Soaking off someone else's work

[EmJ]

So i have a non regular client who has contacted me to ask for an OPI Gel Mani. Firstly she was disappointed to not get her desired appt time as I'm booking up about 3 weeks ahead at the moment! secondly she told me she was already wearing shellac and would need to have it removed.

I explained to her that i added an extra removal charge of £5 if the work i am removing is done by a different tech and she replied by saying 'what an extra £5 to soak off shellac?!'

So i replied and explained that because i cant be 100% sure exactly what the product was (I've had too many horror stories of being told its gel and its acrylic/supposed 'shellac' taking an hour so soak off etc) i have to cover my back and the £5 is to cover my product for this removal, and that i do not charge if its my own work.

she replied to tell me that it was definitely shellac because she 'saw the leaflet' and apparently they dont sell it to anyone who hasn't had the appropriate training. felt a little bit like she wanted me to say id forget about the charge!

im not trained with shellac but i think you can buy it aslong as you are a nail tech, by showing your qualifications? someone please correct me if im wrong!

just wanted an opinion on whether you think i have been unfair? her seeing the leaflet means nothing to me as my worst horror story always comes to mind.. a lady came in with 'biosculpture' which took me 2 hours to remove, even though she said the tech who did her nails had bio posters all over the place and the exact same pots of gel!

I am a level 3 beauty therapist and nail technician, ive got 6 years experience in hard gels and 3 years in biosculpture so please dont question my removal techniques etc. im sure some of you can sympathise!!
help!!! xx

 

[Belle Vie]

You're right to charge, it's not even just the products you can be sure of its the techniques and amount used. It's entirely possible that your previous client was wearing genuine bio sculpture but the tech may have used a few extra layers/client had previous infills/you didn't buff enough product off before soaking/any number of other reasons. I would stick to my guns with this one off charge and steer very clear of questioning other techs products or methods in case it is perceived badly. If in doubt charge and stay professional (not saying you're not though) and offer no further explanation than 'I charge for removal of another tech's work'. Hope that helps.

 

[Maz101]

I now do exactly the same thing and charge for removal of product I didn't put on the clients nails, so stick to your guns and don't let it worry you.

 

[paige rosie]

I charge for all removal my work or not. As its time and products and I was finding when I didn't charge people where coming to me for there nails taken off then going else where to have them done. The client can't expect things for nothing even tho they do we have to make a living xx

 

[blossom]

You are right about not having to be trained specifically in SHellac to be able to offer it as a service.

I also think you are spot on to charge her . . . I offer free removal if I have put it on, it's kind of a "thank you" for returning to me ... having said that if the odd regular client of mine has to go elsewhere whilst I am, say, on holiday (as happened recently) , I waived the £5 charge BUT that was just me being nice, it wasn't expected but it was appreciated, and builds client loyalty, looking at the bigger picture.

But I wouldn't waive the charge for someone who wasn't regular and who just baulked at paying to have the SHellac removed . . . it's not as if it's just nail varnish, is it, it takes product and time to remove.

I think you already know you were totally in the right hun, but it's nice to get others opinions as well isn't it :hug: x

 

[EmJ]

Agreed... When she text saying about shellac not being sold so people who aren't qualified... I really wanted to go off on a rant and tell her she should have seen some of the people on my college course who have a full certificate and were awful.. But are still able to buy various professional products. I really wasn't questioning who had put the shellac on, and only felt the need to explain myself when she sent me the first text back! I have a funny feeling she is going to cancel her appointment anyway! I love my job so much and rarely find myself in these sorts of situations, but sometimes I do wish I had a boss to blame things on!!! Thank you everyone for your replies xxx

 

[Maz101]

I just want to add I charge for removal of my own product if not redoing their shellac as it takes time.

 

[EmJ]

Yes I do the same, I charge £10 if I'm going there just for a soak off, but if I'm redoing then I don't charge any extra.

 

[w1nnie]

I charge for soak off weather it's my previous work or not. But next year I will be charging even more if it's nss work. I had a lady in the other day who's nss extensions took me an hour to soak off, she was feeling guilty that it took so long, so she gave me huge tip at the end of the service :biggrin:

 

[orchid11]

Definitely charge if not your own work. I had a client booking in for her shellac but told me had some on already from elsewhere and did I have time to soak as well which I didn't. Said she had stuff at home to remove it so would do so before she came in. She said it was shellac also so I told her would only take 10 mins to remove.

When she arrived said it had taken her all afternoon to get it off! So I said that's not shellac then, she said yes it is as saw the bottles and was exactly the same as mine. Was hard convincing her it definitely wasn't if took her so long to remove.

When I'd finished she commented on how much thinner and smoother mine was, and she has since come back for removal and proved it takes 10 mins to remove. She was shocked she was led to believe what she had previously paid for wasn't what they was saying it was.

So always charge! Or let the fakers take their own 'stuff' off!

 

[anonaw]

I agree with everything you've said. I charge £5 for the removal of someone else's product. Also I don't charge out I have applied opi Gelcolor and they are having it reapplied. Sometimes the customer is not always right. And also even if the product is genuine shellac doesn't mean to say it will come off super easy if she hasn't followed the correct after care. I've read on here many times that if a client hasn't followed after care instructions it can be more difficult to remove. And obviously your new client wouldn't know that. So stick to your guns!

 

[Glittery]

This thread has reminded the local NSS to me has been seriously ruining nails. I'm talking holes in nail plates, blood blisters, removal of nail by GP etc Anyway 2 weeks ago I had a client come in for a shellac service and the state of her nails was shocking, she said that's nothing have you seen the facebook pics. She showed me and they were truly scary.

Anyway, my point 5 more people came through my door that week saying they were scared after the pics doing the rounds and would I remove their acrylic. I explained the issues, potential problems etc and that I would have to charge £10 for removal. Not one came back to me, one popped back for an eyebrow wax with a new set and said "I know their terrible, but their cheap, quick and easy".

Apparently for some time and cost are worth the risk of losing your nails

 

[Smuff]

First of all- if you are providing a service you should charge for it, helping customers penny pinch only makes them even more tight.

Gel removal or acrylic or gel polish is not a quick job. It takes time and skill which is hard to find with all these vile tacky nail bars popping up every five minutes. I think a five pound charge is a good price for removal and it makes me so aaaangryyy when people moan about having to pay for it. A lot of the time your having to fix bad work so they should be greatfull to have found a professional.

Secondly- weather you did the work to begin with or not, you should still charge.

Thirdly- yes you can buy shellac from a few wholesalers I won't say which but they even have a catalogue you can order it from. I know this because I hold nvq 3 hairdressing and still managed to buy it before I had a nail qualification.

I was on another nail course on Monday and we were told that in the less salubrious nail bars they actually drill away half the nail plate before applying there dubious L&P that aren't EU compliant. And the same with there gel polish.

I understand your anguish every one. Not all technicians are the same. I personally would only go to recommended salons that are clean and take time over my service.

 

[nicole333]

Never feel that you have to justify why you charge what you do. These are your terms and your prices and the client then has an informed choice whether to come to you or not. Simply let her know what you charge and leave it at that.

Btw, I also charge to remove someone elses and it's £8 for the first half an hour.

 

[Solsken]

You can also mention that people refill pots and you're never sure. I used to go to a place before i started doing nails... they had Brisa pots and said it was CND and shellac.

Funny, i was sitting there, wached the person open a pot and it was empty. Got up and you could see it was the same pot, refilled. I don't know if it was Brisa or what.

This was actually the last time I went there.
You just never know what they are buying and refilling anything with!