Pulled her enhancements off and blamed me for damage

[Alice92]

LUCKILY this wasnt a paying client it was only my mum, I had done her some UV overlays a fee days ago and she decided she wanted them removed and try gelish. I told her I was only ftee this morning and she told me any time before 11 was finr. I texted her this morning at 8 asking what time was convenient and she text me back at 10 saying not before 11. I had pplans by then so she decided to try to get them off herself. Long story short I get a text saying its peeled the tip layer of her nail off when she PULLED THEM OFF! She told me that I need to check my glue, well it was just an overlay I didn't use any glue, so cheeky, last time I fo het nails for free
If a client blamed u for damage when she peeled off her extensions what would you do ? Also has this ever happened ?
Sometimes I feel like clients dont listen and it could go against my reputation ...

 

[Saitpicks]

Friends and family can be a nightmare. One of my client has done this before and she informed that the enhancements totally trashed her nails. I just told her straight, if you had them removed properly she wouldn't have damaged nails. She tried to continue but I wouldn't back down. You just have to be firm with a smile on your face.

 

[nailpod]

Yes my dear this happens often! So many clients blame the product and don't take responsibility for their own actions. My mom did this as well and I tuned her I won't do them again it's bad advertising for me! She now is an angel and learnt ! So let's hope ur mom also learns. Luckily as therapists u can tell if clients pull off or they come off by lifting erc.. I have had clients try get free nails just few days before their fill is due like 10 days say oh their nails fell off they want free set! Happens with certain caliber of people unfortunately but u just have to be firm and also maintain ur professionalism don't get Into a Verbal warfare bcoz it's not worth ur stress levels. X


Beauty at your finger tips!

 

[Alice92]

Thank you both for your replies ! I hope nobody tries to blag themselves a free set but you can definitely tell so 'firm and smiley ' it is haha x

 

[Lipstick Kisses]

I give them the example of 'if you yanked your hair extensions out would you be surprised if some of your natural hair came out? No. It's the same if your pulled your nail extensions/ overlays off. They are designed to stay on until removed properly so of course it's going to take the nail it's attached to with it!!' They look really surprised and say 'oh yeah, I hadn't thought of it like that'
Once they've done it once though they soon learn!!

 

[MrsHarryWinston]

No way, after 48 hours I say it's on them because who knows what they are doing. Do you give out aftercare sheets? That could be a good way to cover your butt.

 

[sophistikatedn]

I would also say that when a client fills out their client record card and signs the indemnity at the bottom to say that after 48hours it's their responsibility and out of the hands of your salon....(or words to that effect)
You are then backed up by this if they kick off....

 

[Alice92]

I hadn't heard of that 48 hr thing before, how exactly is that worded on your client record cards ?
I will definitely give out aftercare sheets I was also thinking of doing discounted removals / rebalances for my clients if they book on the same day as their first set. Nothing makes me cringe more than people damaging their nails :s

 

[MrsHarryWinston]

I'm still just training but even I have noticed that if my product hasn't started lifting within 48 hours I'm pretty much home free as far as my application goes. So after that it all comes down to how they treat their hands/nails. And that's NOT on you.

 

[sophistikatedn]

After care sheets are a really good idea too. I couldn't agree more, knowing about nail complications makes me cringe too Alice92.
Client record card could say something like this....

I acknowledge that my enhancements* should be rebalanced every 2/3 weeks or professionally removed at a salon.

My enhancements** are not guaranteed and are my sole responsibility once I leave my (salon name) appointment.

Any breakage or repair must be paid for (after 48 hours) (if you wish to state this)

I am not knowingly suffering from any transferable disease or infection.

* if this service has been performed
** applies to any nail service performed by (salon name)

 

[Alice92]

Hmm :/
I know why it would benefit me to have that 48 hour thing but if I was a client and didnt know how they would last and my nail technician asked me to sign that I would probably think 'they might only last 48 hrs', 'my nail tech is covering her back for something' and a bunch of other negative stuff . That might just be me lol but I would prefer my clients to feel like they can always contact me with questions and that Im there to help IF something unexpected happens.
Im sure something along similar lines but worded differently would sound better, maybe like

 

[MrsHarryWinston]

Hmm :/
I know why it would benefit me to have that 48 hour thing but if I was a client and didnt know how they would last and my nail technician asked me to sign that I would probably think 'they might only last 48 hrs', 'my nail tech is covering her back for something' and a bunch of other negative stuff . That might just be me lol but I would prefer my clients to feel like they can always contact me with questions and that Im there to help IF something unexpected happens.
Im sure something along similar lines but worded differently would sound better, maybe like

You're looking at it the wrong way, we aren't saying "throw them to the wolves". What we mean is that if something goes wrong within 48 hours then it's MOST LIKELY the nail techs fault. But 72hrs+ it's probably something they've done. And if THEY'VE messed up their nails YOU shouldn't have to fix it for FREE.
Obviously let them call you for questions etc etc. But nail techs can't be expected to constantly fix nails and enhancements for free no matter what a client does to them. They should have some responsibility for taking care of their nails.
It's also your job to tell them roughly how long the enhancements should last approximately. So that they don't think you're trying to cover your back for something.

 

[bluesmith5]

I agree MrsHarryWinston... this is what drives me bonkers with people!! I am having to explain to grown women how to apply cuticle oil! seriously? I can't be the first person to ever tell them to use cuticle oil. I think they're playing dumb. Nearly every single client that sits in my client chair (we're talking hundreds of people now) is nearly clueless about nails and requires a heck of a lot of education. Sometimes I get the feeling they find me annoying or rude for telling them how to take care of their nails! But if a hair dresser gives them advice then they're thankful. I give them advice and some of them act like I'm a jerk. How dare I expect them to wear gloves when they wash dishes! Or put cuticle oil on their nails EVERY DAY!?! Then if they have a crack or a break or whatever I have to hear a long story about it and if I ask them if they took care of their nails like I told them to, they get all sheepish and say "no." Ack! I had one lady who griped about how much my gel manicures cost and that she can't afford to get them done if the product won't stay on. So I tried different things to get the gel polish to stay, actually believing that she had strangely difficult nails for gel. Last time I used a mild primer thinking that it would surely help and would be even difficult for me to soak off her nails. When I bumped into her she was gel polish free and I asked how they lasted. She said they didn't even last a week. Well, since I knew I had done her nails the week before and she was free of the gel, I'm thinking she is taking them off herself. If she got her nails done somewhere else and they had taken her old gel off then they would have put new gel on and she wouldn't have had naked nails when I was speaking to her. So I told her "oh well, looks like there's nothing I can do for you since I've used everything in my bag of tricks." And I've never seen her since. Good riddance because I don't need someone picking off their gel and blaming me or the product when they simply cannot leave their nails alone!!! Ack!:grr:

Thanks for letting me vent :irked:

 

[MrsHarryWinston]

Arrrrg that would drive me nuts!
Though I'm not surprised that none of your clients know about cuticle oil or how to care for their nails. Where I live no one seems to know about ANYTHING. Until I started looking into nails I didn't know about cuticle oil because NO ONE told me. EVER!!
No nail tech I ever EVER went to for gels ever mentioned it. I've never heard a WHISPER of aftercare until I found SG. I didn't know that aftercare sheets were a "thing" or that my tech should have warned me about saunas or steam rooms. And never before have I seen a client consultation sheet for nails. Where I live it's not a nail techs job to pick what happens to your nails. You call or walk in, tell them what you want and they do it. Done and done. You want gel, they give you gel. You want l&p they give you l&p.
I have never ever been "recommended" anything. Although I've also never gone in with questions.

The whole process of getting your nails done in England seems vastly different.

 

[Alice92]

Lol , nobody likes a 'picker' .
I dont think its necessary to have the 48 hr thing written down given that most people are happy with their nails
P.s I hadn't used cuticle oil until college

 

[sophistikatedn]

You're looking at it the wrong way, we aren't saying "throw them to the wolves". What we mean is that if something goes wrong within 48 hours then it's MOST LIKELY the nail techs fault. But 72hrs+ it's probably something they've done. And if THEY'VE messed up their nails YOU shouldn't have to fix it for FREE.
Obviously let them call you for questions etc etc. But nail techs can't be expected to constantly fix nails and enhancements for free no matter what a client does to them. They should have some responsibility for taking care of their nails.
It's also your job to tell them roughly how long the enhancements should last approximately. So that they don't think you're trying to cover your back for something.

I couldn't have said this any better myself!
My suggestion about paying for repairs after 48 hours is exactly that "a suggestion"

You could go one further and have a small print if you so wish that could explain about after 48 hours blah blah blah if you didn't feel comfortable putting it in bold. Perhaps put a * after all repairs have to be paid for then explain at the bottom....?

Ultimately though it's all down to what you decide and your business style. If your clients are happy though then yes all the above is completely irrelevant to you

Whilst performing the service this really is our chance to build a rapport with our clients and answer any questions they may have as well as after if necessary of course! - goes without saying!

One of my questions on my client cards is have you had any nail services performed on you before, if so what??

This can open up numerous questions you can ask and if they've used a different brand before this is your chance to explain how the brand your using works and lasts for etc etc etc....

I generally find that after a while you know who is trying to pull a fast one wanting a free set to those genuine customers that have a genuine repair! You just know....

 

[nicole333]

If you have explained how your client needs to look after their nails according to the treatment you have performed and you have given them an aftercare sheet, it is then their decision and their responsibility if they choose to go against that advice and pick them off.

Shame it was your mum though, I would have been p****d at that side of things rather then the self removal.