Seriously Short Bitten Nails

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Debsidoo99

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I need some advice please.....
I had a new client come to me last week for a full set of pink and white L&P's for her engagement party. Her nails were extremely short as she used to b a chronic nail biter. Her index fingers were v flat and she had v hard and bad cuticles. I explained to her that because her nail beds were so small she would need more regular maintenance than someone with larger nail beds. She took this on board and I did a lovely set of P&W using Pink Flawless. This was last Thurs. Oh she also went away with an aftercare advice sheet and solar oil which I drummed into her would soften her cuticles and make the extensions more durable.
..............she has just phoned me to say that 3 have come off and the others are looking shabby. She wants me to soak off and put a new set on !! She didn't sound annoyed and even reminded me that I'd told her her nails bed were extremely short.
I know that I did the best job I could considering the "canvas" I was given to work with. The guilt pangs are starting to kick in and I just want some advice on how to charge her. My head is saying full price plus soak off ie £35 but my heart or soft nature is saying just full set.
What does a new business woman do. Just some reassurance please !!!!
 
You know deep down you should charge her, but you're a big softie like me and just want people to be happy :o

Be confident........you made it very clear that she was likely to have problems. She knows your prices, has an aftercare leaflet and Solar Oil - you've done everything you can to help her keep them on.

As a cannibal myself I know that even with enhancements on I still bite them, test them, etc. and damage them badly - I know it's wrong, I know it's not nice and I knew (before I became a nail tech) that it was going to cost me to have a new set put on, but I couldn;t help it!! :eek:

If you do them cheaply, she won't get into the habit of taking care of them.

Sooth yourself by going through the aftercare and usual advice again - and just say to her before you start......'you do realise I'm going to have to charge you for removal and a whole new set don't you?' nice and casually and chatty - at least that way if she doesn't want to pay she can stop there AND you won't feel guilty charging her afterwards.

You wouldn't go to the hairdresser, have your hair done, go home and start chopping bits out, then expect the hairdresser to put it right for you for free - it's the same principle!

Be strong, be confident...let us know how it goes :lol:
 
Debsidoo99 said:
I need some advice please.....
I had a new client come to me last week for a full set of pink and white L&P's for her engagement party. Her nails were extremely short as she used to b a chronic nail biter. Her index fingers were v flat and she had v hard and bad cuticles. I explained to her that because her nail beds were so small she would need more regular maintenance than someone with larger nail beds. She took this on board and I did a lovely set of P&W using Pink Flawless. This was last Thurs. Oh she also went away with an aftercare advice sheet and solar oil which I drummed into her would soften her cuticles and make the extensions more durable.
..............she has just phoned me to say that 3 have come off and the others are looking shabby. She wants me to soak off and put a new set on !! She didn't sound annoyed and even reminded me that I'd told her her nails bed were extremely short.
I know that I did the best job I could considering the "canvas" I was given to work with. The guilt pangs are starting to kick in and I just want some advice on how to charge her. My head is saying full price plus soak off ie £35 but my heart or soft nature is saying just full set.
What does a new business woman do. Just some reassurance please !!!!

Now Debbie ..... no no no NO! Professionals do not let their heart rule their head!! :D
First of all she may only need a rebalance ... often clients don't understand what can be done so they think they need a new set when they do not.
OK ,... she has never had nails and has broken or nibbled or whatever, 3 are missing. Quite understandable under the circumstances. This is nothing whatever to do with you.
Rebalance plus the cost of 3 new, OR soak 'n set at Full price.

Can you imagine pranging your car and the guy at the garage sayning, Ohhhh she's so nice I'll only charge for the paint but none of the bodywork?? Why do nail technicians always do this?????????? Don't weaken, charge her.
 
Ok !!! I will do as told I promise !!! I know that it's her fault and not mine so i hadn't quite committed the cardinal sin of being a big softie !!
I am quite upset that she has rang back after only one week cos I paid particular attention to her cuticles and explained every step to her.
I am toughening up honest - just sometimes I get those guilty pangs.
BIG TOUGH DEBSIDOO WILL EMERGE !!!
Thank you for toughening me up and helping - much appreciated.
 
I agree with trinitynals, if a client comes back to me cos they have lost a nail or for a reason that i no is not my fault then i say at the beginning of the treatment that i have to charge them for it
 
Debsidoo99 said:
Ok !!! I will do as told I promise !!! I know that it's her fault and not mine so i hadn't quite committed the cardinal sin of being a big softie !!
I am quite upset that she has rang back after only one week cos I paid particular attention to her cuticles and explained every step to her.
I am toughening up honest - just sometimes I get those guilty pangs.
BIG TOUGH DEBSIDOO WILL EMERGE !!!
Thank you for toughening me up and helping - much appreciated.

Another way to look at things is this way: When a client accepts your service and sits at your table, you have made a contract with her to give her a beautiful set of nails. THAT is what she is paying for. when she leaves the salon YOU HAVE FULFILLEDYOUR PARTOF THE CONTRACT. What she does to those nails in between is down to her (unless you obviously made some drastic error and they all fell clean off or something). She has asked to come back to you. She has admitted fault. She has been warned that there was no support under the enhancement 'cause she has no nails .... Why you think you have to feel the least bit guilty or go soft on her is beyond me :D Get tough Debsiedoo get tough!! Not hard, just tough! :D
 
geeg said:
Can you imagine pranging your car and the guy at the garage sayning, Ohhhh she's so nice I'll only charge for the paint but none of the bodywork?? Why do nail technicians always do this?????????? Don't weaken, charge her.

LMAO
 
Debsidoo99 said:
I am quite upset that she has rang back after only one week cos I paid particular attention to her cuticles and explained every step to her.
.


with nail biters i recommend to them weekly rebalances at the beginning to keep an eye on them,and the shape of the nail often changes as it starts to grow and the fact that they can grow really fast the first couple of weeks so you may need to keep shorting them down to begin with.
 
Little Angel said:

:biggrin: I am so glad I provide you with such amusment tracey!! :biggrin:
 
Ahhh bless those canibals...............

Most nail biters, will test the nails with their teeth...........but most of the time there is a happy ending....after a few chats and replacements............
We, the clients and us have the same common aim..........beautiful nails....so tell them this is a long term partnership, we do all we can to make them look beautifull and they in turn have to do all they can to keep them that way...That includes, no biting, no chewing, no nibbling............
I see all my nibblers on a weekly basis for a tidy up and a re-varnish.........
But if they chewed one off, they pay for it..................
You will find over a period of time, they will have less replacements and are getting out of the hand in mouth habit...............Well most of them!!!!

But on another note, I had one very canabalistic client, who even after all the chatting and talking and advising still pulled them off with her teeth........
So I refused to do them in the end............because every time she did this, her nail plate got thinner and thinner.............and I told her frankly, that she was better of biting her nails to stumps, rather then reducing the nail plate to nothing...............and that there was nothing enhancement wise I would or could do for her, as her nail plates where so thin that nothing would benefit her......exept manicures......

She went away for a months and I honestly thought I had seen the last of her, law and be hold , she came back 3 months ago and yes we did them again, but this time I said, the first sign of pulling them all off and I wouldn't do them anymore............
Well she has been as good as gold and now has lovley nails, that are looking better and better by the month............
Sometimes they just dont get it first time round !!!!
 
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