Professional Nails poll 3 - To tell or not to tell?

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Kathryn

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Hey Geeks and Geekettes

Hope you are all looking forward to GMex and the best of luck to those of you who are competing. Don't forget to wear your Geek T-shirts with pride!!

This is just another quick post from me with my usual monthly poser. As always, I'd love as many as possible to scribble down your thoughts to this month's quandary, so include your full name, salon/business name and location and I'll duly print your comments in the November issue of Professional Nails.

Question of the month:
If you knew of a dodgy salon down the road, would you tell your clients about it?

Look forward to hearing from all of you.

Cheers
Kat
xx
 
I had a situation like this fairly recently. A brides sister called and booked me to do the brides nails. Little while later she called back to cancel and said the bride had booked elsewhere. When she told me where, I was worried - what should I do?

I decided to remain professional and wish her well with her nail service. I did not want to be seen to be bad mouthing another salon. After all it would only be hearsay.

If I had personal experience of a poor salon then I could feel that I could pass on my experience but not just gossip.
 
Well now there is a thought..................
But before I start, thanks for your well wishes for the next Comp and yes Geek T-shirts are worn with pride!!!!!!

But her it goes!
Well, but no I would not bad mouth any Salon...........
I have high standards at my place of work.........My clients know, what to expect, they get the latest information on product issues , leaflets on MMA issues, after care information on enhancements,information sheets in what to look for in a safe salon in my opinion, client record cards are filled out at every visit, I also ask then, if anything has changed health wise since their last visit.............
This way I can ensure that they are well looked after and receive the best possible service that I can offer.
So if they visit Salon XYZ,
They will soon realize if they are in a dodgy Salon and then they can make up their own minds.............
This way they have a good v's bad salon picture............
After all an educated client is an informed client and wont bother with a dodgy Salon................

If the Salon was very dodgy, then I would visit this salon, have a little service myself and see for myself and if need be report it myself to the authorities................

Now on the other hand
If a client would come to me with severe nail damage, then I would take pictures, write a little report on my findings and tell the client to see either their GP or a Dermatologist and would leave it up to the client, wether they want to take their complaint any further.........
Either way I would restrain from bad mouthing or making any slanderous comments.
But it wont stop me from having my own thought about the salon, but thoughts are just that and they stay in my head................

Thanks for listening
love
Ruth Fordham
www.nailsinlondon.com
London UK
 
With all the freaking activity here as of late (sometimes clocking in at 150 posts for a 24 hour period)... this got buried rather fast.
Ill make it sticky for the next week or so as I am sure you all want to throw in your two cents.
 
Ok, if it was just hearsay then I really don't feel that it would be professional of me to say. BUT - if I had personally seen damage on a clients nails then as a professional technician I feel that I should tell other clients of what I have seen (with no more being added) so that we could stop other people being affected by poor workmanship and low standards.

I myself am not one for silly gossip but if it would depend on whether a member of the public got a 'poor' service from a nail technician or a 'great' service then feel something should be said. At the end of the day, we want to portray the nail industry as a fantastic industry with technicians that are highly trained and qualified not an industry where people are having their nails damaged and refuse to ever have their nails done again thus giving the nail industry a bad name.

Kelly Smith
Pamper & Polish
Essex
 
Hi Everyone, this is my first posting. I have been trawling through the site for over a week now, I think it's brill. I just want to tell you all about my experience of a NSS in Warrington were I have just opened up my salon.

A couple of months ago this lavishly furnished and decorated nail salon opened up in Warrington ( I wish I could afford the nail bars they have got). I decided to check out the competition (I am new to the nail business and new nothing about NSS's). I do my own nails and did not want to have a new set put on so I decided to have them airbrushed. The sample airbrush boards were full of lovely multicolour designs that I got green with envy, (I wish my airbrushing was that good). I chose a four colour design and was pointed towards a nail bar and & pretty Asian lady.
First of all she tried to get nail polish off my nails with remover (I was not wearing nail polish, I had just put on a new set of gel nails and didn't have time to top coat) she then proceed to come at my nails with a white bottle with a handwritten label that said acetone on it. I told her I had no polish on and that the nails were gel. The Asian lady and one of the other Asian men in the shop then proceed to have an indepth conversation about my nails in their own language. She started to airbrush in white, the first 3 nails looked fine, the nest nail smudged , she then spat on her won finger and wiped off her mistake. After one hand was airbrushed white another asian lady grabbed my hand and started to top coat my nails. I asked about the other colours and the Asian man shouted across that my nails were to short (my nails are very long). They completed my other hand and I was put under a nail dryer.

My nails looked like those stick on ones you buy in the chemist so I paid my £5.00 and left. The Asian lady only spoke one sentence to me in the 30mins I was there (you like)!

Since this experience I have had a number of ladys in my salon who have visited the NSS. One was a soak off which took two hours before the acrylic started to dissolve, when eventually the nails were removed the customers nails were in such bad condition that I refused, politely to put on another set. The other was an infill This ladys nails were so thick they stood up off her nail bed about 3mm (In hind sight I never should of agreed to do them) It took me ages to file the nails down so I could infill them, when I stated to infill with my L&P it was a totaly different colour....
What a disaster. I eventually finished the nails 3 hours later and the customer went away happy. ( I apologised alot because I thought it was my fault because I am new to the business).

2 days later (This bit is a bit gruesome) I noticed my nose was swollen and I had large scabs of mucous and blood in both nostrils. I never thought this could be associated with the NSS nails I had just filed away. After a trip to the Doc's and an article I read in the Nail Mag I now believe the MMA to be the cause. To top it all... the lady whos nails I did went and slandered me to another local nail bar in Warrington she said " I did not know what I was doing and that I should go and get some proper training"

This did knock my confidence because I am continually try to improve my techniques with further training.. I am not one of the best Nail Tech's at the mo... However I am aiming high , so watch this space.
Best wishes to you all
Karen[/b]
 
Karen, I am really sorry to hear about your experience but unfortunately it is a fast growing problem.

As long as you know you are doing your best to be a great nail technician which means going through the best training programmes you have nothing to worry about. Which woman was it? The one who's nails you soaked off or the one who you spent time and effort to get her nails looking right after being so badly treated? Whoever it was - don't worry. You do not need clients like that and the clients that you have coming back on a regular basis will continue to do so as long as you keep your standards high. That will count far more than someone who wants to have manky looking nails!!!!

So cheer up - have a voddy and orange (Ruthie's favourite tipple) :hic: :hic: and thank yourself lucky you don't have that woman as a client anymore !!!!!!
 
Thanks for your support Kelly. I love this business, I have got lots of training booked. Hope to bump into some of you @ GMEX
Regards
Karen
 
In all fairness I think my clients would be the one's telling me :D Everytime I have a new client I do try to educate them on the issues of MMA and NSS. I have some printed info on the subject, which I allow the client to browse and then we normally end up discussing it further.

Over a period of time they will then generally come back to me with tales of their friends, work colleagues, etc who have been to a NSS whose nails have been badly damaged in one way or another. They're also quick to point out how thick they normally look!

However, I did once have a lady book an appointment with me. The day before she phoned and cancelled, but first she took great delight in telling me that her daughter knew of a place that did them £12.00 cheaper (I knew exactly which one she was talking about). In this case I'm afraid I didn't bother trying to explain as I felt (right or wrongly!) that it would've been a waste of my breath.

Like some of the other girls have mentioned, gossiping idly about other salons is a definite no go. However, if I know for a fact a salon is 'dodgy' I would do my utmost to persuade someone to go elsewhere, whether that be to me or one of my competitors.

Adele Cutler
Peppercorn Nails
Bildeston, Ipswich
 
I think clients are more knowledgeable than we give them credit for. If I was asked 'could I refer a client to them' then I would say no but give them the number of a salon across town I know does good service.

x
 
Hi I am new to this and so hope I don't sound like a real jerk - but the answer to that question is no - if it comes up in the conversation about any other salon in my area I would say there is good and bad everywhere. I know many good salons round here and a couple of bad ones - (nail geeks :shock: - you know the ones I mean NSS's) - and then we get on to talking about MMA and so on, so I usually side step the issue - if I am pressed to express my opinion on a particular salon then I will usually say that it would not be professional for me to comment and then go on to talk about a really great salon that I have been to once.....

Karen you poor thing that must have been a terrible experience for you - and I know coz it happened to me too. It really did - I opened my salon recently and within 3 months the same thing happened to me (but not the nose bit - guess I was lucky) - you really don't need clients like that you will soon find your good reputation will lead you to full appointment books.

For the record as soon as I see those mma nasties - I (now) advise clients to go to the trading standards office and complain like mad and have a very in depth consultation including the dangers of MMA and apologize but I will not be able to deal with them - if they would like to come back after the nasties have been removed I would gladly discuss a system to care for the natural nail - I use nailtiques - after all I don't want a nasty nose and I don't have 2 or 3 hours to spare.


Hope this helps :D
:D
Thank you to all that contribute to this site I am truly inspired by you!
Jo xxx
 
Hiya

I am with all the others here - there is nothing to be gained by badmouthing another salon - you just look unprofessional.

I would perhaps ask the client to question how these salons can offer the service so cheaply and encourage them to think again about the situation. As Geeg says - if it looks too good a deal it probably is - (hope I'm quoting you more or less accurately Geeg!)

As information spreads about MMA etc it is to be hoped that clients will become more knowledgable themselves - we just have to provide them with answers to their questions - printed information preferably, so that they can come to their own conclusions. I guess that there will always be people who will go for the cheap option but if they do so after receiving all the information then that is their perogative and who are we to condemn? For some the price is more important than the results(or perils).

Ruthie
 
Hi Fiona,

I've had a similar situation although, it wasn't about a Salon.......
I was at college blending in my tips on Tuesday, trying really hard to get them perfect!!!!! When my tutor told me that I'm trying too hard & they don't have to be perfect........ UUUGGGHHHHHHH
This really confused me??????
I thought you needed perfection to keep your clients....??
Aggie

naturalnails said:
I had a situation like this fairly recently. A brides sister called and booked me to do the brides nails. Little while later she called back to cancel and said the bride had booked elsewhere. When she told me where, I was worried - what should I do?

I decided to remain professional and wish her well with her nail service. I did not want to be seen to be bad mouthing another salon. After all it would only be hearsay.

If I had personal experience of a poor salon then I could feel that I could pass on my experience but not just gossip.
 
Hi

I wouldn't bad mouth any other salons but the other day a lady came in asking me to look at her nail extensions. They looked really awful with lines from the cuticle half way up the nail - some lines really red. My first thoughts were some were infill lines but the really red lines looked like over filing. If i had paid for my nails to be done and had problems like this i would go back to the place i had them done to complain. But some people aren't like that and don't like complaining although obviously have been given a bad service - it bewilders me why sometimes we are too polite to complain even when we have paid good money to have a service done whether it be nails or anything else.

Anyway i've had my say now - i'll get off me soap box lol

Shelley:confused:
 
Hi All,
I believe that you should keep your thoughts about another salon to yourself, unless you know it to be good and then you can say so.

It doesn't give a good impression to badmouth another salon, the client may think you discuss other gossip to other clients, possibly giving a non confidential kinda feeling. Which is NOT how you want your client to feel.

Also if you stick to good quality products, keep up with training, keep learning, (there is ALWAYS something to learn!!) then surely your client can see you offer a good quality service, and will decide for herself about another salon.

You always come across messy clients who tend to drift around from salon to salon but stick to your guns, and you'll find the genuine, reliable, nice clients will shine through!! And they are the ones who are a pleasure to do nails for!
I don't mean they settle for anything because I always check they are definitly happy with my treatment. We always discuss together what the end result is required.

Enough of my droning on lol!

luv Sarah xx
 
My advice would always be....;)
  • Stay professional - never give another tek the opportunity to bad mouth you - if she/he does never bad mouth back - let them look unprofessional :idea:
  • Get on with what YOU have to get on with and quit worrying about what everyone else is doing; by all means make it your business to know the opposition - but rise above and BE BETTER :biggrin:
  • Always be kind but DON'T BE A DOOR MAT:eek:
  • Have Fun - don't be too serious:D
  • Always Smile - even when you are ready to committ murder!!!:rolleyes:
 
Mrs Geek said:
My advice would always be....;)
  • Stay professional - never give another tek the opportunity to bad mouth you - if she/he does never bad mouth back - let them look unprofessional :idea:
  • Get on with what YOU have to get on with and quit worrying about what everyone else is doing; by all means make it your business to know the opposition - but rise above and BE BETTER :biggrin:
  • Always be kind but DON'T BE A DOOR MAT:eek:
  • Have Fun - don't be too serious:D
  • Always Smile - even when you are ready to committ murder!!!:rolleyes:
I luv This post could not be better mui :biggrin:
 
mui said:
I luv This post could not be better mui :biggrin:

:o :o :o Thanks Mui - I am just down-to-earth and practical - wonder where I get that from???? :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
 
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