Why Compromise??

[geeg]

Thought I would throw this new topic into the pot for the Creative technicians on the board, but really it should be relevant to all technicians.
I suppose it highlights the amount of public awareness there is about nails these days as well.

To get to the point ... I do several client's nails here in Spain. I like to keep my hand in, so to speak, and I also do a lot of testing of new products for Creative and Fabric# and the clients are willing participants.
Most of these clients are back and forth from the UK so they have their nails done in other Creative salons.

Practically every client I see has commented on the fact, that when they go to other technicians they see many differences ... the technician either never uses CoolBlue (a hand sanitiser) either on themselves or on their clients, or never softens the cuticles with Cuticle Eraser or Cuticle Remover before pushing back the soft tissue around the nails OR they don't bother with a top coat over the enamel or maybe a base coat etc etc.

Now if I am hearing this from the few clients I have ... how wide spread is this problem and more importantly WHY? I can only think that technicians are shortcutting to save time or worse to save a few pennies!! This is so shabby.

When we try to help a technician who is having a problem with say lifting, we assume (obviously wrongly) that the whole system (as has been taught) is being used. If any who read this are having problems then let me urge you to use the system in its entirety and do things correctly! Many clients are aware of how things should be done and they notice when they are not.

So my message is this ... Do not compromise the standard of your work by short cutting. If you think you are loosing money and need to save a few pennies by taking short cuts and not using the products you need, then you are not charging enough. Please do the job right.

 

[suey]

I think the problem is quite wide spread. Even before I did my creative conversion, I applied cuticle remover cream and definetely hand sanitiser, and to be honest find it a terrible practise if people don't!

I have had a number of new clients who have said they have never even been asked to put on hand sanitiser. I also have often been asked why do I apply a base coat? shock Which implies it is something new to them!

 

[dee]

well i have to say that i am not shocked , i think there is too much emphasis put on time ,but i mean it takes what, 10 seconds to put a bit of cool blue on both you and clients hands, i dont think i would dare not do it ,i am always so concious of health and hygiene,i think it is very important .but i dont think clients are aware enough of what to expect if they have'nt had them done b4,but thats just my opinion ,

 

[Nailsinlondon1]

This doesn't just happen in Spain.............
We pride our selfs to follow a very strict hygiene regime in our two locations...........
And a thorough prep before any enhancements are applied........
Even before we became Creative Technicians......

But when Faye gained a new client from a well known establishment.......The client was pleasantly surprised that we offer a consistent service..............Something she didn't get at her other Salon........She commented on how her service never altered where hygiene and the prep was concerned.............So she never goes back there, but is a regular at Fayes Salon now...

I also find that when I get new clients, the always ask me...........Oh whats that nice blue stuff then????.........COOL BLUE of course !!!!.............
Oh this is just so nice and fresh, they say.............
I always call it my little bathroom in a bottle..............
Most of the new clients, never had this before.......I can't understand why.....It can't be the cost!!!!.........must be a couple of pence per client, same goes for the cuticle remover!!!!!

Then when I use the cuticle remover , they are just amazed how much dead tissue is actually on the plate, which was invisible before !!!!!!
Yes I say to them, just because you can't see it , it doesn't mean it's not there !!!!!!!! Apart from being essential for good product adhesion, I find that good cuticle work is like putting a smart frame around a pretty picture........

I and so is Faye, are proud of our work and our standards and we like a nice frame, to show of our nice work..................
And hey no lifting either ................

It's worth it........... and extra 5 minutes on hygiene and prepping.........
I always say if, you are consistent and persistent in your work, you will be just that step ahead of the Technician that doesn't ..................
His or her loss in business is your gain..
It is up to each and every individual Technician to make sure they do not cut corners....................

So not just in Spain, we her the same story here too........
Must be a global thing then..............

just my two pennies worth
love Ruth
A fab weekend to all xxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[kerrie]

Hi Geeg

I sat here nodding my head all through whole your post!!

My clients are like :shock: when i sqirt the cool blue on there hands , most of them look at me and say whats that? they dont even know it goes in the palm of there hands lol and i gets comments, " oh my last nail tech didnt use that" and then i apply cuticle remover and work through each nail pushing back their cuticles and again they are :shock: what are you doing? So i explain what im doing and why im doing it and the benifits of doing what im doing, i have to say i do impress them lol BUT it shouldnt really impress them they should expect it!

When im finished more surprises come for them, if its a p&w set they are :shock: whats the oil for? my last tech never used oil and buffing? my last tech just used a top coat they didnt buff them to a shine, and of course when you are painting you get out the base coat the colour and then the top coat and they are like :shock: oh why do you need to use a base coat? lol

Now i think the reason that i get all this and never get someone who knows all this is because i think that once someone finds a Creative tech they dont leave them lol , thats my theroy anyways.

But if you look after your client and make them aware you care about their safety and care about their nails , not just the enhancements you put on they will return again and again.

So it looks like its world wide Geeg because it happens to me over and over with every new client i get.

Kerrie

 

[FatalAttraction]

I have loadsa clients amazed by cool blue because they have never had their hands sanitised!!!


I always do my prep because i am aways worried about service breakdown when the clients go home,

IT IS importaNT TO PREP PROPER!!!!


May be we should do under cover shoppers lol

Shame there are techs letting us down



Cazza


ps cant type that well i think my enhancements are getting too long!!!!

 

[geeg]

Well I don't suppose we will hear from any of the technicians who are cutting the corners will we???

But bravo for those of you who are doing it right because you are training your customers about what they should expect from any technician. And as Kerrie says, once they get it they won't want to go anywhere else, particularly NSS. Keep up the great work, this is one way to fight back against these salons.

And for those silent ones out there, Please take note and buck up your service so that the clients get what they deserve and what they are paying for. Please??? It will only be good for your business in the long run.

 

[crazy'n'creative]

Well what can i say that hasn't already been said i too use cool blue, cuticle remover, base coat oh and top coat which some clients have also said i didn't get that at the last place i went to in fact alot of what i do they have never had before hence i have a rapid growing regular client list

I had 2 rules when i started

1. I would never cut corners
2. Each set of nails i do i do them as i would expect them done on myself

If you keep your standards from day one it will show

 

[Dawnie]

Ohhhhhhhhh Geeg thought i would get in quick didn't want to be known as a quiet one
I agree with every single word you say, although I was college taught lol the tutor drummed the fact into us that hand sanitiser for the client and ourselves is like the bible is to Jesus and always always use cuticle Eraser. I thought this is the norm for all techs, whats the point of saving few pennies when you can show the client that you really care.
I even sanitise the nails trainer lol old habits never die.
Take care Dawnie

 

[FatalAttraction]

My clients think i am obsessed with cleaning because i am always sanitising stuff and putting things away!!!


Better safe and germ free than sorry!


cazza

 

[Debs]

I have been sanitising and keeping wotk area clean and tidy right from the beginning but I still have new clients who have had enhancements done elsewhere amazed at how different my work is.......
Most of the new clientelle I take on have never seen anything like coolblue. I even had 2 ladies come in and place their handbags the other side of the room because they always took home loads of dust. Its always nice when they tell me how clean I keep everything and how gentle I am, and that I always dust off their hands, I mean please, how can anything adhere to their nails if we leave the dust behind?? They were used to leaving with dust all over the rest of their hands and their clothes, I never could understand that

 

[Belle De Jour]

well girls i too always use the whole kaboodle and you know what i still count to 5 when im scrub freshing!! nickki jonesx

 

[Carrie in NE]

I always thought that using products like that before acrylic application would cause lifting!! I'm not sure if I made that assumption myself or if I learned that in school though. I will use it now!

Other than that, I use all of the other products. I realize that everyone has their own way of doing things but I always thought it was weird that the other nail tech in my salon never used ScrubFresh. I use it almost obsessively!!

I'm going to my first Creative Masters class in December & I am sooooooooooooo excited to relearn all of the things & 'think' I know.

Carrie

 

[mui]

Sawasdee ka

We do not use cool blue we use a product we buy from boots phamacy for clean nails and hands and am awaiting product from America .

We have cutical remover i buy 1 16 oz bottle from malaysia we do many manicure and pedicure and it very good for my shop .

We have cutical oil and some tee tree oil for mosterizer .

If any body not put this them not want to save money them maybe not know or them lazy .

Kop khun ka mui

 

[Shaza]

I use the whole works.

I am amazed by how many clients have never experienced proper sanitizing procedures :shock: . One client even commented when I produced my cuticle pushie asking what I was doing and was it really necessary as she had never had that done before. I was very surprised as she had been going to a large local salon for years and only contact me as she needed her nails doing at short notice and they could not fit her in, and as I'm mobile it was more convenient. When I saw her nails it was no wonder they couldn't "fit her in" she needed practically a full new set as every nail was either lifting badly or was missing. Apparently this salon was so busy that they scheduled maintenance appointments for every 4/5 weeks, she was stunned when I said every 2 weeks. Needless to say she is now one of my regular clients and has been a great walking advert as she is a mobile hairdresser and carries my cards with her.

Shaza

 

[BuffyFileSlayer]

One client even commented when I produced my cuticle pushie asking what I was doing and was it really necessary as she had never had that done before.

I too have had clients who have never seen a cuticle pusher before. One client who had last been to a nss commented that they had used their (dirty) fingernail to push back the cuticles!

Hi everyone, I have been reading this site avidly for a while now and am really impressed - aren't we lucky to have such a great site - thanks. I was a bit nervous about joining in but hey I've done it now, feels better!

 

[Didi]

Just thought I would add my two pennies worth in!!

My clients laugh at me as i am soooooo concious of being clean

I use cool blue constantly (at least 3x) on both myself and my client. Cuticle remover goes without saying!!! and I still count to 5 when using my scrub fresh.

I also always clean my table before and after an appointment and have all my utensils sterilised before using on another client!!!

Why cut corners - like someone said before I do all this as i would expect a technician to do the same for me!!!

Didi

 

[ella]

I have to say that it is not only creative courses who are very hot on hygeine & cuticle work. I have found this with Grafton(IBD) & ANT.

I have sold several bottles of sanitiser to clients who have babies in nappies - they use it when changing nappies on the go.

I have also come across several ladies who are surprised at how much is involved with my prep. It makes me realise how some techs can do such amazingly fast sets of nails - they cut corners. I know there is always room for improvement, but cutting these corners is not an option to me.

Has anyone noticed how they go about it on "The Salon" (channel 4) ??

 

[SA]

I have only just joined this site and found it interesting how many technicians do sterilise and follow the system to the tee I have been in the nail industry for 4 years and was trained by the salon owner.

I put my total trust into this lady and I put my hands up did not know at the beginning you were meant to do these things. It was only by reading the Encylopia of Nails and the complete nail technician that I learnt these things. I took over the salon 3 years ago and have trained 3 technicians who are just finishing their NVQ19. And we all have learnt so much. My assseor sugested going on a creative course which I have signed up for and go on Tuesday. I have seen Creative nails and agree that they are lovely but unfortuantley you are only as good as the person who trained you.

I love what I do and service myself about 40 clients a week we have a very busy salon and have many regular customers. I think the morale of this story is that you never know every thing and should never stop learning so maybe we should stop to think about this before judging these technicians. Is there any one else out there who would be honest to admit they have made these mistake? By the way not intentionally.

:x

 

[geeg]

should never stop learning so maybe we should stop to think about this before judging these technicians. Is there any one else out there who would be honest to admit they have made these mistake? By the way not intentionally.

Well I have to make the point here ... and indeed it is why I put up this post in the first place .... that anyone who has trained with Creative does indeed know these things from day one and there is no excuse for them not using the system other than laziness (as someone else said) or cutting corners to gain more time or a general drop in the standard they have been taught. So in the case of Creative trained technicians I can't be as kind a you and put it down to lack of knowledge. For others who have trained with different systems I wouldn't know.