Hi
I know how you feel.... It makes you feel really bad and you doubt your abilities! You have to be firm! There is unlimited advice on this site regarding people that won't take responsibility for their hands. When this lady left your premises, she had a lovely set of nails, what she does with them from there is her responsibility.
I had a young lady recently that I did a set on. They were lovely. She phoned me the same day to say that one had come away from the free edge (OMG!) I was horrified and asked her to come straight back and apologised, fixed it for free and away she went happy. I checked all the other nails, good as gold. She then called me a week later to say ALL her nails were in a terrible state! They had lifted from the bottom and half of them were off... She wanted me to fix them now! I explained to her that the fact that not all of them had lifted indicated to me that it wasn't a product she was using in her house and (she constantly has nails lifting) that the prep was done by the book and some are still firmly attached. I would fix her hands, but it would cost her. She politely declined and stated that she would give her hands a rest for the time.
Around 3 weeks after that, I got a call from her to say that she couldn't stand not having nails on and would I do a full set. NOW... had she truely believed that I hadn't done my job properly, there is no way she would be back.
The whole point to this ramble is that, she knows she is not being gently, but is trying to get you to repair them for free. Stay firm and don't do it.
I like to explain to some of my clients with chips etc that the majority of my clients return with no problems and they need to treat her hands more carefully.
I can't remember the thread...but recently I did a search on this topic and Geeg gave a really good response, See following quote by Geeg:
One of the things I note in posts continuously here on the nail geek, are questions and comments relating to complaints from clients about the condition of their enhancements when they return for maintenance.
Another hot topic concerns clients who complain when they suffer breakages or other damage between appointments.
Now we all have a majority of happy clients who return regularly for maintenance with no damage or major problems and who accept responsibility for the condition of their nails … and then there are the few who always return for maintenance with one or two broken nails and other damage and who want to put the responsibility for that on to you. There are those who just HAVE to have someone or something to blame.
How many of you actually make a point of handing the responsibility for the care and maintenance of their enhancements to your clients??
I know we all say the odd thing like ‘nails are jewels not tools’ and hand out a client aftercare leaflet BUT I think we need to make a deliberate effort to do more. We need to MAKE clients realise that the condition of their enhancements once they leave the salon is down to them … it is their responsibility to have a little care and to give a little attention everyday to their investment in artificial nail services.
For a start, they need to have the points driven home that:
The enhancements are artificial!!! They may not feel it, they may not look it but they are and they need to remember it.
That although much stronger than natural nails, they should not be treated as if they are and used/abused by the wearer in any other way than they would use them if they were real.
That their enhancements are PLASTIC and need to be moisturised on a daily basis if they want them to not get brittle which will lead to breakage.
That they should not wear them much longer than they would wear their own nails if they were natural.
That they should in fact THINK about their nails and not take them for granted.
That in fact it is THEIR responsibility once they leave the salon to do so because if they do not, YOU will not be made responsible for the consequences.
Whenever there are 2 pilots flying a plane ... a pilot and co-pilot … one NEVER hands over control of the plane to the other without deliberately doing so by saying, “YOU HAVE THE CONTROL”.. the co-pilot always acknowledges by saying, “I HAVE THE CONTROL” . This is a deliberate act so that each has full understanding of the situation.
I think we need to educate all clients by making a deliberate act of handing over the control of what happens to the enhancements to the client when she leaves the nail desk.
It is up to her how her nails will last and whether she will be a successful wearer or not. Maybe then clients would have more realistic expectations than they do at present where they seem to think they should be indestructible. It will also force them to pay attention to what they have to do to keep their nails in good shape.
What do you tell your clients who always want to have a moan?
