TPTW ... Do people actually know what a good set set of salon nails should look like?

[geeg]

Simple question??

Are there so many mediocre/just plain bad nail technicians around now that the public doesn't actually know what a good set of salon nails can look like, and therefore accepts quite willingly having nails that a real professional technician wouldn't let go out the door?

 

[ellewopter]

From some of the efforts i've seen lately i wouldnt be supprised, i actually have people asking me for the spades that come out of discount salons.........:grr:

 

[mum]

Simple answer: yep!

Why do technicians and clients think it's acceptable to have thick, white ugly lumps on the end of their fingers?

I can't understand it but there are some people who want nails that look artificial but not many!! It does seem to be the norm that enhanced nails look artificial and not 'enhanced'?????

I work on people that have their nails done all over the world. Every time I do a set the person ALWAYS says wow they look real!!!! I'm just doing ordinary nails, nothing clever like elongating the nail bed!

It's a strange mind set that makes lumps acceptable (and it's not necessarily the discount salons ellewopter who can often do beautiful shapes! They just use bad products)

 

[Zingara]

Sadly, I think you've hit the 'nail' right on the head there. Yes, I think there are so many bad techs around that your average client doesn't have a perception of what is a good set can look, or feel like.

And unfortunately, there are also still a lot of people ou there who actually want 'fake' nails...as in they want them to look fake. It seems to be some kind of statement of "look I can afford to haev my nails done"

I get them occasioanally, but now try to tailoe my marketng (and prices) to those who want what I provide.....beautiful natural style nails, whether extended or overlayed.

We can't change it overnight, but we can just keep on trying to produce the best we can, and gently encourgaing those clients who still want thick square nails with more white than pink, to try something a little more natural.

I managed it yesterday....had one girl who has had a few sets off me in the past (she travels, so she often ends up having to go to different places. She came in for a 3 week maintenance with big chunky square nails with a good amount of re-growth area at the bottom, but the white's just about starting to grow out to where I would normally place them. I re-shaped the nail to almond, thinned it and showed how it could look if we did it that way, and she utterly loved it. Converted!

But we have a long way to go to get everyone there....and a lot of techs to educate!

 

[ellewopter]

"It's a strange mind set that makes lumps acceptable (and it's not necessarily the discount salons ellewopter who can often do beautiful shapes!"

Just speaking from local experience, i have a lot of people ask for duplicates of what they get at our local discount salon which are um shovels!!!

 

[lots of lashes]

Now maybe its just because ive had a little training that i expect more from a salon than a clients would normally expect.
But now i would be looking for the technician to suggest extending my nail beds to balance out my nails(as mines are small and dumpy) and offer me the choice of how bright i want my whites ect but from a clients point of view how many of them know all this choice is available
some places dont even offer you the choice of tips or sculpts which is really disappointing.:cry: Im sure some clients and techs must think i size fits all sort of thing and each set they knock out looks the same:smack:
I soooo hate to see those bright white tips stuck there at a light off angle taking over almost a third of the nail bed yuuuuuck
people pay for thissss ?????? I think its not just down to price but the fact dont know any better, they just see it as more expensive

 

[Bagpuss]

I don't think alot of people know what a good set of nails should look like.....they just want better than they already have.

Its not until they see something to compare with that they think "hers look nicer than mine" but you still cant account for taste, and there are those who just really do want "fake looking" nails....even when they know they can have natural, nice looking nails.

 

[sarahpoppy24]

Hello, yeh I think the clients around where I live know what good nails look like. The nearest NSS is 40mins away in the car anyway. I think if people want the fake look though this doesnt mean it has to be applied badly, just brighter pink and whites with a deep smile line. I think that people would have something to say if they were bumpy and nasty around where i live, the standard of nail techs is realy good there is lots of competition to encourage me to improve all the time xx

 

[naturalnails]

I think the majority of the general public think nails are nails and they are all the same so they go for whoever is cheapest. They dont appreciate that there are people who have fabulous training who will actually care for the natural nail. These clients just think, my nails are crap so I will get them covered up because they will always be crap.

But life seems to be like that in lots of walks of life!

It seems to be a status symbol to certain people - oh look at me I can afford to have my nails done - when maybe they cant LOL.

When I started (nearly 10 years ago) most of my clients were professional ladies who wanted that finished polished (not varnished) look - but as nails became so common place and everyone was doing them, lots of my ladies decided that they didnt want them anymore and moved over to manicures.

 

[shedunlop]

A recommendation brought me in contact with a girl who was to be one of my most loyal clients. She was having her nails done for 5 years by a lady who was one of the 'leading' and most experienced in our city. She presented me with what was left of a new set 2 weeks old. Four nails remained and they were the most peculiar things I have ever seen. Completely flat, very narrow and about 1/4 of an inch thick! They were a version of pink and white which consisted of a white stripe being painted straight across the free edge of the acrylic, no shape just a stripe!

I asked her why there were only 4 left to which she replied 'usually I only have 2 left'. It appears that this technician always removed the remaining nails and charged again for a full set. She looked in amazement when I began soaking off the remaining nails and asked me what I was doing. It turned out the nails were usually removed with cuticle nippers and prised off! If she complained of the pain she was told not to be a baby. That was also the comment made when she complained of the cuts on every finger from the electric file! Now, I use and electric file and have never cut anyone except myself when doing my right hand!

I could not believe why this lovely, intelligent girl would continue to use someone as awful as this and asked her openly what the **** she thought she doing and why didn't she look for someone else. She replied that she thought everyone was the same and that the woman constantly talked of how good she was and how many clients she had. The only reason she had come to me was she had seen 2 other girls, where she worked and asked them where they had their nails done, by coincidence both of them had their nails done by me.

Clients, generally do not know, unless they have seen for themselves, how good a good set can be and how long they can last and the wonderful variety of things we can now offer. It is up to us to educate them, unfortunately this is a slow process but a very enjoyable and satisfying one!

 

[del3]

And unfortunately, there are also still a lot of people ou there who actually want 'fake' nails...as in they want them to look fake. It seems to be some kind of statement of "look I can afford to haev my nails done"

We can't change it overnight, but we can just keep on trying to produce

Fustrating but so true! I dread this type of client but business is business and they'd only go to another local salon that would give them this look anyway.
I've managed to convert MOST of my regulars to a nice natural finish either with french or natural looking overlay...so much satisfying :lol:.
A lot don't know the difference until they are shown, I find it fun educating my clients :green:.
:hug:

 

[angelnailz]

Just a quick quote from one of my new clients 'I`m so happy with this set of nails that when the pain comes tonight I wont even mind one bit!!'

I realised her previous 'tech' had been working to wet and every set of nails brought pain due to shinkage.....shocking that folk put up with this and a classic example of clients not knowing any better!xx

 

[An*Gel]

Just a quick quote from one of my new clients 'I`m so happy with this set of nails that when the pain comes tonight I wont even mind one bit!!'

I realised her previous 'tech' had been working to wet and every set of nails brought pain due to shinkage.....shocking that folk put up with this and a classic example of clients not knowing any better!xx

I get this type of remark from new clients all the time. Or they'll say things like "oh the lamp, this is the really painful part isn't it?" ... or they will be surprised after I've prepped that there's no blood like there usually is

Then when I'm finished they'll look amazed that the nails look thin and natural and don't hurt.

One client this week told me how all of her friends said she was very foolish to get Gel nails as they were going to ruin her nails etc.. this ignorant opinion really annoys me:irked:

But unfortunately they don't know any better

 

[Annie23]

To be honest I totally don't understand why clients go back to someone who hurts them. The very first time I ever had nail enhancements (before I trained myself) the technician spent the whole time talking to a colleague and funnily enough she cut me with a file. I could forgive the cut, but she didn't apologise and carried on filing even though I was bleeding and still had the nerve to carry on talking to her colleague. Silly sod me never even said anything, probably in shock with the rudeness. Another time a hairdresser was rough when blow drying my hair straight, I told her to stop being so rough, she apologised but carried on hurting me even though I said something again. I still paid her as I didn't want to make a scene. But I never went back to these people.

Regarding the heat spike, I have experienced this myself mild to extreemly painful the latter with a very well respected tech who should have known better. I learned a valuable lesson that day, to ensure that my clients don't have this experience.

anne xx

 

[An*Gel]

I've just remembered one of my clients used to go to a salon and said she'd never go back because of the pain that she experienced, her sister still goes because she lives near by and she takes a painkiller before she goes and is awake most of the night with the pain.... that's AFTER a painkiller!!!!!!!

I nearly fainted when I heard that one

 

[geeg]

I've just remembered one of my clients used to go to a salon and said she'd never go back because of the pain that she experienced, her sister still goes because she lives near by and she takes a painkiller before she goes and is awake most of the night with the pain.... that's AFTER a painkiller!!!!!!!

I nearly fainted when I heard that one

I have to say I find it very hard to believe some of these 'tall tales' and if they are true ... it defies any kind of intelligence that these ones should actually go back and pay to be hurt. I have nil respect for anyone who is so completely stupid and I think they actually deserve all they get.

 

[Eni]

I think most everyone has already covered it and the conclusion is sadly NO. Most clients haven't a clue. Sadly, from what I have seen, a lot of newbie techs don't have a clue either.

I've done some mentoring in the past few months and have shown some of the newbies that enhancements are to ENHANCE and how to go about it. I've seen reactions from shock to pure awe that OMG I could make a set of enhancements that look...gasp...real.
I enjoy mentoring, (I'm a teacher at heart really) but some of the things I have heard, well....what can I say?

I don't know Geeg, the older I get the less I understand....

 

[geeg]

I think most everyone has already covered it and the conclusion is sadly NO. Most clients haven't a clue. Sadly, from what I have seen, a lot of newbie techs don't have a clue either.

I've done some mentoring in the past few months and have shown some of the newbies that enhancements are to ENHANCE and how to go about it. I've seen reactions from shock to pure awe that OMG I could make a set of enhancements that look...gasp...real.
I enjoy mentoring, (I'm a teacher at heart really) but some of the things I have heard, well....what can I say?

I don't know Geeg, the older I get the less I understand....

The older I get the more impatient I get with stupid people. Where does the arrogance come from that peeps think it is all so easy to be successful in any business never mind one as personal and skilled as ours?

 

[An*Gel]

I have to say I find it very hard to believe some of these 'tall tales' and if they are true ... it defies any kind of intelligence that these ones should actually go back and pay to be hurt. I have nil respect for anyone who is so completely stupid and I think they actually deserve all they get.

I was sick a few weeks ago and one of my clients went to a nail bar in the town and wanted her nails removed. (she's a new client and only wanted them on for a few weeks)

The nail tech used a drill and my client said she was in agony and had to pull away in the end (the girl had no English so couldn't understand when my client said she was in pain)

In the end she left the salon and came back to me when I was back at work


I asked if she paid for the "service"

Well it's no surprise... she did!!

But who am I to talk.. when my last hairdresser burnt the head off me with her hairdryer I smiled and paid and even tipped her.

Yep I'm stupid.... I know I know

 

[Anna Lee]

The thing is, that OUR idea of a good set of salon nails is sometimes different to what a clients's idea of a good set of nails is.

In that case, there's no real answer to this question. It just depends on what the client knows and wants and to what level of expectation the technician has of his/her own work.

Of course we as technician SHOULD know what a good set of nails look like, we are trained and we know exactly what to look for. But the general public are different, a set of nails to them should look like, well, a set of nails.

When these people become my clients, I sometimes teach them what a good set of nails should look like. Sometimes they see what I am saying, sometimes they don't. Their idea of a 'good set of nails' seems to depend on how long the nails last for and how little 'they come off'. They don't seem notice the apex, shape, smilelines, etc etc unless it is extremely obvious.

I don't send a client off unless I am completely happy with what I have done, that they walk away with MY idea of a good set of nails. But then my deeply respected teacher once taught me that I need not be too hard on myself because what I see is different to what they see - which of course is absolutely true.