that i think that some of the problems that are in nails is because of lack of GOOD education .

I did not know a small percent of what i know now b4 i come to this board and beautytech i only here because i find this web address in american magazine my friend rhonda send to me i try to read everything i can about learning from experience tech about what is right way many nail tech do not know you can learn from internet .

Maybe if you give the web site address geek and beautytech to some of this salons some will come and learn if you show them where to come and speak you will be welcome .

With mma i have always believe that ema is not exspensive for how much profit you can have from a bottle of ema if some body had come to sell me mma b4 i learn about it i sorry but i would buy it at this time because i did not know about mma ema some people that use mma do not know this is no good .

I always and will always beleive that some of the bad things in nails is from bad or not enough good education not people have bad heart they do not want to do bad job .

The good thing i think in nails is there are many more good nails being done then there is bad ones .

Mui from Thailand

 

[mui]

sawasdee ka

I will try to be care full how i speak so i not upset any body ka .

Asian techs realy do get lady speak no good about them sometimes .

Asia is a very big part of the world and of course there will be many good and bad asian techs and there are white ones the same.

Japan has some of the best nail tecnicians in the world if you do not believe me speak to tom holcombe he go there many times i see his photo in japan many times .

Not all the discount salons in america are own by asian techs i have photos of 12 dollar nails 15 dollar nails 18 dollar nails big signs outside there shops that are own by white americans this salons discount salons some will do very good nails and use ema same asian techs in discount salons can i say now please that i have many white american friends so i am not speaking bad .

some of The dicount nss mma asian salons talk realy is not true a lot of talk about nss is from lady get angry about discount salons .

Yes there are some uneducated asians tech and there are discount asian salons but from what i know there are also many white ones .

I go sleep now good nite mui ka

 

[nail_star2003]

Mui you are right. There are many 'bad' salons that are owned buy whites, blacks, asians etc alike. I don't think it is a race thing and I would personally like to say that I'm not bothered either way - I just don't like uneducated people calling themselves nail technicians.

Please do not be offended by this it's just that, unfortunately, where I live and work (Essex, UK) the vast majority of salons that have bad practices (i.e. suspected MMA use, no client consultation, no sanitising or sterilising, use of e-files on natural nails etc) do seem to be owned by asian/oriental people. I am certainly not saying that all asian/oriental nail techs are bad, there are some fabulous professional techs that are conscious of how they work I am just talking about the salons that I have had a personal experience with.

I hope I have not offended anyone as that is not my intention. This is a very touchy area and I don't want to speak out of line. I'm just giving an account of my own personal experiences.

 

[mui]

sawasdee ka kelly

I am asian and you not offend me for sure .

This is a very very good thread and all you speak about is to try to find way for help and educate the tech that need some help to make what them do no do make good .

So i know you good heart i will post more on this thread tonite but is 7 in morning now and i busy to 8 tonite so later .

One thing i can say is i pay for my education but i teach my sister and my friends with my learn in nail school and the boards so someones education is only as good as the person that teach them .

And if the boss of the salon is not good and is teaching staff the staff do not know they are doing no good .

Mui from Thailand

 

[mui]

Sawasdee ka

I have to go now i have some idea how to help the other salons i will post tonite .

If we keep this thread good there are many ways to help eachother .

When nss threads come onto the boards never do any thing come from them that can make something better some of of the post i have read b4 do make me laugh i will tell you one that is always come many time it is the nss call them solar nails because they dont speak english and cant say pink and white :biggrin: it all becomes what is called venting and slamming :sad: .

We do not live in a perfect world and it will never be perfect the same is for the nail industry but if we can all help eachother and just do little bit of good then maybe after you will find that many nss will get better like geeg speak .

And like the nss that you speak now they know are mma free they need some education like i speak b4 if i not know about mma what i learn from the boards and school i would be boss of an nss and i would not know better .

Mui from Thailand

 

[mui]

sawasdee ka

sorry i have not posted but i am so busy with songkran it is festival time in Thailand i have to do cooking and many things .

I will try come tonite but if not i will have time for tomorrow for sure .

We close shop today and will open 5 oc tonite so i think tomorrow better .

Mui from Thailand

 

[BKnOki]

Really wish I could be there for songkran have fun luv....

 

[mui]

sawasdee ka

This is very good thread so i want to make new post because this thread was not about speaking bad about some body who do something no good was about theymaybe do not know what is very good and how to help them .

If you can it very nice if you have some nail magazine old that you do not read anymore and when 1 time you go past the salon can go inside speak i am kelly from ....and i have this magazines i do not need now and maybe you will like them .

When you do this you will show them about products maybe they will buy the magazine in future magazine have lot of education in the back of uk magazine have nail academy school and for sure they will look at the magazine and learn and see products .

If you speak if you want you can say if you come near my salon 1 day come in and say hello they will learn so much by just come see you work maybe you will have new friend .

If you do not want to speak you can send by post or you can leave outside there shop or put under door up to you .

I will tell you some story about this later but not now i no have time but later sure .

mui from Thailand